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Intraspecific autochthonous and allochthonous resource use by zooplankton in a humic lake during the transitions between winter, summer and fall

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Author

Summary, in English

Seasonal patterns in assimilation of externally produced, allochthonous, organic matter into aquatic food webs are poorly understood, especially in brown-water lakes. We studied the allochthony (share biomass of terrestrial origin) in cladoceran, calanoid and cyclopoid micro-crustacean zooplankton from late winter to fall during two years in a small humic lake (Sweden). The use of allochthonous resources was important for sustaining a small population of calanoids in the water column during late winter. However, in summer the calanoids shifted to 100% herbivory, increasing their biomass several-fold by making efficient use of the pelagic primary production. In contrast, the cyclopoids and cladocerans remained at high levels of allochthony throughout the seasons, both groups showing the mean allochthony of 0.56 (range in mean 0.17-0.79 and 0.34-0.75, for the respective group, depending on model parameters). Our study shows that terrestrial organic matter can be an important resource for cyclopoids and cladocerans on an annual basis, forming a significant link between terrestrial organic matter and the higher trophic levels of the food web, but it can also be important for sustaining otherwise herbivorous calanoids during periods of low primary production in late winter.

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Publication/Series

PLoS ONE

Volume

10

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Topic

  • Physical Geography

Keywords

  • Lakes
  • Phytoplankton
  • Zooplankton
  • Summer
  • Bacterioplankton
  • Winter
  • Isotopes
  • Seasons

Status

Published

Project

  • Impact of land-derived organic matter on the allochthony, metabolism and health of crustacean zooplankton communities in boreal freshwaters
  • Regulation of lake planktonic productivity by boreal terrestrial export of bioavailable carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1932-6203