Effects of Egeria densa Planch. beds on a shallow lake without piscivorous fish

Mazzeo, Néstor; Rodríguez-Gallego, Lorena; Kruk, Carla; Meerhoff, Mariana; Gorga, Javier; Lacerot, Gissell; Quintans, Federico; Loureiro, Marcelo; Larrea, Diego; García-Rodríguez, Felipe

doi:10.1023/b:hydr.0000008571.40893.77

Cited by 90 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…A detailed analysis of the zooplankton taxa in the study lakes, furthermore, confirmed that fish are likely to be the main driver of zooplankton community size structure; whereas, the influence of vegetation seems limited (Lacerot and others unpublished data). In the warmer lakes, this is likely caused by strong fish zooplanktivory due to a combination of multiple or continuous reproductive events (van Leeuwen and others 2007), lower densities of large specialist piscivores (see also Quiró s 1997), widespread omnivory (Branco and others 1997;Blanco and others 2003;Mazzeo and Even though the grazing pressure in lakes in the intermediate and warm climate region is lower than in the cold lakes, overall the potential grazing pressure is often higher in lakes with abundant vegetation when compared to lakes with scarce vegetation within the same climate region. The potential grazing pressure positively influences the water transparency and negatively influences organic matter and chla concentrations, indicating an indirect water clearing effect of the vegetation through zooplankton.…”

Section: 75mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates

et al. 2009

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A positive feedback between submerged vegetation and water clarity forms the backbone of the alternative state theory in shallow lakes. The water clearing effect of aquatic vegetation may be caused by different physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms and has been studied mainly in temperate lakes. Recent work suggests differences in biotic interactions between (sub)tropical and cooler lakes might result in a less pronounced clearing effect in the (sub)tropics. To assess whether the effect of submerged vegetation changes with climate, we sampled 83 lakes over a gradient ranging from the tundra to the tropics in South America. Judged from a comparison of water clarity inside and outside vegetation beds, the vegetation appeared to have a similar positive effect on the water clarity across all climatic regions studied. However, the local clearing effect of vegetation decreased steeply with the contribution of humic substances to the underwater light attenuation. Looking at turbidity on a whole-lake scale, results were more difficult to interpret. Although lakes with abundant vegetation (>30%) were generally clear, sparsely vegetated lakes differed widely in clarity. Overall, the effect of vegetation on water clarity in our lakes appears to be smaller than that found in various Northern hemisphere studies. This might be explained by differences in fish communities and their relation to vegetation. For instance, unlike in Northern hemisphere studies, we find no clear relation between vegetation coverage and fish abundance or their diet preference. High densities of omnivorous fish and coinciding low grazing pressures on phytoplankton in the (sub)tropics may, furthermore, weaken the effect of vegetation on water clarity.

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Section: 75mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates

et al. 2009

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“…Lake Blanca (34°54¢ S; 54°50¢ W) is a shallow (total area = 40.5 ha, Z max = 3.6 m; Mazzeo et al, 2003) lake used for water supply in the main tourist area of Uruguay. It is a warm polymictic (temperature range: 11.3-26.3°C) and eutrophic lake (in-lake annual mean TP, TN (Valderrama, 1981) and chlorophyll a (Nusch, 1980) concentrations: 93.6, 1010, and 31.9 lg l -1 , respectively).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since then, turbid and clear water states have alternated in the system, and the fish community has been dominated by small (13 mm < SL < 86 mm) Jenynsia multidentata Jenyns (Anablepidae) . This is an omnivorous-planktivorous fish (Escalante, 1983;Goyenola et al, unpublished data), with a mean whole lake density = 13 ind m -2 (density in littoral areas ‡ 100 ind m -2 , Mazzeo et al, 2003). The littoral zone of Lake Blanca is rather complex and dynamic, from the shore to the open water area there is an emergent plant zone (Schoenoplectus californicus L. and floating islands dominated by Typha latifolia L.), followed by submerged plants (SP) (Egeria densa Planch.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Horizontal dynamics of zooplankton in subtropical Lake Blanca (Uruguay) hosting multiple zooplankton predators and aquatic plant refuges

et al. 2007

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In the subtropics, the effects of macrophytes on trophic interactions are more complex than in temperate lakes. Fish, particularly the smallest species and individuals, aggregate in high numbers in the vegetation, and a strong predation pressure on zooplankton by shrimps and invertebrates, such as Chaoborus, can occur in these systems. We studied seasonal and diel changes in zooplankton and their potential predators (both fish and invertebrates) and physical and chemical characteristics among open water and vegetated habitats (emergent and submerged plants (SP)), in the subtropical Lake Blanca (34°54¢ S; 54°50¢ W), a shallow system with an extensive and complex littoral area and high abundance of vertebrate and invertebrate predators on zooplankton. We found differential horizontal distribution of some zooplankton species under the scenario of high abundance of small omnivorous-planktivorous fish and Chaoborus, especially in the seasons with intermediate catch per unit effort of fish. We found indications of a diel horizontal migration (DHM) opposite than described for temperate systems, as the two main cladocerans Bosmina longirostris and Diaphanosoma birgei were found in higher densities in the submerged plant beds during night, in spring and autumn respectively. Although we need experiments to prove DHM, Chaoborus seemed to be the main trigger of the apparent DHM, followed by small omnivorous fish. During summer no spatial differences were found likely because of high densities of fish in all habitats. In absence of piscivorous fish, the distribution of fish Jenynsia multidentata seemed to be conditioned by food availability and by predation risk of waterfowl. The refuge capacity of aquatic plants for zooplankton in subtropical systems seems weak and with consequent weak or no cascading effects on water transparency, as under very high fish and invertebrate densities (summer) the refuge for zooplankton was lost.

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“…Its negative effects on native macrophytes may lead to cascading effects on other aquatic assemblages, like fish and invertebrates, which are supported by native species of submersed macrophytes typical of the Paraná basin (Pelicice et al, 2005;Thomaz et al, 2008). Such cascade effects could be associated, for example, with food web structure, because in general, small sized fishes inhabit aquatic macrophyte beds, among other reasons, because of abundant food supplies (Mazzeo et al, 2003). Ostracods are one of the main items consumed by these fish that inhabit littoral zones with Egeria beds (Pelicice & Agostinho, 2006) and thus, changes in submersed macrophytes assemblages would potentially affect associated ostracods which in turn, may affect fish.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ostracod (Crustacea) colonization of a native and a non-native macrophyte species of Hydrocharitaceae in the Upper Paraná floodplain (Brazil): an experimental evaluation

et al. 2010

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Non-native aquatic macrophytes have invaded different types of ecosystems all over the world. The exotic submersed macrophyte Hydrilla verticillata recently invaded the Paraná basin, Brazil, being recorded by the first time in the natural habitats of this river in 2005. We investigated the effects of this species on ostracod assemblages and compared the abundance, richness, and Shannon-Wiener diversity of ostracod assemblages that colonize the invading species with those that colonize Egeria najas, a native submersed species with similar architecture and physical complexity. Fragments of these two species were left for 28 days in tanks to root and grow and then they were transferred to a floodplain lake where they remained in pairs (one plant of each species; N = 7) during 30 days for colonization by ostracods. A detrented correspondence analysis was used to summarize ostracod assemblage composition. Although there were no significant differences in ostracod abundance, richness and Shannon diversity when analyzed separately, cumulative curves, which permit to eliminate effects of abundance on richness, indicated a significantly higher number of ostracod species on H. verticillata. Assemblage composition was significantly different between both plant species, as shown by the first DCA axis. Our results show that H. verticillata might provide favorable habitats for native ostracod assemblages.

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Effects of Egeria densa Planch. beds on a shallow lake without piscivorous fish

Cited by 90 publications

References 39 publications

Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates

Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates

Horizontal dynamics of zooplankton in subtropical Lake Blanca (Uruguay) hosting multiple zooplankton predators and aquatic plant refuges

Ostracod (Crustacea) colonization of a native and a non-native macrophyte species of Hydrocharitaceae in the Upper Paraná floodplain (Brazil): an experimental evaluation

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