Influence of environmental variables on plankton community composition in permanent and temporal pans in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Msiteli-Shumba, Stembile; Kativu, Shakkie; Hulot, Florence D.

doi:10.1080/0035919x.2017.1293571

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen (ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite) exceed 5 µg/L and 300-500 µg/L, respectively. Our results suggest an eutrophication of waterholes in HNP and its periphery, which are characterised by high densities of phytoplankton, including blooms of cyanobacteria in some pans (Msiteli-Shumba et al, 2017). Despite the presence of the nutrient-poor Kalahari sands that are distinctive of HNP and its surrounding areas (Chamaille-Jammes et al, 2007;Mukwashi et al, 2012), the observed results show very high nutrient values in water during the dry season.…”

Section: Discussonmentioning

confidence: 47%

“…5a) in chlorophyll a concentration between the different months in our study. Chlorophyll a concentrations generally ranged from 0 to around 300 µg/L, even though there were a few outliers, which reveal phytoplankton blooms at 5 sites (Kennedy 1, Kennedy 2, Guvalala, Nyamandlovu and Makwa) (Msiteli-Shumba et al, 2017). Subtle variations were observed in PC concentrations as shown in Fig.…”

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confidence: 87%

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Driving factors of temporary and permanent shallow lakes in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Msiteli-Shumba

Kativu

Utete

et al. 2018

WSA

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Small aquatic ecosystems in semi-arid environments are characterised by strong seasonal water level fluctuations. In addition, land use as well as artificial pumping of groundwater to maintain water resources throughout the dry season may affect the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated pans situated in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, where certain waterholes are artificially maintained during the dry season for conservation purposes. We monitored 30 temporary and permanent waterholes for 7 months across the wet and dry seasons in 2013, and analysed them for standard parameters to investigate seasonal variations, assess the effects of land use and pumping on lake functioning, and determine the driving factors of these aquatic systems. Results show an increase in conductivity, hardness, and turbidity when temporary pans dry up and permanent ones are filled with groundwater. Prominent parameters explaining the diversity of aquatic ecosystems are water hardness, conductivity, turbidity, and the presence of vegetation. Seasonality differences in certain parameters suggest the influence of water level fluctuations associated with rainfall, evaporation, and pumping activities. Further, the distinction between turbid pans and those with clear water and vegetation suggests the alternative functioning of pans. Land use had no significant effects, while the effects of pumping are discussed. In times of water scarcity, animals gather around artificially maintained waterholes and foul water with faeces and urine, thus inducing water eutrophication.

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Section: Discussonmentioning

confidence: 47%

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confidence: 87%

Driving factors of temporary and permanent shallow lakes in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Msiteli-Shumba

Kativu

Utete

et al. 2018

WSA

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“…Samples were collected in 50 ml falcon tubes and preserved in 4% formalin. Taxonomic identification was carried out under an Olympus CK40 inverted microscope with the assistance of taxonomic keys (Msiteli-Shumba et al 2017). All plankton species were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible.…”

Section: Field Sampling and Laboratory Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This change in the natural physical dynamics may have a strong impact on ecological dynamics. Msiteli-Shumba et al (2017 monitored 30 natural and artificial pans for 7 months in 2013 and showed decreases in the richness and diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton species during the dry season. The analysis of environmental variables showed water eutrophication and seasonal variations in certain parameters such as increased conductivity and hardness with decreasing water levels (Msiteli-Shumba et al 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

Temporal changes in food web structure in semiarid waterholes

et al. 2020

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Semi-arid climate aquatic ecosystems may be highly seasonal due to large-amplitude waterlevel fluctuations. These resulting habitat changes impact aquatic communities and food web structures as a result of species replacement or loss. To study the impact of water-level fluctuations on planktonic food web structure, we compared food web descriptors in contrasting seasons. We examined the planktonic food webs associated with semi-arid natural and artificial waterholes sampled in Hwange National Pak, Zimbabwe, during the hot dry (HDS), wet (WS), and cold dry seasons (CDS). Natural waterholes are filled by rainwater, while water is pumped into artificial waterholes to provide drinking water to wildlife during the dry season. We computed the descriptors of 66 food webs. WS food webs tend to be more complex than those of HDS and CDS; the percentage of basal species was lower, whereas the food web connectance, percentage of intermediate species, omnivory index, mean trophic level, and maximum trophic height of species were higher. Pumping water to maintain pans in the dry season had no effect on food web properties. The drying up of waterholes in semi-arid environments simplifies planktonic food webs. The dominance of small rotifers may explain the observed low omnivory index and food web connectance in HDS compared to those observed in other studies.

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“…The eutrophication of some pans in HNP has been documented with high concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, and chlorophyll a (Msiteli-Shumba et al 2018). Cyanobacterial blooms were also reported in a few pans in April and November 2013 (Msiteli-Shumba et al 2018;Msiteli-Shumba et al 2017). This eutrophication is likely due to terrestrial subsidies brought by elephants and, as noted above, these terrestrial subsidies are certainly underestimated.…”

Section: Dung Leaching and Terrestrial Subsidiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A first assessment of megaherbivore subsidies in artificial waterholes in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

et al. 2019

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The transfer of terrestrial organic matter by terrestrial wild and domestic animals when they urinate and defecate directly in savanna rivers has already been studied. However, the eulittoral zone around ponds receives organic matter during the dry season, which is diluted in the ecosystem when the water body returns to its wet season level. In our study, we evaluated this pathway of subsidies in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, by estimating dung density in the eulittoral zone at the peak of the dry season. We also collected dung from different herbivore species during the dry and wet seasons to measure nutrient content and estimate nitrogen and phosphorus leaching rates. Our results show a decrease in carbon:phosphorus and nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in the dry season compared to the wet season. During the dry season, the deposition of total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, mostly due to elephants, is estimated to be 8.65, 0.25, and 0.06 g/m²/day, respectively, while the leaching rates of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus are 1.52 mg and 6.59 mg m²/day, respectively. No specific coloured dissolved organic matter signature for dung was identified.We discuss the temporal dynamics of the subsidies as a distinctive feature of the system.

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Influence of environmental variables on plankton community composition in permanent and temporal pans in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Cited by 8 publications

References 44 publications

Driving factors of temporary and permanent shallow lakes in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Driving factors of temporary and permanent shallow lakes in and around Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Temporal changes in food web structure in semiarid waterholes

A first assessment of megaherbivore subsidies in artificial waterholes in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

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