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Emergent and floating-leaved macrophytes as refuge for zooplankton in a eutrophic temperate lake without submerged vegetation

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Abstract

Several studies have shown that submerged macrophytes provide a refuge for zooplankton against fish predation, whereas the role of emergent and floating-leaved species, which are often dominant in eutrophic turbid lakes, is far less investigated. Zooplankton density in open water and amongst emergent and floating-leaved vegetation was monitored in a small, eutrophic lake (Frederiksborg Slotssø) in Denmark during July–October 2006. Emergent and floating-leaved macrophytes harboured significantly higher densities of pelagic as well as plant-associated zooplankton species, compared to the open water, even during periods where the predation pressure was presumably high (during the recruitment of 0+ fish fry). Zooplankton abundance in open water and among vegetation exhibited low values in July and peaked in August. Bosmina and Ceriodaphnia dominated the zooplankton community in the littoral vegetated areas (up to 4,400 ind l−1 among Phragmites australis and 11,000 ind l−1 between Polygonum amphibium stands), whereas the dominant species in the pelagic were Daphnia (up to 67 ind l−1) and Cyclops (41 ind l−1). The zooplankton density pattern observed was probably a consequence of concomitant modifications in the predation pressure, refuge availability and concentration of cyanobacteria in the lake. It is suggested that emergent and floating-leaved macrophytes may play an important role in enhancing water clarity due to increased grazing pressure by zooplankton migrating into the plant stands. As a consequence, especially in turbid lakes, the ecological role of these functional types of vegetation, and not merely that of submerged macrophyte species, should be taken into consideration.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Charlotte Møller and Nils Willumsen, both from the Freshwater Biological Laboratory, for technical assistance and Erik Jeppesen from the National Environmental Research Institute, and two anonymous referees for valuable comments to an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Freshwater Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Helsingørsgade 51, 3400, Hillerod, Denmark

    Matteo Cazzanelli, Trine Perlt Warming & Kirsten Seestern Christoffersen

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  1. Matteo Cazzanelli
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  2. Trine Perlt Warming
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  3. Kirsten Seestern Christoffersen
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Correspondence to Kirsten Seestern Christoffersen.

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Handling editor: S. I. Dodson

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Cazzanelli, M., Warming, T.P. & Christoffersen, K.S. Emergent and floating-leaved macrophytes as refuge for zooplankton in a eutrophic temperate lake without submerged vegetation. Hydrobiologia 605, 113–122 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-008-9324-1

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