Vertical distributions and zooplankton predation in a small temperate pond

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1720-1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy E. Melville ◽  
Edward J. Maly
Keyword(s):  
Daphnia Pulex ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Invertebrate Predation ◽  
Chaoborus Americanus ◽  
Vertical Distributions ◽  
Zooplankton Communities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Predation Rates

Depth-specific sampling in a small Quebec pond between April and October 1977 revealed that instars of Daphnia pulex less than 1.41 mm in length and instars of Diaptomus leptopus greater than 0.64 mm in length consistently had vertical distributions which were different from those of late instars of their predator Chaoborus americanus. Experiments were done to determine to what extent these distributions affected the rate of predation by Chaoborus. Vertical and horizontal 25-L enclosures, 1.4 m long, and 2.5-L enclosures, all containing Chaoborus–prey pairs, were introduced into a pond for 3-day periods weekly from July to September. Predation rates in vertical enclosures were considerably lower than those in small and horizontal enclosures. These results suggest that distributions of Diaptomus and Daphnia in vertical enclosures significantly reduce predation on them by Chaoborus. In horizontal and small enclosures where overlap of predator and prey was increased, predation rate of Chaoborus was higher. Results are discussed in relation to the impact of invertebrate predation on zooplankton and the structure of zooplankton communities.

The impact of two Chaoborus species on a zooplankton community

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 981-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil A. MacKay ◽  
Stephen R. Carpenter ◽  
Patricia A. Soranno ◽  
Michael J. Vanni
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Daphnia Pulex ◽  
Zooplankton Community ◽  
Chlorophyll A Concentration ◽  
Chaoborus Flavicans ◽  
Chaoborus Americanus ◽  
Diaptomus Oregonensis ◽  
Herbivore Responses ◽  
The Impact

The responses of a zooplankton community to Chaoborus predation were studied in large in situ mesocosms in Peter Lake. Chaoborus flavicans, the native chaoborid, significantly reduced the density of the dominant grazer, Daphnia pulex, in relation to controls that lacked Chaoborus. Chaoborus americanus, a species found only in fishless bogs, reduced Da. pulex densities far more than the chaoborid found in Peter Lake, C. flavicans. Chaoborus americanus also significantly reduced the dominant copepod, Diaptomus oregonensis, in relation to both the control and the C. flavicans treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration did not differ among treatments, indicating that herbivore responses could not be explained by changes in food levels. Our results show that Chaoborus predation can greatly affect a zooplankton community, especially daphnids.

Larval Mosquitoes as Vulnerable Prey: Chaoborus Predation

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1642-1650 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Helgen
Keyword(s):  
Daphnia Pulex ◽  
Choice Experiments ◽  
Distinct Difference ◽  
Prey Choice ◽  
Temporary Wetlands ◽  
Aedes Vexans ◽  
Selective Force ◽  
Chaoborus Americanus ◽  
Predation Rates

The vulnerability of instar I and II larvae of the mosquito Aedes vexans as prey for Chaoborus americanus is much greater than that of the small coexisting prey, Daphnia pulex. Predation on Aedes larvae could reduce Aedes populations in overlapping habitats, and be a selective force in driving Aedes to lay eggs in muds of more temporary wetlands. Predation rates are great (7–25∙d−1) and ingestion times are rapid (0.8–6 s) on Aedes instars I and II. In prey choice experiments, Chaoborus strongly prefers Aedes I over small Daphnia. An Aedes diet promotes growth of Chaoborus at least as well as a Daphnia diet. Larval Aedes behaviors show a distinct difference between the first two and last two instars. Aedes swimming speeds and swimming distances increase with each instar, but when disturbed, the first two instars significantly reduce their swimming distances. Calculated prey vulnerabilities, based on swimming speeds and reciprocal ingestion times, suggest a much greater vulnerability for Aedes I and II than that for small (0.8 mm) Daphnia or for Aedes III and IV (4.6–6.2 mm).

The impact of biometric parameters of a hydromacrophyte habitat on the structure of zooplankton communities in various types of small water bodies

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen ◽  
Barbara Nagengast ◽  
Tomasz Joniak
Keyword(s):  
Water Bodies ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Biometric Parameters ◽  
Zooplankton Communities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Small Water Bodies

The impact of biometric parameters of a hydromacrophyte habitat on the structure of zooplankton communities in various types of small water bodies

Inter- and Intra-specific Variability in the Response of Zooplankton to Acid Stress

1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1749-1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund E. Price ◽  
Michael C. Swift
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Daphnia Pulex ◽  
Acid Stress ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Acid Sensitivity ◽  
Chaoborus Americanus ◽  
Acute Bioassays ◽  
Mesocyclops Edax

We measured the toxicity of sulfuric acid to natural populations of Daphnia pulex, D. galeata mendotae, Simocephalus serrulatus, Mesocyclops edax, Chaoborus americanus, and C. punctipennis. Organisms were collected in the spring and fall from acidic (pH 5.4) and circumneutral (pH 6.3–7.5) ponds, and their response to low pH was compared in 48- or 96-h acute bioassays. Based on 48- and 96-h LC50, cladocerans were most susceptible to acid stress, followed by Mesocyclops and Chaoborus larvae. Simocephalus was the most tolerant cladoceran, followed by D. pulex then D. galeata mendotae. Daphnia populations tested in the spring or early summer were more tolerant of low pH than those tested in the fall. Mesocyclops edax from an acid pond were more tolerant than those from a neutral pond. The response of the two Chaoborus species to low pH were quite similar; their 96-h LC50 (2.00, 2.09) was two pH units lower than those of cladocerans and one pH unit lower than that of M. edax. Our data demonstrate interspecific variability in acid sensitivity and suggest intraspecific variability due to habitat and season.

scholarly journals Does human influence on coastal grasslands habitats affect predation pressure on snakes?

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 366-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio Beux dos Santos ◽  
Mauro Cesar Lamim Martins de Oliveira ◽  
Tatiane Penteado Gonçalves ◽  
Francis de Mattos Almeida ◽  
Daniel Loebmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Human Influence ◽  
Real Effect ◽  
The Real ◽  
Disturbed Areas ◽  
Predation Rates

The loss and modification of habitats by humans have been considered key factors in the decline of diversity of species worldwide. However, the real effect caused by these disturbances on the biota is still poorly understood. The assessment of the changes in the network of interspecific interactions, such as predation rates on the native fauna, can be an important tool to diagnose the functionality of disturbed ecosystems. In this study we evaluate the predation rate on snakes in coastal grasslands in South America under human influence. Predation rate of artificial snakes, unlike that obtained in other studies, was lower in human-altered areas than preserved ones. Our findings may be due to a reduction in the abundance and/or richness of species of native predators in more disturbed areas.

scholarly journals On mechanisms of trophic cascade caused by anti-predation response in food chain systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Xingfu Zou
Keyword(s):  
Food Chain ◽  
Trophic Cascade ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Response Level ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
D Model

Motivated by a recent field study [Nat. Commun. 7(2016), 10698] on the impact of fear of large carnivores on the populations in a cascading ecosystem of food chain type with the large carnivores as the top predator, in this paper we propose two model systems in the form of ordinary differential equations to mechanistically explore the cascade of such a fear effect. The models are of the Lotka-Volterra type, one is three imensional and the other four dimensional. The 3-D model only considers the cost of the anti-predation response reflected in the decrease of the production, while the 4-D model considers also the benefit of the response in reducing the predation rate, in addition to the cost by reducing the production. We perform a thorough analysis on the dynamics of the two models. The results reveal that the 3-D model and 4-model demonstrate opposite patterns for trophic cascade in terms of the dependence of population sizes for each species at the co-existence equilibrium on the anti-predation response level parameter, and such a difference is attributed to whether or not there is a benefit for the anti-predation response by the meso-carnivore species.

scholarly journals Zooplankton of a stressed area in the Damietta coast of the Mediterranean Sea

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael S. Eltohamy ◽  
Ahmad Alzeny ◽  
Yasmine A. M. Azab
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
June July ◽  
Zooplankton Communities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Univariate Analyses

The spatial pattern of zooplankton communities at Damietta coast, southeastern Mediterranean was studied to assess the impact of human activities on the abundance and community structure. Twenty-five stations from five different stressed sites were sampled in June-July 2014. Thirty-four zooplankton taxa were recorded, in addition to the larvae of copepods and meroplankton. Copepoda was the most abundant group among which, Oithona nana, Euterpina acutifrons, and Parvocalanus cirrostratus were the most frequent. The calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus trihamatus is a new record for the Mediterranean Sea that may have been introduced via ballast water. Multivariate/Univariate analyses demonstrated that 1) the environmental variables and zooplankton communities represented significant differences among five sites; 2) the spatial variations of community structure were undoubtedly due to land-based effluents; and 3) among all environmental variables, salinity and phytoplankton biomass had the major determining effects on the spatial patterns of zooplankton categories. The results indicates that not only the discharged water makes the Damietta coast at risk, but also the ballast water is not less dangerous. Hence, we emphasize the need for activation of the ballast water management to reduce the risk of future species invasions.

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