Population Characteristics of Brachionus calyciflorus and Their Potential Application for Evaluating River Health in the Pearl River Delta, China

Water pollution can be monitored through the use of indicator species, including Brachionus calyciflorus. To do this, it is necessary to understand the species’ population ecology. Four surveys of zooplankton were conducted in May, August, and December 2018 and February 2019 in the Pearl River Delta, China, to examine the population characteristics of B. calyciflorus. The temporal and spatial distribution of abundance, biomass, dominance, and occurrence frequency were compared with those from 2012 to investigate the relationship between changes in the population of B. calyciflorus and environmental factors. The average abundance, dominance, and occurrence of B. calyciflorus in this survey were significantly higher than those of 2012 in all seasons. Principal component analysis showed that environmental factors such as the temperature, transparency, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus of water had a major impact on the abundance of B. calyciflorus. There was a significant positive correlation with transparency, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus of water, and a very significant positive correlation with water temperature. Overall, these results demonstrated that the distribution characteristics of B. calyciflorus can reflect pollution in water bodies and can be used to evaluate water quality. These research results provide a reference for evaluating China’s river health and can help to manage water quality in the Pearl River Delta.