How do additions of submerged macrophytes, large-bodied cladocerans and nutrients impact tropical plankton communities? A mesocosm experiment

ALVES AMORIM C., JEPPESEN E., Moura A. N.

Hydrobiologia, cilt.852, sa.2, ss.489-501, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 852 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10750-024-05646-8
  • Dergi Adı: Hydrobiologia
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Animal Behavior Abstracts, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Environment Index, Geobase, Pollution Abstracts, Public Affairs Index, Veterinary Science Database
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.489-501
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Biomanipulation, Cyanobacterial blooms, Eutrophication, Non-native species, Restoration, Shallow lakes
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

We investigated the individual and combined impacts of manipulation of submerged macrophytes, large-bodied cladocerans, and nutrients on plankton communities in a tropical hypereutrophic shallow reservoir. We tested how the addition of the macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum, the cladoceran Sarsilatona serricauda, and nutrients affected phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity, composition, and structure using mesocosms and a factorial design (3 × 3) with eight treatments. During the experiment, the reservoir experienced an intense bloom of algae (207 mg l−1 of biomass), mainly composed of cyanobacteria (> 98%). The submerged macrophytes were found to significantly reduce the biomass of cyanobacteria (by 85%), diatoms (80%), and green algae (78%), while the addition of zooplankton and nutrients led to a 96% reduction for diatoms. While both submerged macrophytes and the added cladocerans impacted the native zooplankton community, the macrophytes exerted stronger effects on phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity, composition, and structure. Intriguingly, nutrient addition did not alter the main effects of macrophytes and large cladocerans. Our findings reveal the positive potential of introducing submerged macrophytes in tropical shallow lakes, even at a low to moderate percentage of the volume inhabited, to control toxic cyanobacterial blooms. Under our experimental conditions, the method was effective even without extra zooplankton grazing and at increased nutrient input.