Zooplankton community structure in 14 interconnected ponds in relation to abiotic and biotic factors
Cottenie, K.; Enis, S.; De Meester, L. (1998). Zooplankton community structure in 14 interconnected ponds in relation to abiotic and biotic factors. Biol. Jb. Dodonaea 65: 118
Beeckman, T.; Caemelbeke, K. (Ed.) (1998). Populations: Natural and manipulated, symposium organized by the Royal Society of Natural Sciences Dodonaea, University of Gent, 29 October 1997. Biologisch Jaarboek (Dodonaea), 65. Koninklijk Natuurwetenschappelijk Genootschap Dodonaea: Gent. 257 pp., more
"De Maten" is a nature reserve in Genk that consists of a complex of ponds. Some of these ponds are connected by an overflow. The aim of our research was to characterize the structure of the zooplankton community in each pond and to associate it with other components of the ecosystem, such as fish, invertebrate predators, vegetation and abiotic factors. Our results show that the community structure and the species composition of the zooplankton in the ponds is determined by abiotic as well as by biotic factors. Of major importance are the presence of predation, the presence of a well-developed littoral zone and aquatic macrofytes, the phosphate loading of the water, the oxygen concentration and the pH. We could also ascertain that the investigated ponds are very rich in species. Seventy-four taxa were found, including eighteen taxa of rotifers and fifty-six species of cladocerans. Although all ponds in "De Maten" vary from eutrofic to hypertrofic and some ponds are directly connected to each other, the ecological diversity between the ponds is very high. The richness of the cladoceran fauna is related to the well-developed vegetation and especially with the vegetation-rich zone of ponds. The high density of fish (above all Ameiurus nebulosus and Lepomis gibbosus) prevents on the one hand the development of a number of large-sized and conspicious species, but on the other hand prevents also that these bigger species would become dominant and suppress other species through competition.
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