Characterizing a zooplankton neighbourhood: small‐scale patterns of association and abundance

Abstract

SUMMARY This study compares small‐scale (i.e. neighbourhood) associations among distributions of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and zooplankton grazing rates using a combination of correlations and analyses of spatial patchiness. All zooplankton and phytoplankton populations had patchy distributions. On average, individuals experienced members of their same taxon at a density that was 42% greater than the mean sample density. The various zooplankton taxa experienced different average neighbourhoods, even within the same stratum of the lake. For example, Daphnia galeata mendotae (Birge) experienced phytoplankton concentrations that were nearly 50% greater than those experienced by Daphnia pulicaria (Forbes) at the same depth. The distributions of the various phytoplankton taxa were positively correlated with each other, but the distributions of zooplankton were negatively correlated, or more often, unrelated to each other. Phytoplankton abundance was negatively correlated with zooplankton grazing rates. We hypothesize that while phytoplankton distributions are driven by common external factors, the factors that determine horizontal distributions of zooplankton are species specific. In addition, zooplankton grazing appears at least partially responsible for the generation of patchiness in the distribution of phytoplankton.