Effect of water-loving bird colonies on zooplankton in littoral zones of water bodies of different types

Abstract

Changes in zooplankton developing under the effect of waste products from water-loving bird colonies were studied in water bodies of different types. The trophic status index in the nesting area showed no difference from its background values in an oligomesotrophic water body but was decreased in mesoeutrophic and eutrophic-hypertrophic water bodies. The abundance and biomass of zooplankton in the oligomesotrophic and mesoeutrophic water bodies were consistently higher than background values, while in the eutrophichypertrophic water body they were higher only at the beginning and in the middle of the nesting period. Irrespective of the trophic state of water body, the species diversity of zooplankton in the zone of impact from bird colonies was increased, but the number of dominant species remained unchanged, and no mass development of species indicating high organic load was observed; the proportion of Rotifera in the total abundance and biomass of zooplankton was decreased, that of Copepoda was increased, and the abundance of Cladocera was found to increase with the degree of overgrowing. Among possible explanations, this specific response of zooplankton is most likely due to changes in the ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.