Horizontal dynamics of Zooplankton in subtropical Lake Bianca (Uruguay) hosting multiple Zooplankton predators and aquatic plant refuges

Abstract

In the subtropics, the effects of macrophytes on trophic interactions are more complex than in temperate lakes. Fish, particularly the smallest species and individuals, aggregate in high numbers in the vegetation, and a strong predation pressure on Zooplankton by shrimps and invertebrates, such as Chaoborus, can occur in these systems. We studied seasonal and diel changes in Zooplankton and their potential predators (both fish and invertebrates) and physical and chemical characteristics among open water and vegetated habitats (emergent and submerged plants (SP)), in the subtropical Lake Bianca (34°54’ S; 54°50’ W), a shallow system with an extensive and complex littoral area and high abundance of vertebrate and invertebrate predators on Zooplankton. We found differential horizontal distribution of some zooplankton species under the scenario of high abundance of small omnivorous-planktivorous fish and Chaoborus, especially in the seasons with intermediate catch per unit effort of fish. We found indications of a diel horizontal migration (DHM) opposite than described for temperate systems, as the two main cladocerans Bosmina longirostris and Diaphanosoma birgei were found in higher densities in the submerged plant beds during night, in spring and autumn respectively. Although we need experiments to prove DHM, Chaoborus seemed to be the main trigger of the apparent DHM, followed by small omnivorous fish. During summer no spatial differences were found likely because of high densities of fish in all habitats. In absence of piscivorous fish, the distribution of fish Jenynsia multidentata seemed to be conditioned by food availability and by predation risk of waterfowl. The refuge capacity of aquatic plants for Zooplankton in subtropical systems seems weak and with consequent weak or no cascading effects on water transparency, as under very high fish and invertebrate densities (summer) the refuge for Zooplankton was lost.