David da Motta Marques

Effects of Submerged Vegetation on Water Clarity Across Climates

A positive feedback between submerged vegetation and water clarity forms the backbone of the alternative state theory in shallow lakes. The water clearing effect of aquatic vegetation may be caused by different physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms and has been studied mainly in temperate lakes. Recent work suggests differences in biotic interactions between (sub)tropical and cooler lakes might result in a less pronounced clearing effect in the (sub)tropics. To assess whether the effect of submerged vegetation changes with climate, we sampled 83 lakes over a gradient ranging from the tundra to the tropics in South America. Judged from a comparison of water clarity inside and outside vegetation beds, the vegetation appeared to have a similar positive effect on the water clarity across all climatic regions studied. However, the local clearing effect of vegetation decreased steeply with the contribution of humic substances to the underwater light attenuation. Looking at turbidity on a whole-lake scale, results were more difficult to interpret. Although lakes with abundant vegetation (>30%) were generally clear, sparsely vegetated lakes differed widely in clarity. Overall, the effect of vegetation on water clarity in our lakes appears to be smaller than that found in various Northern hemisphere studies. This might be explained by differences in fish communities and their relation to vegetation. For instance, unlike in Northern hemisphere studies, we find no clear relation between vegetation coverage and fish abundance or their diet preference. High densities of omnivorous fish and coinciding low grazing pressures on phytoplankton in the (sub)tropics may, furthermore, weaken the effect of vegetation on water clarity.

Hydrodynamics-driven plankton community in a shallow lake

Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to test the hypothesis that the wind-governed hydrodynamics of a shallow coastal lake is responsible for the spatial and temporal gradients of biotic and abiotic variables. Certain environmental variables, such as turbidity, suspended solids, and water level, formed seasonal spatial gradients in Itapeva Lake, southern Brazil, in response to wind action. Physical variables formed gradients more easily than did most of the plankton community, although the densities of certain species did respond to wind-driven oscillations. The results of this analysis indicate that the spatial and temporal gradients experienced by the physical, chemical, and biological descriptors displayed a characteristic property of this type of wind-driven environment. Moreover, CCA revealed that water dynamics may govern the plankton community of Itapeva Lake.Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to test the hypothesis that the wind-governed hydrodynamics of a shallow coastal lake is responsible for the spatial and temporal gradients of biotic and abiotic variables. Certain environmental variables, such as turbidity, suspended solids, and water level, formed seasonal spatial gradients in Itapeva Lake, southern Brazil, in response to wind action. Physical variables formed gradients more easily than did most of the plankton community, although the densities of certain species did respond to wind-driven oscillations. The results of this analysis indicate that the spatial and temporal gradients experienced by the physical, chemical, and biological descriptors displayed a characteristic property of this type of wind-driven environment. Moreover, CCA revealed that water dynamics may govern the plankton community of Itapeva Lake.

Rate of change of the phytoplankton community in Itapeva Lake (North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), based on the wind driven hydrodynamic regime

The rates of change of the phytoplankton community in Itapeva Lake distinguish periods of rapid change of phases and greater stability in the community. These rates were calculated on a spatial and temporal scale for the purpose of finding changes in response to wind action. In a spatial analysis, the rates of change of the phytoplankton presented a broader range in the North. This upper limit was recorded in spring (0.38 h−1). The rate of change in the phytoplankton community was very high on average (≥0.10 h−1) indicating the occurrence of intense, rapid environmental changes. Sudden changes in the rates occurred in a point form, due to population substitution. These substitutions resulted from wind action, alternating periods of strong sediment resuspension with periods of quiet.The rates of change of the phytoplankton community in Itapeva Lake distinguish periods of rapid change of phases and greater stability in the community. These rates were calculated on a spatial and temporal scale for the purpose of finding changes in response to wind action. In a spatial analysis, the rates of change of the phytoplankton presented a broader range in the North. This upper limit was recorded in spring (0.38 h−1). The rate of change in the phytoplankton community was very high on average (≥0.10 h−1) indicating the occurrence of intense, rapid environmental changes. Sudden changes in the rates occurred in a point form, due to population substitution. These substitutions resulted from wind action, alternating periods of strong sediment resuspension with periods of quiet.

Structure of the zooplankton community in a subtropical shallow lake (Itapeva Lake – South of Brazil) and its relationship to hydrodynamic aspects

The structure of the zooplankton community in Itapeva Lake was formed by four groups and more than 127 zooplankton species, in which microplankton was the predominant size structure. The largest richness recorded was of the protists group and in autumn seasonal campaign. Protists were characteristic of the lake, regarding density, except during spring at the Center point (copepods) and autumn at the South point (rotifers). The seasonal distribution revealed that during summer, mean density increased in the zooplankton community, exactly the opposite of phytoplankton (that blooms during the cold season). However, the maximum density was recorded during autumn. High density was recorded for the ciliate Codonella sp. at all points and during all seasons. The abundance of the tecamoeba Difflugia tuberculata was strongly associated with the maximum effects of fetch in the lake. Rotifers were generally the second most representative groups in terms of density. Rotifers and Cladocera were more abundant in summer, whereas copepods were in spring and winter/98. The Shannon–Wiener index showed that the smallest zooplankton diversity average occurred during the winter/98 (H=1.44), while in autumn the largest zooplankton diversity average (H=2.36) was observed. Correlations (r-Pearson, p<0.05) with wind velocity were significant for zooplankton density (groups and/or abundant species), diversity, and richness. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a seasonally significant spatial-temporal variation for the factors sampling point, day and shift (p<0.01). Temporal alterations in density, diversity and richness were closely dependent on the hydrodynamic action induced by the wind on the spatial distribution of the zooplankton community in the Itapeva Lake.

Bacterioplankton in the littoral and pelagic zones of subtropical shallow lakes

We measured bacterioplankton (phylotypes detected by fluorescent in situ hybridisation, morphometric forms, abundance and production) in samples collected in summer in the littoral and pelagic zones of 10 subtropical shallow lakes of contrasting area (from 13 to 80,800xa0ha). Compared to the pelagic zones, the littoral zones were overall characterised by higher macrophyte dominance and lower concentrations of total phosphorus and alkalinity and higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic substances. Similarities of bacterial production and biomass turnover and density of active phylotypes and morphotype proportions were related to similarities in a set of environmental variables (including nutrients, humic substances content, predator density and phytoplankton biomass), and some additionally to lake area. Horizontal heterogeneity in bacterioplankton variables (littoral versus pelagic) increased with lake area. Bacterioplankton biomass and production tended to be lower in the littoral zone than in the pelagic zone despite higher concentrations of DOC and humic substances. A likely explanation is higher predation on bacterioplankton in the littoral zone, although allelophatic effects exerted by macrophytes cannot be excluded. Our results indicate that organic cycling via bacterioplankton may be less efficient in the littoral zone than in the pelagic zone of shallow lakes.

Short communication: IPH-TRIM3D-PCLake: A three-dimensional complex dynamic model for subtropical aquatic ecosystems

This paper presents IPH-TRIM3D-PCLake, a three-dimensional complex dynamic model for subtropical aquatic ecosystems. It combines a spatially explicit hydrodynamic model with a water-quality and biotic model of ecological interactions. The software, which is freely available for research purposes, has a graphical user-friendly interface and a flexible design that allows the user to vary the complexity of the model. It also has built-in analysis tools such as Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, a genetic algorithm for calibration, and plotting tools.

Lower Respiration in the Littoral Zone of a Subtropical Shallow Lake

Macrophytes are important sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to littoral zones of lakes, but this DOC is believed to be mostly refractory to bacteria, leading to the hypothesis that bacterial metabolism is different in littoral and pelagic zones of a large subtropical shallow lake. We tested this hypothesis by three approaches: (I) dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) accumulation in littoral and pelagic water; (II) O2 consumption estimate for a cloud of points (nu2009=u200947) covering the entire lake; (III) measurement of O2 consumption and CO2 accumulation in dark bottles, pCO2 in the water, lake-atmosphere fluxes of CO2 (fCO2) and a large set of limnological variables at 19 sampling points (littoral and pelagic zones) during seven extensive campaigns. For the first two approaches, DIC and O2 consumption were consistently lower in the littoral zone, and O2 consumption increased marginally with the distance to the nearest shore. For the third approach, we found in the littoral zone consistently lower DOC, total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll a, and a higher proportion of low-molecular-weight substances. Regression trees confirmed that high respiration (O2 consumption and CO2 production) was associated to lower concentration of low-molecular-weight substances, while pCO2 was associated to DOC and TP, confirming that CO2 supersaturation occurs in an attempt to balance phosphorus deficiency of macrophyte substrates. Littoral zone fCO2 showed a tendency to be a CO2 sink, whereas the pelagic zone showed a tendency to act as CO2 source to the atmosphere. The high proportion of low-molecular-weight, unreactive substances, together with lower DOC and TP may impose lower rates of respiration in littoral zones. This effect of perennial stands of macrophytes may therefore have important, but not yet quantified implications for the global carbon metabolism of these lakes, but other issues still need to be carefully addressed before rejecting the general belief that macrophytes are always beneficial to bacteria.

Hydrodynamic Control of Plankton Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity in Subtropical Shallow Lakes

During the last 200 years, many lakes have suffered from eutrophication, implying an increase of both nutrient loading and organic matter (Wetzel, 1996). An aspect that has often been neglected in freshwater systems is the fact that phytoplankton is often not evenly distributed horizontally in space in shallow lakes. Although the occurrence of phytoplankton patchiness in marine systems has been known for a long time (e.g., Platt et al., 1970; Steele, 1978; Steele & Henderson, 1992), phytoplankton in shallow lakes is often assumed to be homogeneously distributed. However, there are various mechanisms that may cause horizontal heterogeneity in shallow lakes. For example, grazing by aggregated zooplankton and other organisms may cause spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton (Scheffer & De Boer, 1995). Submerged macrophyte beds may be another mechanism, through reduction of resuspension by wave action and allopathic effects on the algal community (Van den Berg et al., 1998). For large shallow lakes, wind can be a dominant factor leading to both spatial and temporal heterogeneity of phytoplankton (Carrick et al., 1993), either indirectly by affecting the local nutrient concentrations due to resuspended particles, or directly by resuspending algae from the sediment (Scheffer, 1998). In the management of large lakes, prediction of the phytoplankton distribution can assist the manager to decide on an optimal course of action, such as biomanipulation and regulation of the use of the lake for recreation activities or potable water supply (Reynolds, 1999). However, it is difficult to measure the spatial distribution of phytoplankton. Mathematical modeling of a phytoplankton can be an important alternative methodology in improving our knowledge regarding the physical, chemical and biological processes related to phytoplankton ecology (Scheffer, 1998; Edwards & Brindley, 1999; Mukhopadhyay & Bhattacharyya, 2006). Over the past decade there has been a concerted effort to increase the realism of ecosystem models that describe plankton production as a biological indicator of eutrophication. Most

Food-web structure in a subtropical coastal lake: how phylogenetic constraints may affect species linkages

To describe a food-web structure is a main goal in any attempt to understand ecosystem functioning. In the present study, we analysed the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of primary producers and consumers in the large subtropical Mangueira Lake in southern Brazil. On the basis of the δ13C and δ15N values and analysis of stomach contents of several fish species, we provide a description of the food-web structure and trophic positions of the dominant fish species. Analysis of nitrogen isotope ratios indicated the existence of two consumer trophic levels. Isotopic signatures of primary consumers were compatible with those of producers, indicating a food web sustained by autochthonous carbon. Nevertheless, when food items were classified in larger groups by relative size and source, the combined analysis of isotopic signature and feeding preferences revealed a phylogenetically structured arrangement for the fish species of Mangueira Lake. This indicates that the main feeding niches are shared by taxonomically related species.

Effects of natural banks of free-floating plants on zooplankton community in a shallow subtropical lake in Southern Brazil

The aim of this study was to test the effects of natural free-floating plants on zooplankton distribution in a shallow subtropical lake. First, the hypothesis that free-floating plants have an effect on physico-chemicals, leading to a decrease on nutrient availability and influencing the phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton community was tested. Second, the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton was tested. Three microhabitats were selected: free-floating plants, littoral area and open water. Results demonstrated that the effects of different microhabitats on phytoplankton biomass and physico-chemicals were not significant, indicating a weak influence of the plants. Zooplankton densities were higher in free-floating plants and littoral area, although the effect of microhabitats was weak for most of the predominant genera. The absence of free-floating plant effects on phytoplankton and physico-chemicals showed that it was not a factor influencing the microcrustacean distribution in the microhabitats. Low differences in densities of zooplankton among microhabitats and low abundance of large-bodied cladocerans led to reject the hypothesis that free-floating plants act as a refuge for zooplankton.