Search

Based on our results, we propose the use of zooplankton abundance (density or biomass) as an indicator to complement the information currently being used concerning the quality of water in reservoirs. Until now, the Water Framework Directive (EU) for lakes and reservoirs has not included zooplankton because the classification of the water trophic state is based on a bottom-up model: an increase in nutrients implies an increase in primary producers and, therefore, poorer water quality. The use of zooplankton has recently been claimed due to their sensitivity to environmental changes and their control over primary producers. From our work, carried out from 2006 to 2009 (summer and winter seasons) in 20 reservoirs found in various Mediterranean river basins, we prove the relationship of the abundance of zooplankton with the trophic state. Zooplankton abundance, with or without interaction with other agents, explained much of the distribution of total phosphorus in the reservoirs, thus relating the trophic status with the aquatic food chain. In addition, we have found, illustrated by the zooplankton: phytoplankton ratio, how the top-down control masked high production situations in the system. Zooplankton's ability to cover up these cases of poor water quality highlight that the indicators presently being used are frequently insufficient.

In temporary ponds, reestablishment of zooplankton communities depends on recruitment from the egg bank, the arrival of dispersers from within the region, and on successful establishment of newly arrived species following interaction with local abiotic and biotic factors. When the ponds dry up, zooplankton species may survive as dormant eggs, and since not all eggs hatch in the next season, eggs will accumulate in the sediment over time, representing an archive of the pond's historical biodiversity. To study the effect of “restoration age” (the time since a water body was restored), we studied groups of ponds that were restored in different years (1998, 2003 and 2007). The restoration process involved extensive dredging of sediments which were used to bury the ponds in the 1960s. Our expectation was that the oldest ponds would have the richest zooplankton community, as they have been accumulating biodiversity over a longer time period. We took weekly quantitative samples of zooplankton during four consecutive weeks after flooding to compare taxon richness and zooplankton community composition between ponds of different restoration age during an early stage of zooplankton community re-establishment. Taxon richness was high and similar to regional levels in all the ponds under investigation, suggesting restoration success and unlimited dispersal. Although cumulative richness at the end of the period was not significantly different between ponds, we observed temporal changes within the study period and certain age-related trends in relation to differences in zooplankton composition. These results suggest a difference in the succession of zooplankton communities depending on restoration age (which could be due to historical or local factors) and that this effect becomes evident from the beginning of the pond hydroperiod.