Abstract
Lake ecosystems contain numerous habitats, such as the relatively homogeneous pelagial, as well as many different subhabitats in the littoral zone. Among rotifer communities inhabiting the littoral zone are those living in organic sediments (epipelon), on submerged stones (epilithon), among sand grains (hydropsammon), on animals (epizoon), on submerged branches and twigs (epixylon) and on macrophytes (epiphyton). The aim of this work was to explain differences in species richness among rotifer communities inhabiting these subhabitats. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the structure and diversity of rotifer species were based on studies carried out in the summers of 2009–2020 in lakes in northeastern Poland. The analysis of the structure and density of rotifer species inhabiting different lake subhabitats suggests that although the communities are subject to similar ecological characteristics, there are marked differences in the species richness and diversity of the communities. A characteristic feature is the presence of species sharing subhabitats and species assigned to only one habitat type.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bielańska-Grajner I (2004) Preliminary investigations of psammon rotifers in two reservoirs in Upper Silesia. Oceanol Hydrob Stud 33:37–45
Bielańska-Grajner I, Poznańska M (2010) The biodiversity of psammon rotifers in Włocławek Reservoir. Oceanol Hydrobiol Stud 39:111–117. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10009-010-0008-6
Bielańska-Grajner I, Ejsmont-Karabin J, Radwan S (2015) Rotifers, Rotifera, Monogononta. Freshwater Fauna of Poland, vol 32. Wyd. Uniw. Łódzkiego, Łódź, pp 1–577
Bołtruszko J (2011) Epizoic communities of Rotifera on freshwater bivalves. Oceanol Hydrob Stud 39:75–82. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10009-010-0053-1
Bowen KL, Kaushik NK, Gordon AM (1998) Macroinvertebrate communities and biofilm chlorophyll on woody debris in two Canadian oligotrophic lakes. Arch Hydrobiol 141:257–281. https://doi.org/10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/141/1998/257
Burks R, Mulderij G, Gross E, Jones I, Jacobsen L, Jeppesen E, Van Donk E (2006) Center stage: the crucial role of macrophytes in regulating trophic interactions in shallow lake wetlands. In: Bobbink R, Beltman B, Verhoeven JTA, Whigham DF (eds) Functioning, Biodiversity conservation, and restoration, ecological studies, vol 191. Springer, New York, NY, pp 37–53
Carillo P, Cruz-Pizarro L, Morales-Baquero R (1989) Empirical evidence for a complez diurnal movement in Hexarthra bulgarica from an oligotrophic high mountain lake (La Caldera, Spain). Hydrobiologia 186/187:103–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0465-1_12
Celewicz-Gołdyn S, Kuczyńska-Kippen N (2017) Ecological value of macrophyte cover in creating habitat for microalgae (diatoms) and zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) in small field and forest water bodies. PLoS ONE 12(5):e0177317. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177317
Chao A (1984) Non-parametric estimation of the number of classes in a population. Scan J Stat 11:265–270
Choi J-Y, Jeong K-S, La G-H, Joo G-J (2014) Effect of removal of free-floating macrophytes on zooplankton habitat in shallow wetland. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 414:11. https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2014023
Colwell RK (2005) EstimateS : statistical estimation of species richness and shared species from samples. Version 7.5 user's guide and application published. http://purl.oclc.org/estimates
Czarnecka M (2016) Coarse woody debris in temperate littoral zones: implications for biodiversity, food webs and lake management. Hydrobiologia 767:13–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2502-z
de Faria DM, de Souza CL, da Motta MD (2017) Epiphyton dynamics during an induced succession in a large shallow lake: wind disturbance and zooplankton grazing act as main structuring forces. Hydrobiologia 788:267–280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3002-5
De Smet WH (1996) Rotifera, vol. 4: The Proalidae (Monogononta). In: Dumont HJ (ed) Guides to the identification of the microinvertebrates of the continental waters of the world. SPB Academic Publishing bv, Amsterdam, p 102
De Smet WH, Pourriot R (1997) Rotifera, vol. 5: The Dicranophoridae and the Ituridae. In: Dumont HJ (ed) Guides to the identification of the microinvertebrates of the continental waters of the world. SPB Academic Publishing bv, Amsterdam, p 344
DiFonzo CD, Campbell JM (1988) Spatial Partitioning of microhabitats in littoral cladoceran communities. J Freshw Ecol 4:303–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.1988.9665180
Duggan IC, Green JD, Thompson K, Shiel RJ (1998) Rotifers in relation to littoral ecotone structure in Lake Rotomanuka, North Island. NZ Hydrobiol 387(388):179–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4782-8_25
Dumont HJ, Segers H (1996) Estimating lacustrine zooplankton species richness and complementarity. Hydrobiologia 341(2):125–132. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018116
Dumont HJ, Van de Velde I, Dumont S (1975) The dry weight estimate of biomass in a selection of Cladocera, Copepoda and Rotifera from the plankton, periphyton and benthos of continental waters. Oecologia 19:75–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377592
Ejsmont-Karabin J (1978) Studies on the usefulness of different mesh-size plankton nets for thickening zooplankton. Ekol Pol 26(3):479–490
Ejsmont-Karabin J (2003) Rotifera of lake psammon: community structure versus trophic state of lake waters. Pol J Ecol 51:5–35
Ejsmont-Karabin J (2004) Are community composition and abundance of psammon Rotifera related to grain-size structure of beach sand in lakes? Pol J Ecol 52:363–368
Ejsmont-Karabin J (2008) Daily changes of the vertical micro-distribution of Rotifera in lake psammolittoral. Pol J Ecol 56:717–722
Ejsmont-Karabin J (2012) The usefulness of zooplankton as lake ecosystem indicators: rotifer trophic state index. Pol J Ecol 60:339–350
Ejsmont-Karabin J (2019) Does the world need faunists? Based on rotifer (Rotifera) occurrence reflections on the role of faunistic research in ecology. Internat Rev Hydrobiol. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.201901991
Ejsmont-Karabin J, Karpowicz M (2019) Epizoic rotifers on Dreissena polymorpha in relation to biotic factors. Hydrobiologia 828:137–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3808-4
Ejsmont-Karabin J, Kalinowska K, Karpowicz M (2020) Structure of ciliate, rotifer, and crustacean communities in lake systems of Northeastern Poland. In: Polish river basins and lakes—part II.In: Korzeniewska E, Harnisz M (eds) The handbook of environmental chemistry, vol 87, pp 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12139-6_4
Espinosa-Rodríguez CA, Sarma SSS, Nandini S (2020) Zooplankton community changes in relation to different macrophyte species: effects of Egeria densa removal. Ecohydrol Hydrobiol. 10:15–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecohyd.2020.08.007
Gliwicz ZM, Rykowska A (1992) ‘Shore avoidance’ in zooplankton: a predator-induced behavior or predator-induced mortality? J Plankton Res 14:1331–1342. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/14.9.1331
Goldsborough LG, McDougal RL, North AK (2005) Periphyton in freshwater lakes and wetlands. In: Azim ME, Verdegem MCJ, van Dam SAA, Beveridge MCM (eds) Periphyton ecology, exploitation and management. CABI Publ, Cambridge USA, pp 71–98
Gómez N, Sierra MV, Cochero J, Licursi M, Bauer DE (2009) Epipelic biofilms as indicators of environmental changes in lowland fluvial systems. In: Bailey WC (ed) Biofilms: formation, development and properties. Nova Science Publishers, New York, pp 1–33
Gonzalez Sagrario MA, Balseiro E (2010) The role of macroinvertebrates and fish in regulating the provision by macrophytes of refugia for zooplankton in a warm temperate shallow lake. Freshw Biol 55(10):2153–2166. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2010.02475.x
Hortal J, Nabout J, Calatayud J, Carneiro F, Padial A et al (2014) Perspectives on the use of lakes and ponds as model systems for macroecological research. J limnol 73(Suppl. 1):46–60. https://doi.org/10.4081/jlimnol.2014.887
Jersabek CD, Leitner MF (2013) The rotifer world catalog. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.rotifera.hausdernatur.at/. Accessed 2 Sept 2020
Jose de Paggi SB, Muñoz S, Frau D, Paggi JC, Scarabotti P, Devercelli M, Meerhoff M (2012) Horizontal distribution of rotifers in a subtropical shallow lake (Paraná floodplain, Argentina). Fundam Appl Limnol 180:321–333. https://doi.org/10.1127/1863-9135/2012/0245
Klimowicz H (1964) Rotifers of „astatic waters”. Part I. The littoral of Lake Kisajno. Pol Arch Hydrobiol 12:279–305
Koste W (1978) Rotatoria. Die Rädertiere Mitteleuropas, Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart, pp 673
Kovalenko KE, Thomaz SM, Warfe DM (2012) Habitat complexity: approaches and future directions. Hydrobiologia 685:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0974-z
Krupa D, Czernaś K, Wojciechowski I, Galek J (1991) Zróżnicowanie czasowe i przestrzenne koncentracji chlorofilu a w zbiorowiskach glonów w przybrzeżnej strefy mezotroficznego jeziora Piaseczno w latach 1983–1985. Studia Ośr Dok Fizjogr PAN 19:381–392
Kuczyńska-Kippen N (2005) The species diversity of rotifers (Rotifera) of differentiated macrophyte habitats of Lake Budzyńskie. Rocz AR Pozn Bot-Stec 9:171–176
Kuczyńska-Kippen N (2006) Zooplankton structure in architecturally differentiated macrophyte habitats of shallow lakes in the Wielkopolska Region, Poland. Oceanol Hydrobiol Stud 35:179–191
Kutikova LA (1970) Kolovratki fauny SSSR. [Rotifer fauna of USSR] Izd. Nauka, Leningr. odd., Leningrad, 742 pp
Lokko K, Virro T, Kotta J (2017) Seasonal variability in the structure and functional diversity of psammic rotifer communities: role of environmental parameters. Hydrobiologia 796:287–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2923-3
Lucena-Moya P, Duggan IC (2011) Macrophyte architecture affects the abundance and diversity of littoral microfauna. Aquat Ecol 45:279–287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-011-9353-0
Magurran AE, Henderson PA (2003) Explaining the excess of rare species in natural species abundance distributions. Nature 422:714–716. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01547
May L (1989) Epizoic and parasitic rotifers. Hydrobiologia 186(187):59–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0465-1_8
McGill BJ, Etienne RS, Gray JS, Alonso D, Anderson MJ, Benecha HK et al (2007) Species abundance distributions: moving beyond single prediction theories to integration within an ecological framework. Ecol Lett 10:995–1015. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01094.x
Meksuwan P, Pholpunthin P, Walsh EJ, Segers H, Wallace RL (2014) Nestedness in sessile and periphytic rotifer communities: a meta-analysis. Int Rev Hydrobiol 99:48–57. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.201301703
Muirhead JR, Ejsmont-Karabin J, MacIsaac HJ (2006) Quantifying rotifer species richness in temperate lakes. Freshw Biol 51:1696–1709. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2006.01614.x
Neel JK (1948) A limnological investigation of the psammon in Douglas Lake, Michigan, with especial reference to shoal and shoreline dynamics. Trans Am Microsc Soc 67:1–53. https://doi.org/10.2307/3223081
Nogrady T, Segers H (2002) Rotifera, vol. 6: Asplanchnidae, GASTROPODIDAE, LINDIIDAE, MICROCODIDAE, SYNCHAETIDAE, TROCHOSPHAERIDAE AND FILInia. In: Dumont HJ (ed) Guides to the identification of the microinvertebrates of to the continental waters of the world. Backhuys Publishers, Amsterdam, p 264
Nogrady T, Pourriot R, Segers H (1995) Rotifera, vol. 3: The Notommatidae and the Scaridiidae. In: Dumont HJ (ed) Guides to the identification of the microinvertebrates of the continental waters of the world. SPB Academic Publishing bv, Amsterdam, p 248
Ochocka A, Pasztaleniec A (2016) Sensitivity of plankton indices to lake trophic conditions. Environ Monit Assess 188:622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5634-3
Pejler B (1995) Relation to habitat in rotifers. Hydrobiologia 313(314):267–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1583-1_35
Pejler B, Berzins B (1993) On relation to substrate in sessile rotifers. Hydrobiologia 259:121–124. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008377
Pennak RW (1966) Structure of zooplankton populations in the littoral macrophyte zone of some Colorado lakes. Trans Am Microsc Soc 85:329–349. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3224313
Preissler K (1977) Horizontal distribution and „avoidance of shore” by rotifers. Arch Hydrobiol Beih Ergebn Limnol 8:43–46
Preissler K (1980) Field experiments on the optical orientation of pelagic rotifers. Hydrobiologia 73:199–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9209-2_33
Ruttner-Kolisko A (1974) Planktonic rotifers: biology and taxonomy. Die Binnengewasser Supplement 26:1–146
Schroeder F, Traunspurger W, Pettersson K, Peters L (2012) Temporal changes in periphytic meiofauna in lakes of different trophic states. J Limnol 71:216–227. https://doi.org/10.4081/jlimnol.2012.e23
Segers H (1995) Rotifera, vol. 2: The Lecanidae. In: Dumont HJ (ed) Guides to the Identification of the microinvertebrates of the continental waters of the world 6. SPB Academic Publishing bv, Amsterdam, p 226
Špoljar M, Dražina T, Lajtner J, Duić Sertić M, Radanović I, Wallace R, Matulić D, Tomljanović T (2018) Zooplankton assemblage in four temperate shallow waterbodies in association with habitat heterogeneity and alternative states. Limnologica 71:51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.limno.2018.05.004
St. Pierre JI, Kovalenko KE, (2014) Effect of habitat complexity attributes on species richness. Ecosphere 5(2):22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0505-1
Tasevska O, Jersabek CHD, Kostoski G, Gušeska D (2012) Differences in rotifer communities in two freshwater bodies of different trophic degree (Lake Ohrid and Lake Dojran, Macedonia). Biologia 67(3):565–572. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-012-0041-x
Thomaz SM, Cunha ERD (2010) The role of macrophytes in habitat structuring in aquatic ecosystems: methods of measurement, causes and consequences on animal assemblages’ composition and biodiversity. Acta Limnol Bras 22(2):218–236. https://doi.org/10.4322/actalb.02202011
Thomaz SM, Dibble ED, Evangelista LR, Higuti J, Bini LM (2008) Influence of aquatic macrophyte habitat complexity on invertebrate abundance and richness in tropical lagoons. Freshw Biol 53:358–367. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01898.x
Tokeshi M, Arakaki S (2012) Habitat complexity in aquatic systems: fractals and beyond. Hydrobiologia 685:27–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0832-z
Ulrich W, Ollik M, Ugland KI (2010) A meta-analysis of species-abundance distributions. Oikos 119:1149–1155. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18236.x
Vadeboncoeur Y, Kalff J, Christoffersen K, Jeppesen E (2006) Substratum as a driver of variation in periphyton chlorophyll and productivity in lakes. J N Am Benthol Soc 25:379–392. https://doi.org/10.1899/0887-3593(2006)25[379:saadov]2.0.co;2
Van Onsem S, De Backer S, Triest L (2010) Microhabitat–zooplankton relationship in extensive macrophyte vegetations of eutrophic clear-water ponds. Hydrobiologia 656:67–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0442-1
Wallace RL, Edmondson WT (1986) Mechanism and adaptive significance of substrate selection by a sessile rotifer. Ecology 67:314–323. https://doi.org/10.2307/1938575
Warfe DM, Barmuta LA (2006) Habitat structural complexity mediates food web dynamics in a freshwater macrophyte community. Oecologia 150:141–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0505-1
Wiszniewski J (1934) Wrotki psammonowe. Ann Mus Zool Pol 10:339–399
Wiszniewski J (1937) Differentiation ecologique des rotifers dans le psammon d’eaux douces. Ann Mus Zool Pol 13:1–13
Zeng L, Liu B, Dai Z, Dai Z, Zhou Q, Kong L, Zhang Y, He F, Wu Z (2017) Analyzing the effects of four submerged macrophytes with two contrasting architectures on zooplankton: a mesocosm experiment. J Limn 76:581–590
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Polish National Science Centre by grants number 2016/21/B/NZ8/00434 and 2017/01/X/NZ8/01151.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Handling Editor: SSS Sarma.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ejsmont-Karabin, J., Karpowicz, M. Rotifera in lake subhabitats. Aquat Ecol 55, 1285–1296 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09818-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09818-1