Skip to main content
Log in

Distribution of rotifers in North Island, New Zealand, and their potential use as bioindicators of lake trophic state

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The distribution and ecology of planktonic rotifers was investigated in 33 lakes in the North Island, New Zealand, between 1997 and 1999. A total of 79 species of monogonont rotifer were identified, with an average of 21 species per lake, a diversity which is high in comparison with many previous New Zealand studies. Most species recorded were cosmopolitan taxa, and were widespread in their distribution over the North Island. Multivariate analyses (Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Canonical Correspondence Analysis) did not distinguish distinct lake groupings based on rotifer communities, but rather gradients in assemblages, which were most highly associated with lake trophic state. Based on these responses, the development of potential rotifer bioindicator schemes for lake trophic state is described and discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armitage, P. D., D. Moss, J. F. Wright & M. T. Furse, 1983. The performance of a new biological water quality score system based on macroinvertebrates over a wide range of unpolluted running-water sites. Wat. Res. 17: 333–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berzins, B. & B. Pejler, 1989a. Rotifer occurrence and trophic degree. Hydrobiologia 182: 171–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berzins, B. & B. Pejler, 1989b. Rotifer occurrence in relation to oxygen content. Hydrobiologia 183: 165–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birks, H. J. B., J. M. Line, S. Juggins, A. C. Stevenson & C. J. F. Ter Braak, 1990. Diatoms and pH reconstruction. Phil. Trans. r. Soc. Lond., series B 327: 263–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns, N. M. & J. C. Rutherford, 1998. Results of Monitoring New Zealand Lakes 1992-1996, Vol. 2 - Commentary on Results. NIWA Client Report: MFE80216: 125 pp.

  • Clarke, K. R. & R. M. Warwick, 1994. Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. National Environment Research Council, U.K.: 144 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Pauw, N. & G. Vanhooren, 1983. Method for biological quality assessment of watercourses in Belgium. Hydrobiologia 100: 153–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixit, S. S., A. S. Dixit & J. P. Smol, 1991. Multivariate environmental inferences based on diatom assemblages from Sudbury (Canada) lakes. Freshwat. Biol. 26: 251–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duggan, I. C., J. D. Green & K. Thomasson, in press. Do rotifers have potential as bioindicators of lake trophic state? Verh. int. Ver. für Theor. Angewan. Limnol. 27.

  • Dumont, H. J., 1983. Biogeography of rotifers. Hydrobiologia 104: 19–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ejsmont-Karabin, J., 1974. Research on the feeding of planktonic polyphage Asplanchna priodonta Gosse (Rotatoria). Ekol. Pol. seria A 22: 311–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ejsmont-Karabin, J., 1995. Rotifer occurrence in relation to age, depth and trophic state of quarry lakes. Hydrobiologia 313/314: 21–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gannon, J. E. & R. S. Stemberger, 1978. Zooplankton (especially crustaceans and rotifers) as indicators of water quality. Trans. am. Microsc. Soc. 97: 16–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin, J., 1975. Checklist of New Zealand lakes. Vol. 74. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute. Wellington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juggins, S., & C. J. F. Ter Braak 1998. CALIBRATE version 0.8.2. A C++ Program for analysing and visualising species environmental relationships and for predicting environmental values from species assemblages.

  • Kaushik, S. & D. N. Saksena, 1995. Trophic status and rotifer fauna of certain water bodies in Central India. J. envir. Biol. 16: 283–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koste, W., 1978. Rotatoria. Die Rädertiere Mitteleuropas. 2 vols, Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart, West Germany: 673 pp, 234 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingston, M. E., B. J. Biggs & J. S. Gifford, 1986. Inventory of New Zealand lakes: Part I, North Island. Water and Soil Miscellaneous Publication 80, Wellington, New Zealand: 199 pp.

  • Lowe, D. J. & J. D. Green, 1987. Origins and development of the lakes. In Viner, A. B. (ed.), Inland Waters of New Zealand. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research bulletin 241: 1–64.

  • Mäemets, A., 1983. Rotifers as indicators of lake types in Estonia. Hydrobiologia 104: 357–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matveeva, L. K., 1991. Planktonic rotifers as indicators of trophic state. Bulletin of the Moscow Naturalists’ Society, Biology Section 96: 54–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikschi, E., 1989. Rotifer distribution in relation to temperature and oxygen content. Hydrobiologia 186/187: 209–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), 1982. Eutrophication of waters: monitoring assessment and control. OECD, Paris: 154 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pejler, B., 1983. Zooplanktic indicators of trophy and their food. Hydrobiologia 101: 111–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • PRIMER (Plymouth routines in multivariate ecological research), 1994. PRIMER v. 4.0. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, C. S., 1998. What factors influence the species composition of phytoplankton in lakes of different trophic status? Hydrobiologia 369/370: 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, D. M. & V. H. Resh, 1993. Introduction to Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. In Rosenberg, D. M. & V. H. Resh (eds), Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. Chapman and Hall, New York and London: 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanoamuang, L. & V. M. Stout, 1993. New records of rotifers from the South Island lakes, New Zealand. Hydrobiologia 255/256: 481–490.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiel, R. J., 1995. A guide to the identification of rotifers, cladocerans and copepods from Australian inland waters. Albury, N.S.W., Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre: 144 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiel, R. J. & J. D. Green, 1996. Rotifera recorded from New Zealand, 1859-1995, with comments on zoogeography. New Zealand J. Zool. 23: 193–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegfried, C. A., J. A. Blomfield & J. W. Sutherland, 1989. Planktonic rotifer community structure in Adirondack, New York, U.S.A. lakes in relation to acidity, trophic status and related water quality characteristics. Hydrobiologia 175: 33–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sládecek, V., 1983. Rotifers as indicators of water quality. Hydrobiologia 100: 169–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snell, T. W., 1980. Blue-green algae and selection in rotifer populations. Oecologia 46: 343–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stark, J. D., 1985. A Macroinvertebrate Community Index of Water Quality for Stony Streams. Water and Soil Miscellaneous Publication No. 87. Wellington, NZ: 53 pp.

  • Starkweather, P. L. & P. E. Kellar, 1987. Combined influences of particulate and dissolved factors in the toxicity of Microcyctis aeruginosa (NRC-SS-17) to the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Hydrobiologia 147: 375–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak, C. J. F., 1987. Calibration. In Jongman, R. H. G., C. J. F. Ter Braak & O. F. R. Van Tongeren (eds). Data Analysis in Community and Landscape Ecology. Pudoc, Wageningen: 78–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak, C. J. F., 1988. Partial canonical correspondence analyses. In Bock, H. H. (ed.), Classification and Related Methods of Data Analysis. North Holland, Amsterdam: 551–558.

  • Ter Braak, C. J. F. & C. W. N. Looman, 1987. Regression. In Jongman, R. H. G., C. J. F. Ter Braak & O. F. R. van Tongeren (eds), Data Analysis in Community and Landscape Ecology. Pudoc, Wageningen. The Netherlands: 29–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak, C. J. F. & P. Smilauer, 1998. Canoco for Windows Version 4.02. Wageningen. The Netherlands.

  • Ter Braak, C. J. F. & H. Van Dam, 1989. Inferring pH from diatoms: a comparison of old and new calibration methods. Hydrobiologia 178: 209–223.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duggan, I., Green, J. & Shiel, R. Distribution of rotifers in North Island, New Zealand, and their potential use as bioindicators of lake trophic state. Hydrobiologia 446, 155–164 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017503407240

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017503407240

Navigation