Relationship between littoral grazers and metaphytic algae in five softwater lakes

The zoobenthos communities within the littoral zones of five low alkalinity, Ontario lakes were examined during summer 1987. Detached algal clouds or metaphyton, dominated by algae from the family Zygnemataceae, accumulated over the summer in three of these lakes. Previous researchers have hypothesi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 1991-08, Vol.220 (1), p.9-27
Main Authors: FRANCE, R. L, HOWELL, E. T, PATERSON, M. J, WELBOURN, P. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Invertebrates
Mougeotia
Zygnemataceae
Zygogonium
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Summary:The zoobenthos communities within the littoral zones of five low alkalinity, Ontario lakes were examined during summer 1987. Detached algal clouds or metaphyton, dominated by algae from the family Zygnemataceae, accumulated over the summer in three of these lakes. Previous researchers have hypothesized that diminished grazing pressure due to extirpation of acid sensitive herbivores might enhance the development of metaphytic algae at pHs less than 6. No overt consistent differences existed among the abundances of small (cladocerans, cyclopoids, ostracods, oligochaetes, dipterans) or medium (amphipods, gastropods, emphemeropterans, trichopterans) grazers in study lakes with or without metaphyton. Notable differences did exist, however, with respect to what we term large grazers. Crayfish, algivorous fish (mostly cyprinids), and to a lesser extent tadpoles, were absent or rare in the three lakes with metaphytic algae but abundant in those without.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/BF00017488