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Effects of zebra mussels on cladoceran communities under eutrophic conditions

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how zebra mussels affected cladoceran community structure under eutrophic conditions. We conducted a mesocosm study where we manipulated the presence of zebra mussels and the presence of large-bodied Daphnia (Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulicaria). We also conducted a complimentary life-table experiment to determine how water from the zebra mussel treatment affected the life history characteristics of the cladoceran species. We anticipated that small- and large-bodied cladoceran species would respond differently to changes in algal quality and quantity under the effects of zebra mussels. Large-bodied Daphnia successfully established in the zebra mussel treatment but failed to grow in the control. We did not observe positive relationships between food concentrations and cladoceran abundances. However, the phosphorus content in the seston indicated that food quality was below the threshold level for large-bodied cladocerans at the beginning of the experiment. We believe that zebra mussels quickly enhanced the phosphorus content in the seston due to the excretion of inorganic phosphorus, thus facilitating the development of large-bodied Daphnia. In conclusion, our results suggest that zebra mussels can alter the phosphorus content of seston in lakes and this can affect the dynamics of crustacean zooplankton.

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Acknowledgements

Experiments were performed with the support by the Polish National Science Centre (UMO-2016/21/B/NZ8/00434). Statistical analysis and data interpretation for publication were supported by Russian Science Foundation (Grant No:16-14-10323). The elemental and biochemical analyses were supported by Russian Federal Tasks of Fundamental Research (Project No. 51.1.1), by the Council on Grants from the President of the Russian Federation for support of Leading Scientific Schools (Grant NSh-9249.2016.5) and by Federal Tasks of Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for Siberian Federal University (Project No. 6.1504.2017/PCh).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071

    Irina Feniova & Varos Petrosyan

  2. Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Center, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland

    Piotr Dawidowicz

  3. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Hydrobiological Station, Leśna 13, 11-730, Mikołajki, Poland

    Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin & Marek Rzepecki

  4. Institute of Biophysics of Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk Science Centre of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660036

    Michail Gladyshev & Nadezda Sushchik

  5. Siberian Federal University, Svobodny Av. 79, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660041

    Michail Gladyshev & Nadezda Sushchik

  6. Department of Lake Fisheries, Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Rajska 2, 11-500, Giżycko, Poland

    Krystyna Kalinowska

  7. Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciolkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Bialystok, Poland

    Maciej Karpowicz

  8. Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland

    Iwona Kostrzewska-Szlakowska

  9. The Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Str. Akademicheskaya, 27, 220072, Minsk, Republic of Belarus

    Natalia Majsak & Vladimir Razlutskij

  10. Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Andrew R. Dzialowski

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  1. Irina Feniova
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  2. Piotr Dawidowicz
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  3. Jolanta Ejsmont-Karabin
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  4. Michail Gladyshev
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  5. Krystyna Kalinowska
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  6. Maciej Karpowicz
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  7. Iwona Kostrzewska-Szlakowska
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  9. Varos Petrosyan
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  10. Vladimir Razlutskij
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  12. Nadezda Sushchik
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  13. Andrew R. Dzialowski
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Correspondence to Irina Feniova.

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Feniova, I., Dawidowicz, P., Ejsmont-Karabin, J. et al. Effects of zebra mussels on cladoceran communities under eutrophic conditions. Hydrobiologia 822, 37–54 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3699-4

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