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Laboratory acidification of a crustacean zooplankton assemblage from a Rocky mountain subalpine lake (U.S.A.)
Author(s) -
Bruns D. A.,
Wiersma G. B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620071003
Subject(s) - zooplankton , cyclops , crustacean , biology , cladocera , montane ecology , ecology , plankton , daphnia , zoology
A laboratory acidification experiment was conducted with a Rocky Mountain zooplankton assemblage from a subalpine lake located downwind of energy development activities and significant sources of acid precursors. The objective of the study was to assess the relative effects of lowered pH (treatment pH 4.2 and 5.2, control pH 6.8) on the survival of different crustacean zoo‐plankton species under controlled conditions for extended periods (19 to 41 d). Analysis of variance (e.g., F = 4.55, p < 0.05) indicated statistically significant differences between controls and treatments (acid treatments contained fewer individuals than did controls) for all four species, and significant differences among species. Newman‐Keuls multiple range tests (e.g., q = 4.02, p < 0.025) demonstrated the following ranking of species sensitivity (high to low) to a lowered pH of 5.2: Daphnia rosea > Holopedium gibberum > Diaptomus lintoni > Cyclops sp. At pH 4.2, H. gibberum was significantly more tolerant than D. rosea and D. lintoni ( q = 4.50, p < 0.025), but no other significant differences were apparent. The results agree generally with those of other published experiments and field surveys.