Premium
Effects of turbidity on life history parameters of two species of Daphnia
Author(s) -
SCHOLTZ S.,
SEAMAN M. T.,
PIETERSE A. J. H.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1988.tb00440.x
Subject(s) - daphnia pulex , pulex , turbidity , biology , daphnia , ecology , cladocera , branchiopoda , predation , life history , foraging , range (aeronautics) , zooplankton , ceriodaphnia dubia , zoology , materials science , composite material
SUMMARY. 1. Life table experiments were carried out in a range of turbidities on D. pulex , representing a ‘clear‐water’, and on D. barbata , representing a ‘turbid‐water’ species. 2. In contrast to predictions based on seasonal occurrence patterns, D. pulex had a higher intrinsic rate of increase ( r c )s over most of the turbidity range than D. barbata. Consistent differences in life history between the two species were found, but life history characteristics were rather insensitive to turbidity levels. Although turbidity per se appears to have little direct effect on life history parameters, it could influence the seasonal succession of these two species by interacting with other factors. 3. It is suggested that visual predation by fish rather than turbidity per se probably influenced the seasonality of Daphnia species. During the warmer months, selective removal of D. pulex by visually foraging fishes may allow D. barbata to gain dominance. Effects of temperature and nutrition also merit further study.