curriculum in natural environmental science, vol. 2, 2010NEAR

Plankton and benthic fauna

Theodora Maria Onciu

Ovidius University Constanta, Romania

FOOD CHAIN in AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

….for review….

• Autotrophic organisms utilize inorganic CO2 to produce organic matter; • Heterotrophic organisms depend on performed organic carbon (glucose);• Phototrophs derive energy directly from sunlight in photosynthesis;• Chemotrophs utilize a chemical energy source.

In aquatic ecosystems:

PRIMARY PRODUCTION unicellular algae living in plankton and benthic flora

PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATER and decomposers

PRIMARY CONSUMMERS herbivores and filter-feeding organisms

SECONDARY CONSUMMERS

CARNIVORES

CRITERIA FOR PLANKTON CLASSIFICATION

dimensions

plankters which are notcaptured by the net

nannoplankton (5-50µm)

net plankters

microplankton (50-1000µm)mesoplankton (1-5mm)

life cycle

holoplanktonmeroplankton

nutrition

photoautotrophic phytoplanktonheterotrophic zooplankton

CRITERIA FOR PLANKTON CLASSIFICATION

taxonomical

phytoplankton

Cyanobacteria Anabaena, Microcystis

Chlorophyta Volvox, Chlorella

Euglenophyta Euglena

Desmidiaceae Closterium, Micrasterias

Pyrrophyta Ceratium

Bacillariophyta Cyclotella, Fragillaria

zooplankton

Ciliata Paramecium, Frontonia

Rotatoria

filter feeders Brachionus

omnivorous Synchaeta

carnivorous Asplanchna

Cladocerafilter feeders Daphnia

carnivorous Leptodora

Copepoda

Calanida Diaptomus

Cyclopoida Cyclops

Cyclops furcifer Brachionus quadridentatus

Chydorus sphaericus

Microcystis aeruginosa

Desmidiacea

Bacillariophyta

CRITERIA FOR BENTHIC PLANTS CLASSIFICATION

taxonomical

macroalgae Cladophora, Chara

mosses Sphagnum

liverworts Marchantia

ferns Salvina, Marsilea

angiosperms Phragmites, Nuphar, Ceratophyllum, Carex

ecological

rootedmacrophytes

emergent plants Phragmites, Scirpus

vegetative and reproductive parts partially under water

Nuphar, Nymphaea,Trapa, Butomus, Sagittaria, Vallisneria

submergent plants Elodea, Chara

non rootedmacrophytes

submergent Ceratophyllum

free floating plants Salvinia, Lemna

attached to the substrata periphyton

Zonation of aquatic macrophytes

Azolla

Marsilea quadrifolia

Salvinia natans

Free floating plants: ferns

Emergent plants: Phragmites australis

Plants wits vegetative and reproductive parts partially under water

Nymphaea alba

Hydrocharis morsus ranae

Stratiotes aloides

Sagittaria sagittifolia

Trapa natans

The importance of plankton’s and benthic plant’s study consist in:

knowledge of biological diversity; ascertainment of plankter’s adaptations on flotation and of pondweeds to the abiotic conditions; explaining the food web in ecosystem, pointing out feeding behaviours and interactions between predators and their prey and among algae and the herbivores; determination of wetland’s features and boundaries; diagnose of the health of the aquatic ecosystem or wetland;

Protocol of scientific study

• global comparison and evaluation of results • consulting references and metadata• conclusions drawing• database realisation • statistical analysis of results • establishing of a quantitative structure of each association • taxonomical analysis of organisms (using identification keys)• appreciation of area covered by certain plant/plant association • sampling activity (in the field) and realisation of photographs • selection of sampling methods • establishing of physical and chemical water parameters to be analyzed• setting of sample locations and photographic points (points marked by GPS) • drawing up of a thorough sketch of the research zone• spatial and temporal scale of investigations• identification of scientific problems

Marking the point with aGPS device

Alisma plantago

Collecting water for FPKsample

Collecting ZPK with netfor vertical tows Schindler-Patalas trap

Filtering ZPK througha net

Filtering ZPK through a sieveCollecting ZPK with netfor horizontal tows

Collecting by hand benthic flora

Works cited

Cole, G., A. 1983 Textbook of Limnology, C.V. Mosby Company, Toronto.Damian-Georgescu, A. 1963 Copepoda Fam Cyclopidae (forme de apă dulce) Fauna RPR, Editura Academiei RPR, Bucureşti: 4(6).Damian-Georgescu, A. 1966 Crustacea Copepoda Calanoida (forme de apă dulce) Fauna RPR, Editura Academiei RPR, Bucureşti: 4(11).Dussart, B. 1966 Limnologie : l’étude des eaux continentales, Gauthiers-Villars, Paris.Friedrich, J., Dinkel, Ch., Grieder, E., Radan, S., Steingruber, S. and Wehrli, B. 1999 Delta lakes as nutrient sinks – a process study in the Danube Delta. Geo-Eco-Marina, 4: 5-19Goldman, Ch.,R. and Horne, A.J. 1983 Limnology, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Toronto.Kalff, J. 2003 Limnology, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.Mitsch, W., J. and Gosselink, J.,G. 2007 Wetlands, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Negrea, St. 1983 Cladocera, Fauna R.S.R., Ed. Academiei RSR, Bucureşti, 4(12).Nybakken, J., W. and Bertness, M., D. 2005 Marine biology; an ecological approach, Pearson, San Francisco.Parsons, J., K., Hamel, K., S., Madsen, J., D. and Getsinger, K.,D. 2001 The use of 2,4-D for selective control of an early infestation of Eurasian watermilfoil in Loon Lake, Washington. J.Aquat.Plant Manage, 39: 117-125

Pérès, J.-M. and Devèse, L. 1963 Océanographie biologique et biologie marine, Presses universitaires de France, Paris.

Rudescu, L. 1960 Trochelminthes. Rotatoria, Fauna R.P.R. Editura Academiei RPR, Bucureşti, 2(2).

Sameoto, D., Wiebe, P., Runge, J., Postel, L., Dunn, J., Miller, C. And Combs, S. 2000 Collecting zooplankton. In: Harris, R., Wiebe, P., Lenz, J., H.-R., Skjoldal and Huntley, M. [Eds] ICES Zooplankton methodology manual, Elsevier

Skjoldal, H.-R., Wiebe, P., H. and Foote, K.,G. 2000 Sampling and experimental design. In: Harris, R., Wiebe, P., Lenz, J., H.-R., Skjoldal and Huntley, M. [Eds] ICES Zooplankton methodology manual, Elsevier