Effects of NaCl salinity on the population dynamics of freshwater zooplankton (rotifers and cladocerans)

Abstract

Salinization of freshwater bodies due to anthropogenic activity is currently a very serious problem in Mexico. One of the consequences may be changes in the rotifer and cladoceran populations, both of which are generally abundant in freshwater bodies. Under laboratory conditions we evaluated the effect of different salt (sodium chloride) concentrations (0–4.5 g l⁻¹) on the population dynamics of ten freshwater zooplankton species (rotifers: Anuraeopsis fissa, Brachionus calyciflorus, B. havanaensis, B. patulus and B. rubens; cladocerans: Alona rectangula, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia pulex, Moina macrocopa and Simocephalus vetulus). All of the zooplankton species tested were adversely affected by 1.5–3.0 g l⁻¹ NaCl. In the range of salt concentrations tested, the population growth curves of B. patulus and B. rubens showed almost no lag phase and reached peak abundances within a week or two; A. fissa had a lag phase of about a week, while both B. calyciflorus and B. havanaensis started to increase in abundance immediately following the initiation of the experiments. Increased NaCl levels reduced the population abundances of A. fissa, B. calyciflorus and B. havanaensis at or beyond 1.5 g l⁻¹. NaCl at 1 g l⁻¹ had little effect on the population growth of cladocerans. M. macrocopa, which was more resistant to NaCl than the other cladoceran species, showed positive population growth even at 4.5 g l⁻¹. The rates of population increase (r, day⁻¹) were generally higher for rotifers than for cladocerans. Depending on the NaCl concentration, the r of rotifers ranged from +0.57 to −0.58 day⁻¹, while the r for cladocerans was lower (+0.34 to −0.22 day⁻¹).