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Herbivory effects on the periphytic algal functional diversity in lake ecosystems: an experimental approach

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Abstract

Herbivory can determine the rates of ecosystem functions and is key factor to periphytic algae development. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of herbivory of zooplankton and omnivorous fish in periphytic algae of lake ecosystems. Based on prediction of grazer:prey size ratio, we tested that periphytic algal biomass and density will be lower in the fish treatments. Based on prediction of the size-selective predation, size-efficiency hypothesis, and general allometric equations, and that both herbivores will feed with distinct mode, we tested the hypothesis that periphytic algal functional diversity will be higher in the mixed treatment. There were four treatments (Control, T1-zooplankton, T2-fish, T3-zooplankton+fish). We evaluated algae biomass, density, functional traits, functional diversity, and the herbivory effect. Our results show that the presence of both herbivores were related to higher functional diversity, lower density values, and prostrate periphytic algae, and in T2 occurs higher periphytic algae biomass via nutrient facilitation. Fish was responsible for the higher consumer effect size, and was more important modifier than zooplankton of the periphytic algae community. The greater variation in producer species traits was directly related to mixed foraging patterns of herbivores together, which allow rare species to persist, decreasing the dominance of stronger competitive species.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for excellent comments that substantially improved this paper. We thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for granting B.Dunck with post-doctoral scholarship and D.C.Amaral, U.L.Fernandes, T.M.Lopes and N.Santana with doctoral scholarships; the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for granting L.Rodrigues with productivity support; the Long-Term Ecological Research (CNPq-PELD-Brazil) and the Research Center in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture (Nupélia) for technical and logistical support during the conduction of this study; and the Laboratory of Zooplankton and Ecology of fish for scientific support.

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  1. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil

    Bárbara Dunck

  2. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Maringá, PR, Brazil

    Diogo Castanho Amaral, Ubirajara Lima Fernandes, Natália Fernanda Santana, Taise Miranda Lopes & Liliana Rodrigues

  3. Laboratório de Algas Perifíticas, Departamento de Biologia, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil

    Liliana Rodrigues

  4. Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Guamá, Belém, PA, CEP 66075110, Brazil

    Bárbara Dunck

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  1. Bárbara Dunck
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Dunck, B., Amaral, D.C., Fernandes, U.L. et al. Herbivory effects on the periphytic algal functional diversity in lake ecosystems: an experimental approach. Hydrobiologia 816, 231–241 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3587-y

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