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Lack of a top-down effect on the zooplankton community after a cyprinid reduction

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Abstract

Abundance, biomass and sizes of crustaceans were followed before, during and after a fish reduction in the three basins of Lake Ringsjön, southern Sweden. Zooplankton were sampled over the summer season (May–September) for eight years. Although the fish reduction occurred in different years in the three basins, the zooplankton community did not differ between basins. Between-year differences in biomass occurred in all basins, but these were not correlated with the time before and after the fish reduction, with the exception of the Eubosmina species. Analyses were performed on total biomass, as well as on biomass of Daphnia galeata, D. cucullata, Bosmina longirostris, Eubosmina coregoni, E. crassicornis, calanoid and cyclopoid copepods. Both calanoid copepods and Daphnia cucullata were larger before, than after the fish reduction. The same was true for a proportional length measurement of all grazers (=cladocerans+calanoid copepods). We found no evidence of a top-down effect on zooplankton biomass or length following the reduction in planktivorous fish. The possibility of an ‘indirect bottom-up effect’ due to cyprinid fish directly affecting nutrient availability is discussed.

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Author notes

  1. Eva Bergman

    Present address: Department of Biology, Karlstad University, S-651 88, Karlstad, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Limnology, Insitute of Ecology, Ecology Building, University of Lund, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Eva Bergman

  2. Institute of Freshwater Research, SE-178 93, Drottningholm, Sweden

    Eva Bergstrand

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  1. Eva Bergman
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  2. Eva Bergstrand
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Bergman, E., Bergstrand, E. Lack of a top-down effect on the zooplankton community after a cyprinid reduction. Hydrobiologia 404, 77–87 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003776613724

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