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Effect of main-stem dams on zooplankton communities of the Missouri River (USA)

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Abstract

The persistence of plankton in flowing water presents an enigma, i.e., how can populations be sustained while constantly losing individuals downriver? We examined the distribution and abundance of zooplankton from 146 sites on the Missouri River (USA) and found large shifts in the dominance of major taxa between management zones of this regulated river. Crustacean zooplankton were dominant in the inter-reservoir zone of the river, and their taxonomic composition was similar to regional lakes and reservoirs. The exponential decline of cladocerans and copepods with distance from main-stem dams suggests that conditions within the river are adverse to population growth and that reservoirs are the main source of these crustaceans in the river. Rotifers dominated in the channelized zone of the river. High algal biomass and rapid population growth rates likely allow persistence of rotifers in segments of the river that do not receive direct reservoir inputs. Rotifers were less abundant in the inter-reservoir zone, suggesting that their numbers are limited by internal processes, such as food or predators. Since zooplankton are known to be an important food for larval fishes in rivers, this shift of major taxa in regulated rivers has implications for river food webs.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, through its Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP, http://www.epa.gov/emap/) for Great River Ecosystems. A project of this scale would not have been possible without the assistance of many individuals. We especially thank the three field crews for collecting samples and physico-chemical data from the Missouri River, and Jason Wolf and Carla Atkinson (MSU) for sampling the tributaries. We also appreciate the many insights gained from our discussions with EMAP collaborators, particularly John Chick, Anthony Aufdenkampe, Dave Walters, and the late Jeffrey Jack. The paper benefited from the careful insights of three anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Kim A. Medley

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Missouri State University, 901 South National Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA

    John E. Havel, Kim A. Medley & Kelli D. Dickerson

  2. Mid-Continent Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN, 55804, USA

    Theodore R. Angradi, David W. Bolgrien & Terri M. Jicha

  3. Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

    Paul A. Bukaveckas

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Correspondence to John E. Havel.

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Havel, J.E., Medley, K.A., Dickerson, K.D. et al. Effect of main-stem dams on zooplankton communities of the Missouri River (USA). Hydrobiologia 628, 121–135 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-009-9750-8

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