Interactive effects of nutrients and salinity on zooplankton in subtropical plateau lakes with contrasting water depth

Both eutrophication and salinization are growing global environmental problems in freshwater ecosystems, threatening the water quality and various aquatic organisms. However, little is known about their interactive effects on theses stressors and the role of lake depth on these interactions. We used field surveys to compared zooplankton assemblages over four seasons in eight Yunnan Plateau lakes with different trophic states, salinization levels, and water depths. The results showed that: 1) the species number (S), density (D-Zoop), and biomass (B-Zoop) of zooplankton exhibited strong seasonal dynamics, being overall higher in the warm seasons. 2) Data collected over four seasons and summer data both revealed highly significant positive relationships of S, D-Zoop, and B-Zoop with total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chl a). 3) S, D-Zoop, and B-Zoop displayed a unimodal relationship with salinity, peaking at 400-1000 mu S/cm (conductivity, to reflect salinity). 4) The two large-sized taxa (cladocerans and copepods) generally increased at low-moderate levels of TN, TP, Chl a, and Cond and was constant or decreased at high levels. The average body mass (biomass/density) of crustaceans decreased with increasing TN, TP, Chl a, and conductivity. Our findings indicate that zooplankton may be more vulnerable in deep lakes than in shallow lakes when exposed to conductivity stress even under mesotrophic conditions, and the overall decrease in size in zooplankton assemblages under the combined stress of eutrophication and salinization may result in a lowered grazing effect on phytoplankton.

Automated summary

Both eutrophication and salinization pose global threats to freshwater ecosystems, affecting water quality and aquatic organisms. This study investigated the interactive effects of these stressors and the role of lake depth on zooplankton assemblages. Field surveys were conducted in eight Yunnan Plateau lakes with varying trophic states, salinization levels, and water depths. The results showed seasonal dynamics of zooplankton and significant positive relationships with nitrogen, phosphorus, and phytoplankton chlorophyll a. Salinity displayed a unimodal relationship with zooplankton, with a peak at 400-1000 μS/cm. Zooplankton size decreased under the combined stress of eutrophication and salinization, which may lead to reduced grazing on phytoplankton.