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JOURNAL OF PLANKTON RESEARCH | VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 9 | PAGES 1803-1817 | 1995
© Oxford University Press

research-article

Size structure of plankton in a temporary, saline inland lake

Carlos M. García, Fidel Echevarría and F.Xavier Niell1

Departamento de Biología Animal, Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad de Cádiz 11510-Puerto Real Spain 1Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain

Received on August 9, 1994; accepted on May 13, 1995 The study of the size structure of a planktonic community in a relatively extensive (1350 ha), very shallow (0.46 m maximum depth), temporary inland saline lake during a relatively rainy year (1987–88) showed an average biomass-size spectrum with four clear modes at nano-, micro-, meso- and macroplankton size ranges. The size-abundance distribution was dominated by medium-sized phytoplankton cells (Gymnodinium cf. excavatum, Tetraselmis apiculata, Dunaliella spp. and several diatom species), large ciliates (Fabrea salina) and a few zooplankton species adapted to changing temporary environments within a wide size range (Cletocamptus retrogressus, Moina salina, Branchinella spinosa). This polymodal size distribution is compared with results obtained in other systems, including small physically controlled lakes, large lakes, oceans and marine benthos. Consideration of the size structure within homogeneous groups of organisms shows slopes less negative than the average for the whole size range analysed, a feature which is common in small and physically controlled ecosystems. A seasonal study of the size structure revealed uneven distributions throughout the year, resulting in discontinuities in the size spectra as well as in differences of total size range. There were noticeable differences among the size spectra at each particular time, showing phases of primary producer predominance and phases with a marked predominance of consumers. The time-integrated size spectrum did not exhibit any distinct discontinuity. The influence of extreme shallowness and resuspension on the shape and dynamics of the size spectrum is examined and discussed compared to deeper aquatic systems.


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