Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (23)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hessen, D. O.
Right arrow Articles by Skardal, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Hessen, D. O.
Right arrow Articles by Skardal, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Plankton Research Vol.22 no.3 pp.553-568, 2000
© Oxford University Press 2000

Calcium limitation in Daphnia magna

Dag O. Hessen, Nina E.W. Alstad and Liz Skardal

University of Oslo, Department of Biology, PO Box 1027 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway

The role of ambient calcium concentrations on survival, moulting, growth and egg production was assessed in the cladoceran Daphnia magna. A threshold for survival was found in the range 0.1–0.5 mg Ca l–1, even when ionic strength of the medium was kept constant. Accumulated length and length specific dry weight was retarded at low Ca (0.5–1.0 mg Ca l–1) at food concentrations above incipient limiting level. For lower food levels, the effect of Ca on growth was less clear. The effect of low Ca on growth rate was most manifest during the first days after hatching, reflecting the higher Ca demands of the early juveniles. Age-specific egg production was strongly reduced at Ca concentrations <10 mg Ca l–1. This was partly an indirect effect of reduced growth rates, but could also be an effect of higher energetic costs associated with Ca uptake in a Ca-poor medium. The high Ca demands in D.magna may not be representative of other Daphnia species. Nevertheless, high specific Ca content seems to be a common property of Daphnia spp. and Ca deficiency could be a major determinant of species success and community structure among crustacean zooplankton; it also puts constraints on carbon sequestration in the pelagic food web of softwater lakes.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
H. P. Riessen and J. D. Young
Daphnia defense strategies in fishless lakes and ponds: one size does not fit all
J. Plankton Res., June 1, 2005; 27(6): 531 - 544.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
A. Patoine, B. Pinel-Alloul, and E. E. Prepas
Influence of catchment deforestationby logging and natural forest fires on crustacean community size structure in lakes of the Eastern Boreal Canadian forest
J. Plankton Res., June 1, 2002; 24(6): 601 - 616.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
N. A. Rukke
Tolerance to low ambient calciumshows inter-population differences in Daphnia galeata
J. Plankton Res., May 1, 2002; 24(5): 527 - 531.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.