JPR Advance Access published online on May 14, 2007
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbm044
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Spatial distribution of the Daphnia longispina species complex and other planktonic crustaceans in the heterogeneous environment of canyon-shaped reservoirs
1 Biological Centre AS CR, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, Ceské Budejovice, CZ-37005, Czechia
2 Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Vinicná 7, Prague 2, CZ-12844, Czechia
3 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Brani
ovská 31, Ceské Budejovice, CZ-37005, Czechia
* Corresponding author:Jaromir Seda, Biological Centre AS CR, Hydrobiological Institute, Na Sádkách 7, Ceské Budejovice CZ-37005, Czech Republic E-mail: seda{at}hbu.cas.cz
Received on January 4, 2007; revised on March 30, 2007; accepted on April 27, 2007
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Abstract |
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Canyon-shaped reservoirs are often characterised by longitudinal gradients of environmental factors (including trophic level, phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass, and abundance of planktivorous fish) affecting the taxonomic composition of the pelagic community. We tested the hypothesis that the spatial distribution of different species and interspecific hybrids of the Daphnia longispinaspecies complex is non-random under such conditions. During the summer stratification, we sampled crustacean zooplankton from eleven reservoirs, covering both longitudinal (upstream, middle, dam) and vertical (epi-, meta- and hypolimnion) environmental gradients. Allozyme electrophoresis was used to discriminate among different Daphniataxa. All three frequently hybridizing European species of the complex (galeata, cucullata, longispina = hyalina) and hybrids with D. galeatawere commonly recorded. Smaller-bodied D. cucullataand its hybrids, when present, preferred mostly the nutrient- and food-rich upstream regions; D. longispinaand its hybrids were more commonly found in the downstream part, and often dominated in the meta- or hypolimnion. Redundancy analyses confirmed significant differences in the Daphnia taxon composition, as well as in spatial distribution of other crustacean species, along both gradients. For the first time, we demonstrate regular patterns in the horizontal distribution of Daphniaspecies and hybrids within a water body, thus accepting our hypothesis. Such spatial distributional patterns may strongly impact local hybridization processes.
Key Words: Daphnia • interspecific hybridisation • spatial heterogeneity • trophic gradient • zooplankton
Communicating Editor: K.J. Flynn
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