Effects of mixing on the pelagic food web in shallow lakes

• Published in: Freshwater Biology
• Main Authors: Blottière, Lydie, Jaffar-Bandjee, Mourad, Jacquet, Stéphan, Millot, Alexis, Hulot, Florence D.
• Other Authors: Ecologie Systématique et Evolution (ESE), Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-AgroParisTech-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques et Ecosystèmes Limniques (CARRTEL), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry ), CEREEP-Ecotron Ile de France (UMS 3194), Département de Biologie - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ANR CEPL 01004;ANR Equipex PLANAQUA ANR-10-EQPX-13-01, ANR-10-EQPX-0013,PLANAQUA,PLAteforme expérimentale NAtionale d'écologie aQUAtique(2010)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: food chain; open water; shallow water; food web; mesocosms; mixing; shallow lake; chaîne alimentaire; lac; eau peu profonde; mésocosme; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Copepods; Rotifer
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01608120; https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12859

1. We examined the effects of wind-induced mixing and particle resuspension on the pelagic food web in eutrophic shallow lakes. These processes are known to have a major impact on a variety of biological, physical or chemical parameters such as the underwater light climate, the nutrient availability in the water column and the abundance and composition of the phytoplankton community. However, little is known about the effects of these processes on other compartments of the freshwater food web.2. We conducted a 9-week experiment comprising a manipulation of mixing intensity in 15 m 3 mesocosms equipped with wavemakers in order to explore the impact of two mixing regimes on water chemistry as well as viral, bacterial, phytoplankton and zooplankton communities.3. The turbidity level in mixed mesocosms (compared to calm conditions) was higher on average, especially at the bottom, indicating a successful resuspension of the sediment bed. Mixing increased chlorophyll a concentration without any clear increase in algal abundance, measured as cell counts by flow cytometry, which pointed to a change in species composition or a physiological adaptation to mixing. pH increased strongly in mixed mesocosms, suggesting enhanced primary productivity in perturbed conditions. Zooplankton responses to mixing were neutral for cladocerans and negative for copepods, which potentially mediated top-down controls on the rotifer population.4. Bacterial and viral abundances were not significantly changed by the mixing regimes; however, peaks of viral lysis of heterotrophic bacteria were seen in each mixed mesocosm, while none were observed in calm mesocosms. These results suggest that viral lysis is enhanced by the water column mixing.5. Our experiment demonstrates that mixing is likely to influence shallow lake functioning through a complex combination of direct and indirect effects on the underwater light climate and water chemistry, phytoplankton physiology and productivity, zooplankton growth and possibly virus-host interactions. ...