Long term changes of crustacean zooplankton communities in Lake Wigry as a response to changing trophic conditions - 100 years of observations

Wigry Lake has one of the longest zooplankton data sets in Poland and has been investigated for over 100 years. Therefore, our goal was to present long-term changes in zooplankton structures against the background of changing trophic conditions. The species composition of crustacean zooplankton in the first half of the 20ᵗʰ century was typical for a large mesotrophic lake, with a high share of Oaphnia cucullata and stenotherm species: Eurytemora lacustris, Heterocope appendiculata, Cyclops lacustris, Bythotrephes brevimanus, Oaphnia longiremis. The results of the research from the years 1965-1985 were very pessimistic, because the lake was exposed to intense eutrophication and there were important changes in zooplankton communities. The glacial relicts and species characteristic for low trophic condtions declined, while the share of species typical for high trophic conditions (Mesocyclops leuckarti, Thermocyclops oithonoides, Oiaphanosoma brachyurum) increased. As a result, species characteristic for eutrophic conditions made up to 70% of crustacean zooplankton, when in 1921 their share did not exceed 25%. The results of hydrochemical and biological studies of the last 30 years indicate a gradual tendency to improve the trophic state of Lake Wigry, due to biomanipulation activities carried out in the lake and its catchment area. We also have observed a marked increase in the occurrence of glacial relicts and the dominance of large Oaphnia individuals, which indicates an improvement in water quality.

J. Moroz: [email protected]

J. Moroz - University of Białystok, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences

M. Karpowicz - Departament of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, 15-328 Białystok, Poland

A. Górniak - Departament of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, 15-328 Białystok, Poland

S. Smolska - University of Białystok, Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences

Adlerówna G. (1929) Przyczynek do znajomości ustosunkowania ilościowego skorupiaków planktonowych Wigier. Archiwum Hydrobiologii i Rybactwa, Tom IV, Nr. 3-4.

Andronikova I.N. (1996) Zooplankton characteristics in mOnitoring of Lake Ladoga. Hydrobiologia 322: 173-179.

Bernatowicz S. (1979) Ichtiofauna jeziora Wigry i niektóre aspekty gospodarki rybnej. [in:] Czeczuga B. (Ed). Jezioro Wigry-kolebką hydrobiologii polskiej) PWN, Warszawa, 157-162.

Bledzki L.A, Rybak J.I. (2016) Freshwater Crustacean Zooplankton of Europe: Cladocera & Copepoda (Calanoida, Cyclopoida) Key to species identification, with notes on ecology, distribution, methods and introduction to data analysis. Springer.

Carlson R.E. (1977) A trophic state index for lakes. Lirnnology and Oceanography 22(2): 361-369.

Ćwikla J., Konieczny K. (2011) Treatment of sludge water with reverse osmosis. Environment Protection Engineering 37(4): 21-34.

Ejsmont-Karabin J. (2012) The usefulness of zooplankton as lake ecosystem indicators: rotifer trophic state index. Polish Journal of Ecology 60(2): 339-350.

Ejsmont-Karabin J., Karabin A (2013) The suitability of zooplankton as lake ecosystem indicators: crustacean trophic state index. Polish Journal of Ecology 61(3): 561-573.

Hillbricht-Ilkowska A., Spodniewska I., Węgleńska T. (1979) Changes in the phytoplankton-zooplankton relationship connected with the eutrophication of lakes. Symposia biologica hungarica 19: 59-75.

Jekatierynczuk-Rudczyk E., Grabowska M., Ejsmont-Karabin J., Karpowicz M. (2012) Assessment of trophic state of four lakes in the Suwałki Landscape Park (NE Poland) based on the summer phyto-and zooplankton in comparison with some physicochemical parameters. [in:] Wołowski K. et al. (Ed.). Current Advances in Algal Taxonomy and its Applications. Instytut Botaniki im. W Szafera, Kraków, pp. 205-225.

Jeppesen E., Nõges P., Davidson T.A, Haberman J., Nõges T., Blank K., Lauridsen T.L Søndergaard M., Sayer C., Laugaste R., Johansson L.S., Bjerring R., Amsinck S.L. (2011) Zooplankton as indicators in lakes: a scientific-based plea for including zooplankton in the ecological quality assessment of lakes according to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Hydrobiologia 676(1): 279-297.

Karabin A. (1985) Pelagic zooplankton (Rotatoria + Crustacea). Variation in theprocess of lake eutrophication. I. Structural and quantitative features. Ekologia Polska 33(4): 567-616.

Karabin A., Ejsmont-Karabin J. (1992) Zooplankton of Lake Wigry. [in:] Zdanowski B. (Ed). Lakes of the Suwalki Landscape Park. State of eutrophication and measures of protection - Zakł. Nar. im. Ossolińskich, Wyd. PAN, Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków, pp. 101-113.

Kamiński M. (1999) Lake Wigry, the lake "adopted" by international association of theoretical and applied limnology (SIL "Lake Adoption" Project). Polish Journal of Ecology 47: 215-224.

Karpowicz M., Górniak A. (2013) Zooplankton skorupiakowy jezior harmonijnych Wigierskiego Parku Narodowego a trofia wód. Monitoring Środowiska Przyrodniczego 14: 97-101.

Karpowicz M., Ejsmont-Karabin J. (2021 ) Diversity and Structure of Pelagic Zooplankton (Crustacea, Rotifera) in NE Poland. Water 13(4): 456.

Karpowicz M., Ejsmont-Karabin J., Więcko A., Górniak A., Cudowski A. (2019) A place in space - the horizontal vs vertical factors that influence zooplankton (Rotifera, Crustacea) communities in a mesotrophic lake. Journal of Limnology 78(2): 243-258.

Karpowicz M., Sługocki Ł., Kozłowska J., Ochocka A., López C. (2020) Body size of Daphnia cucullata as an indicator of the ecological status of temperate lakes. Ecological Indicators 117:,106585.

Kolar C.S., Rahel F.J. (1993) Interaction of a biotic factor (predator presence) and an abiotic factor (low oxygen) as an influence on benthic invertebrate communities. Oecologia 95: 210-219.

Lityński A. (1922) Jezioro Wigry jako zbiorowisko fauny planktonowej. Prace Stacji Hydrobiologicznej na Wigrach Instytutu im M. Nenckiego. Towarzystwo Naukowe Warszawskie. Tom I, Numer I.

Lityński A. (1926) Studia limnologiczne na Wigrach. Archiwum Hydrobiologii i Rybactwa 1: 1-78.

Lorenzen C.J. (1965) A note on the chlorophyll and phaeophytin content of the chlorophyll maximum. Limnology and Oceanography 10: 482-483.

Marks L. (2005). Pleistocene glacial limits in the territory of Poland. Przegląd Geologiczny 53(10): 2.

Murphy J., Riley J.P. (1962) A modified Single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytica chimica acta 27: 31-36.

Nush E.A (1980) Comparison of different methods for chlorophyll and phaeophytin determination. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. Ergebn. Liminol 14: 36.

Straskrabova V., Callieri C., Carrillo P., Cruz-Pizzarro L., Fott J., Hartman P., Macek M., Medina-Sanchez J.M., Nedoma J., Simek K. (1999) Investigations on pelagic food webs in mountain lakes-aims and methods. Journal of Limnology 58(2): 77-87.

135

142