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Dryad

Heatwave induced invertebrate predation reshapes the plankton community

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Feb 23, 2022 version files 234.49 KB

Abstract

Climate change stressors including warming and heatwaves can alter zooplankton composition and dominance patterns in shallow lakes, which can disrupt ecosystem function and curtail ecosystem services. To understand such changes, we performed a mesocosm experiment with controls reflecting the present temperature conditions and a treatment reflecting a future climate change scenario, including heatwaves of 0-8°C. In the future climate scenario, the predatory invertebrate, Mesostoma exerted a strong top-down control particularly on Daphnia, resulting in a switch in the herbivore dominance to Ceriodaphnia. Cyclopoid copepods were the least affected taxa but showed tendencies to sustain longer into the winter at elevated temperatures. A complementary predation experiment revealed that Mesostoma feed at a higher rate on Daphnia than on Ceriodaphnia and cyclopoid copepods. In addition to the food-chain alterations, the algal biomass and cyanobacteria increased with warming which has considerable implications for management of shallow lakes.