Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XIV
Written by Larisa FLORESCU, Mirela MOLDOVEANU, Ioana ENACHE, Rodica CATANA
The winter season, characterized by unfavorable conditions for aquatic biota, determined by low temperatures, instigates a series of ecological shifts that intricately shape the phytoplankton and zooplankton communities' structure and function. Our study in Văcărești Lake focuses on the effect of the winter season on plankton communities, highlighting structural and functional changes in these communities. During the winter, environmental parameters significantly changed indicating organic matter decomposition and eutrophic conditions. The winter conditions functioned as ecological stressors on plankton communities. Phytoplankton responded by changing composition, with green algae and diatoms becoming prominent as cyanobacteria declined. Zooplankton, especially Rotifera and Cladocera, showed increased diversity and abundance, while Ciliata and Copepoda decreased. The RDA analysis highlighted phytoplankton's responsiveness to TDS, conductivity, turbidity, pH, and zooplankton's correlation with oxygen and temperature. The Diversity t-test indicated significant changes in both phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in terms of diversity. Zooplankton diversity was higher than phytoplankton, with moderate species composition changes, reflecting cold-tolerant species development and the ecosystem's resilience and adaptability to winter conditions.
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