Seasonal variations in zooplankton abundances in the Iturbide reservoir (Isidro Fabela, State of Mexico, Mexico).

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to quantify the seasonal variations of zooplankton (rotifers, cladocerans and copepods) and selected physico-chemical variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, Secchi disc transparency, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate concentrations) in the Iturbide dam. Monthly zooplankton samples (50 l filtered through 50 9m mesh, in duplicates from each of the 4 stations) were collected from February 2008 to January 2009. Simultaneously physico-chemical variables were measured. The zooplankton samples were fixed in 4% formalin in the field. In general, the temperature ranged from 9 to 16oC, rarely exceeding 20oC. Secchi transparency was nearly 100% since the reservoir was shallow (<2 m) even during the rainy seasons. Dissolved oxygen was generally high, 13-18 mg l-1. Nitrate levels (10 to 170 9g l-1) were low while phosphates were relatively high (9 to 35 9g l-1). The Iturbide reservoir was dominated by rotifer species. We encountered in all, 55 taxa of rotifers, 9 cladocerans and 2 copepods. The rotifer families Trichocercidae and Notommatidae had the highest number of species (7 each) followed by Colurellidae and Lecanidae (6 and 5 species, respectively). Trichocerca elongata, Ascomorpha ovalis, K. americana, K. cochlearis, Lepadella patella and Pompholyx sulcata were the dominant rotifers during the study period. On an annual average, rotifer density ranged between 50-200 ind. l-1. Among crustaceans Chydorus brevilabris and Macrothrix triserialis were most abundant. The maximal density of these cladocerans was about 50 ind. l-1. Copepods were much lower in numbers (<20 ind. l-1). In general the density of zooplankton was higher during summer months (April to July) than during winter. Shannon-Wiener diversity index varied from 1.0 to 4.3 depending on the site and the sampling period. Based on the data of Secchi transparency and nutrient concentrations, the Iturbide reservoir appeared to be mesotrophic.