The impact of biometric parameters of a hydromacrophyte habitat on the structure of zooplankton communities in various types of small water bodies

Hydromacrophyte habitats, which can differ in a multiplicity of biometric parameters, are among the most important factors affecting zooplankton community structure. The main goal of this work was to determine the impact of plant habitat parameters expressed by density, biomass, and plant volume along with chemical features on the composition and dynamics of rotifer and crustacean communities.

A number of small water bodies of different origin (12) located in different catchment areas of the Wielkopolska region were analyzed.

It was found that helophytes and nymphaeids had the highest biomass and the lowest stem density, while elodeids were of the lowest biomass and the greatest stem density. Similarity analysis confirmed this distribution of biometric parameters among particular ecological groups of macrophytes.

The greatest numbers of zooplankton were noted among vegetated zones, which supports the idea of zooplankton using macrophytes as anti-predator refuge. Based on the study of a total of 23 plant stands, it was found that macrophyte biomass and the density of the plant habitat were the strongest predictors of three biometric parameters of zooplankton abundance.