The diurnal distribution of the zooplankton community of the littoral zone of Lake Wielkowiejskie (Wielkopolski National Park, Poland)

The main aim of this study was to analyze the diel distribution of zooplankton communities within the zones of Nymphaea albae, Myriophyllum verticillatum, and Typha angustifolia, and, compared to that, in the open water area of a lake. It also aimed to analyze the relationship between zooplankton densities and the concentration of physicochemical factors and chlorophy11 a content.

A total of 149 zooplankton taxa were noted, and, despite the narrow range of the research in the analyzed lake, some rare species were noted, among which two - Colurella sinistra and Lecane inopinata - were recorded for the first time among Polish fauna. The rush zone was taxonomically the richest, while the open water area was the poorest. The highest number of individuals was observed in the Myriophyllum bed, while the lowest was noted in the zone dominated by Nymphaea alba.

The highest densities of zooplankton occurred at dusk, while the lowest occurred during the day, irrespective of the sampling station. Because Lake Wielkowiejskie is a shallow and macrophyte-dominated water body, the differences in the diurnal distribution of zooplankton communities may suggest horizontal migrations between the pelagic zone and the phytolittoral, as well as between particular macrophyte stands.

A positive correlation between the densities of some zooplankters and the concentration of chlorophyll a was found, while a negative relationship with the concentration of nitrites was recorded for Lecane quadridentata and Alonella nana.