INVESTIGADORES
PEREZ Alejandra Patricia
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
UV Radiation as a Potential Driving Force for Zooplankton Community Structure in Argentine and Chilean temperate lakes.
Autor/es:
HORACIO E. ZAGARESE; PATRICIA PÉREZ; M. CRISTINA MARINONE; SILVINA MENU MARQUE; PATRICIA DE LOS RÍOS; DORIS SOTO; DIEGO AÑÓN SUÁREZ; MARÍA DEL CARMEN DIÉGUEZ
Lugar:
Beijing, China
Reunión:
Conferencia; Global Environmental Change: regional challenges; 2006
Institución organizadora:
Diversitas, IGBP, IHDP, WCRP
Resumen:
This article explores the potential role of UV radiation (UVR)
as an influence on zooplankton communities. In the first
section we provide a general overview of UVR effects on
freshwater zooplankton, with an emphasis on Argentine and
Chilean environments. In the second section we present the
results of a survey involving 53 temperate lakes across a
gradient of UVR exposure to determine patterns of species
richness and specific diversity. These community characteristics
decreased at high potential UVR exposure (i.e. high
mean water column irradiance or low lake optical density). A
threshold value of mean water column irradiance of approximately
10% of the surface level seems to limit both richness
and diversity to minimum values. On the basis of the collected
evidence it is not possible to definitely conclude that UVR
rather than another covarying factor is responsible for the
decrease in specific diversity observed at the lowest end of lake
optical depth. However, lakes with values above the previous
threshold are likely to exhibit highly depauperate zooplankton
communities regardless of the mechanism. As a cautionary
note we suggest that changes in the optical characteristics (i.e.
changes due to atmospheric conditions, precipitation patterns
or vertical displacement of the tree line) may result in sudden
shifts in zooplankton community structure.