INVESTIGADORES
COVIAGA corina Anabel
artículos
Título:
Dynamics of ostracod populations from shallow lakes of Patagonia: life history insights
Autor/es:
COVIAGA, CORINA; PERÉZ, PATRICIA; CUSMINSKY, GABRIELA; BACCALÁ, NORA
Revista:
JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY
Editorial:
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2015 vol. 49 p. 1023 - 1045
ISSN:
0022-2933
Resumen:
Wetlands are one of the most valuable natural resources, providing a number of ecosystem services and socio-economic values. Small ponds sustain a rich aquatic biodiversity and are excellent environments for population studies of microcrustaceans such as ostracods, due to their short hydrological regime, small size and the presence of different zones. This study describes the population dynamics of the Ostracoda fauna in three temporary shallow lakes along one hydroperiod in Patagonia Argentina. Three cosmopolitan species were determined: Cypris pubera, Tonnacypris lutaria and Eucypris virens. Among them, T. lutaria is here reported for the first time from the Neotropical region. Multivariate ordination techniques were used to examine the relationships among environmental variables and ostracod density on each sampling site. High values of conductivity, light attenuation (as a measure of dissolved organic matter and inorganic suspended solids), dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature and chlorophyll a concentration correlated positively with ostracod density.. All the populations studied reproduced parthenogenetically, and the life cycles of E. virens and C. pubera were followed in detail by weekly sampling their populations. The former displayed continuous reproduction, whereas the latter showed a multivoltine strategy. The life history of C. pubera was affected by the seasonality of the habitat. The development rate correlated positively with water temperature, and conductivity showed a positive effect on adult size in C. pubera. In this study, we present the first data set about the development and life history of ostracods in Patagonian freshwater environments. However, several questions remain open and encourage us to further research on the relative importance of ostracods in food webs, as well as on the importance of inter-specific interactions between ostracods and other taxa.