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Natura Croatica Issue number: Natura Croatica, Vol. 26 No.2

“Raspetljavanje” hranidbenih mreža u litoralu plitkih jezera umjerene zone

Authors: Maria Špoljar, Jasna Lajtner, Tvrtko Dražina, Reza Malekzadeh-Viayeh, Ines Radanović, Ivana Zrinščak, Jelena Fressl, Dora Matijašec

Authors and affiliation

  • Maria Špoljar Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Jasna Lajtner Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Tvrtko Dražina Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Reza Malekzadeh-Viayeh Artemia and Aquatic Research Institute, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
  • Ines Radanović Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Ivana Zrinščak Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Jelena Fressl Dvokut-Ecro, Ltd, Trnjanska 37, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • Dora Matijašec Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Elucidation of food web interactions provides a better understanding of ecosystem functioning, indicates anthropogenic impacts which often cause alterations in environmental conditions and deterioration in feeding networks in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The importance of microfauna and macroinvertebrates in the littoral zones of shallow waters has been poorly studied regarding their trophic interactions. This study compares invertebrate assemblage and food web interactions among epiphyton, zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates across structural heterogeneity in the littoral zone of three temperate shallow water bodies. Submerged and structurally-complex stands of Ceratophyllum demersum inhabited a higher abundance of cladocerans and supported a higher diversity and biomass of epiphytic protozoans and invertebrates than floating-leaved Nuphar lutea stands. Analysis of the ecosystem functioning illustrated the increased biomass of macroinvertebrate predators and a preference of predation over planktonic crustaceans in more complex macrophyte stands. Food webs displayed higher complexity and size with habitat heterogeneity, while epiphyton and zooplankton shared an important fraction in food resources among the invertebrate trophic network. Results of food web modelling indicated zooplankton and epiphyton as more vulnerable to invertebrate predation in the complex submerged macrophytes than in the floating-leaved macrophyte stands. Integrated approaches to community, ecosystem and food webs in explanation of complex trophic interactions in the littoral zones confirmed an increase in diversity and food-web functional complexity with structural heterogeneity of microhabitats.

Keywords

epiphyton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, tactile predators, macrophytes, relaxed niche food web model Špoljar, M., Lajtner, J., Dražina, T., Malekzadeh-Viayeh, R., Radanović, I., Zrinščak, I., Fressl,

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