Journal of Environmental Biology

Planktonic ciliates in a hypertrophic pond: Functional role and importance

Author Details

Sanchez Rodriguez Ma. del Rosario (Corresponding author)

Proyecto de Investigacion en Limnolog?a Tropical. UIICSE, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional

Autonoma de Mexico

e-mail: rosarios@servidor.unam.mx

Lugo Vazquez Alfonso

Proyecto de Investigaci?n en Limnolog?a Tropical. UIICSE, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional

Autonoma de M?xico

Oliva Martinez Ma. Guadalupe

Unidad de Morfolog?a y Funci?n, FES Iztacala.? Av. de los Barrios No. 1, Los Reyes Iztacala,

Tlalnepantla 54090 Estado de M?xico

Verver y Vargas Garcia Jaqueline

Maestr?a en Ciencias del Mar y Limnolog?a, Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico, M?xico, D.F.

Rodriguez Rocha Armando

Maestr?a en Ciencias del Mar y Limnolog?a, Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico, M?xico, D.F.

Peralta Soriano Laura

Proyecto de Investigaci?n en Limnolog?a Tropical. UIICSE, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional

Autonoma de M?xico

Publication Data

Paper received:

5 March 2010

Revised received:

15 August 2010

Accepted:

22 September 2010

Abstract

Taxonomical composition and abundance of the planktonic ciliate assemblage in a Lake Tezozomoc, a hypertrophic pond located into an urban park in Mexico City, was investigated along the rainy season (May to October). The aims of the study were to know the main trophic roles and ecological significance of ciliates in a highly productive environment. A low number of taxa (27) and a wide abundance fluctuation (104-387 cil ml^-1) were found. The most abundant species (up to 162 cil ml^-1) was Halteria grandinella, an oligotrich ciliate that graze on bacteria and picoplankton, but also several big body sized species that feed on pico and nanoplankton were abundant. Sudden temporal changes in species dominance occurred. Ciliate biomass was very high and fluctuated widely (1.6-88? 10⁶ ?m³ ml^-1) being dominated by the >50 ?m size fraction that mainly included the pico and nanoplankton feeders. Ciliates are a very important component in the plankton of hypertrophic lakes and their main control factor seems to be the grazing by big-body size Daphnia species.

Key words

Protists, Picoplankton, Seasonal fluctuation, Eutrophic conditions

Copyright ? 2011 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).