Ecological dynamics between Lake Sucutardul Mare and its temporary fry pond (the Fizeș Valley, Transylvania, Romania): the case of aquatic invertebrates

Abstract

Temporary water bodies, connected or not to permanent wetlands, have a major importance for the regional biodiversity, acting as source of individuals for recolonization, refuge habitats or foraging sites. Colonization of zoobenthos and zooplankton from Lake Sucutardul Mare into its temporary fry pond was investigated in summer and autumn 2015. The instability of the temporary water pool, which dried out in autumn, together with its lower habitat heterogeneity led to decreased numbers of zoobenthic colonizers, that failed to survive in this “sink” habitat. No true colonization occurred in case of zooplankton, since the permanent connection between the two ponds led to similar animal communities in the water column. A rapid shift between the dominant zooplankton groups, rotifers and copepods, was observed