Rotifer dynamics in three shallow lakes from the Salado river watershed (Argentina): the potential modulating role of incident solar radiation.

In turbid Pampean lakes, incident solar radiation is a major driver of plankton seasonal dynamics. Higher light availability in summer translates into higher primary production, and therefore more food for zooplankton grazers. However, experimental evidence suggests that food produced under the high irradiance conditions prevailing in summer are less suitable to sustain rotifer population growth than that produced under the lower irradiance conditions typical of winter.