Direct and indirect effects of zooplankton on algal composition in in situ grazing experiments.

To examine both direct and indirect effects of macrozooplankton on phytoplankton species in Lake Biwa, we conducted in situ grazer-gradient experiments under different nutrient levels in summer, when Daphnia galeata dominated, and in autumn, when Eodiaptomus japonicus dominated. The experiments revealed that grazing pressure on phytoplankton was highly dependent on zooplankton species composition. Smaller phytoplankton species such as Stephanodiscus carconensis were more grazed when D.

Contrasting effects of a cladoceran (Daphnia galeata) and a calanoid copepod (Eodiaptomus japonicus) on algal and microbial plankton in a Japanese lake, Lake Biwa.

Macrozooplankton may affect algal and microbial plankton directly through grazing or predation and indirectly through nutrient regeneration. They may also affect potential prey positively by removing alternative predators. Here, we examined the effects of a cladoceran (Daphnia) and a calanoid copepod (Eodiaptomus) on algal and microbial plankton in a Japanese lake using in situ experiments in which we manipulated the nutrient supply and biomass of these macrozooplankton.