5/20/2010

1

Ma. Vivian C. Camacho

Consuelo Dl. Habito

Biodiversity of Hot

Springs:

Zooplankton and Benthos

Why study zooplankton and

benthos in thermal pools?

significant biological

and ecological roles

variations in species

diversity indicate

changes in the dynamics

of freshwater

ecosystems in response

to changes in abiotic

factors

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2

Why study zooplankton and benthos

in thermal pools?

biological indicators

of thermally-

disturbed freshwater

ecosystems

conservation

strategies

no taxonomic work

has been done

Objectives

To identify zooplankton and benthic

species present in hot springs and ,

To characterize temporal and spatial

variations in the population of

zooplankton and benthic animals,

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3

Objectives

To determine the influence of physico-

chemical parameters such as temperature,

dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrates, nitrites on

species composition and abundance

To correlate zooplankton and benthic

species composition and abundance with

human activities occurring in hot springs

and vicinities

Study Sites in Cuyab, Pansol, Laguna

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

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4

Laguna Hot Spring Resort:

A. Inner Pool Area

B. Outer Canal

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5

Zooplankton sampling

Benthos -sieving and sorting

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6

Physico-chemical parameters

temperature

dissolved oxygen

pH content (acidity/ basicity) of

water

Nitrites and nitrates

Year 1- Zooplankton and Benthos

in Cuyab Hot Spring Resort

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7

Zooplankton- taxa composition

23 taxa

Mollusca

13%

Arthropoda

26%

Rotifera

56.5%

Brachionus angularis

Class Bdelloidea

Brachionus urceolaris

Phylum Rotifera

Platyias quadricornis

Class Monogononta

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Class Monogononta

Polyarthra sp. Dicranophorus sp.Lepadella sp.

Lecane sp.

Arthropods and Worms

copepod nauplius male Cyclopoidea

Nematode rhabditiform larvae

Annelida

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Zooplankton Taxa

0123456789

10

Octobe

r

Nove

mbe

r

Dece

mbe

r

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

Mar

ch

Month

Nu

mb

er

of

Taxa

Rotifera

Arthropoda

Annelida

Mollusca

Site 1

0

1

2

3

4

Octobe

r

Nove

mbe

r

Dece

mbe

r

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

Mar

ch

Month

Nu

mb

er

of

Taxa

Rotifera

Arthropoda

Annelida

Mollusca

Site 2

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10

0

1

2

3

4

5

Octobe

r

Nove

mbe

r

Dece

mbe

r

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

Mar

ch

Month

Nu

mb

er

of

Taxa

Rotifera

Arthropoda

Annelida

Mollusca

Site 3

Zooplankton abundances

%

Arthropoda 46.2

Rotifera 43.6

Nematoda 5.7

Annelida 3.2

Mollusca 0.8

RotiferaArthropoda

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Relative Mean Abundances of

Zooplankton

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Lepadella

Cyclopoidea copepodite

ANNELIDA-Oligochaeta

unidentified copepod

Polyarthra

NEMATODA- rhabditiform larva

Lecane

Brachionus angularis

Bdelloidea

copepod naupliusZ

oo

pla

nkto

n t

axa

Relative mean abundace (%)

Mean Density Across Sampling periods

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07

Sampling period (month)

Mean

den

sit

y (

no

. o

f in

ds./

m3)

ROTIFERA

NEMATODA

MOLLUSCA

ARTHROPODA

ANNELIDA

Site 1

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12

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Oct-

06

Nov-

06

Dec-

06

Jan-

07

Feb-

07

Mar-

07

Sampling period (month)

Mean

den

sit

y (

no

. o

f in

ds/m

3)

ROTIFERA

NEMATODA

MOLLUSCA

ARTHROPODA

ANNELIDA

Site 2

Site 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Oct-

06

Nov-

06

Dec-

06

Jan-07 Feb-

07

Mar-

07

Sampling period (months)

Mean

den

sit

y (

no

. o

f in

ds./

m3)

ROTIFERA

NEMATODA

MOLLUSCA

ARTHROPODA

ANNELIDA

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Total Mean Abundances in 3 sites

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07

Sampling period (month)

To

tal

mean

den

sit

y (

no

. o

f

ind

s./

m3)

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Benthos- Taxa Composition

9 taxa belonging to 3 animal groups

78% Gastropoda

11% Bivalvia

11% Oligochaeta

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Gastropods and

Bivalves

Family ThiaridaeMelanoides

ViviparusCorbiculaFamily Planorbidae

Relative Abundance of

Macrobenthos

41.7%

F. Thiaridae32.9%

Melanoides

10.6%

Pomacea

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Relative Mean Abundances of

Macrobenthos

0 10 20 30 40 50

Viviparus

Bellamya

Tarebia

Oligochaeta

Corbicula

Planorbidae

Pomacea

Melanoides

Thiaridae

Relative mean abundance (%)

Macro

ben

tho

s t

axa

Mean Density of Macrobenthos

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March

Month

Den

sit

y (

no

. o

f in

ds./

0.0

1m

2)

Gastropoda

Bivalvia

Oligochaeta

Site 1

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March

Month

Den

sit

y (

no

. o

f in

ds./

0.0

1m

2)

Gastropoda

Bivalvia

Oligochaeta

Site 2

Physico-

chemical

parameters

20.00

22.00

24.00

26.00

28.00

30.00

32.00

34.00

Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07

Month

Tem

pera

ture

( C

)

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07

Month

DO

(m

g/l

)

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

a. temperature

b. dissolved oxygen

c. nitrites < 0.3 mg/l

d. nitrates 12.5mg/l

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Year 2- Laguna Hot Spring

Resort

% Composition of Major

Zooplankton Groups

Protozoa

Rotifera

Gastropoda

Nematoda

Oligochaeta

Arthropoda

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Relative Mean Abundances

of Zooplankton Taxa

0 5 10 15 20 25

Lecane bulla

Lecane sp.

Cyclopoidea- nauplius

rhabditiform larvae

Euglypha

oligochaete

Brachionus angularis

Centropyxis sp.

Bdelloidea

Ciliate (possibly Tetrahymena)

Zo

op

lan

kto

n t

axa

Relative mean abundance (%)

Mean Abundances of

Zooplankton in the Inner and

Outer Pool Area

0

50

100

150

200

250

8 10 12 14 16

Month

Mean

ab

un

dan

ce

(no

. o

f in

ds./

m3)

In

Out

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Temperature in the Inner and

Outer Pool Area

30

32

34

36

38

40

8 10 12 14 16

Month

Tem

pera

ture

(C

)

In

Out

Dissolved Oxygen in the Inner

and Outer Pool Area

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

8 10 12 14 16

Month

DO

(m

g/l

)

In

Out

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Major Findings (Year 1)

23 and 9 zooplankton and benthic taxa, respectively were identified in canals near Cuyab hot spring

Zooplankton was dominated by arthropods particularly copepod nauplius, while benthos by F. Thiaridae

Variations in mean density and taxa composition of zooplankton and benthos among sites and across sampling periods were observed

Temperature 25°C to 32.4 °C; DO 4.8 mg/l to 9.1 mg/l; nitrites less than 0.3 mg/l; nitrates 12.5mg/l

Major Findings (Year 2)

-17 zooplankton taxa belonging to six animal

phyla

-Protozoa was the most important group

comprising 41% of the total zooplankton

identified, followed by Rotifera with 34%,

and Arthropoda with 10%

-ciliates was the most abundant, followed by

Bdelloidea, Centropyxis sp., and Brachionus

angularis

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Conclusions1. Number of taxa: 23 zooplankton and 9

macrobenthos in Cuyab Hot Spring and 17

zooplankton in Laguna Hot Spring

2. Abundance :

a. Rotifera dominated; Copepod nauplius,

Bdelloidea and Brachionus angularis ; Thiaridae,

Melanoides and Pomacea (Cuyab Hot Spring)

b. Protozoa dominated, Ciliates, Bdelloids,

Centropyxis, and Brachionus angularis (Laguna Hot

Spring )

3. the presence of Brachionus angularis in both

resorts and Centropyxis in Laguna Hot Spring

may indicate some degree eutrophication in

these areas

4. Temporal and spatial variations in

zooplankton may be attributed to differences

in physico-chemical factors such as

temperature, dissolved oxygen and

nutrient content

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5. It was difficult to assess the effects of the

resort activity on zooplankton community

considering that human factors, which may

have contributed to the observed differences,

cannot be clearly delineated from physico-

chemical factors