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Abstract
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Article Information:
Abundance, Species Composition and Spatial Distribution of Zooplankton in Lake Hashengie of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
Tsegazeabe H. Haileselasie, Mekonen Teferi, Tadesse Dejenie, Kiros Welegerima, Tsegaluel Abay, Solomon A. Hiluf and Kokob Girmay
Corresponding Author: Tsegazeabe Hadush Haileselasie
Submitted: January 03, 2012
Accepted: February 17, 2012
Published: July 10, 2012 |
Abstract:
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Zooplanktons are an important link between phytoplankton primary production and consumers at
the higher levels of the trophic cascade (i.e., secondary consumers). Furthermore, they may impact the
pathways of energy flow and matter circulation in freshwater ecosystems. To this end this research was
conducted to investigate the abundance and spatial distribution, production of Zooplankton in Lake Hashegie.
Species composition, abundance and spatial distribution of crustacean zooplankton were studied in Lake
Hashengie from late September 2010 to early June 2011. A total of 15 species were recorded, with copepod
specie being numerically dominant. Variation in abundance was extremely high, ranging from 8 individuals
liter for cladoceran to more than 1000 individuals liter for copepods. There was no significant difference in the
distribution of rotifer species between inshore and offshore regions (t-test, n = 12 p = 0.25). Crustacean species
richness was low, with only five cladoceran and three copepod species occurring in the open water. Daphnia
magna and Daphnia galeata dominated the cladoceran community, whereas thermocyclops was the dominant
copepod. Variation in the spatial distribution of crustacean species was neither observed horizontally between
inshore and offshore areas nor vertically in the highly turbid and wind exposed to deeper part of the lake. On
the other hand crustacean varied significantly in size and number between inshore and offshore areas (Anova
test, n = 231, p<0.002). Adult crustaceans dominated offshore, whereas juveniles were more abundant inshore,
suggesting a predominantly littoral selective predation on large and adult crustaceans by fish.
Key words: Cladocera, copepoda, rotifera, tigray region, tropical lake, zooplankton,
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Cite this Reference:
Tsegazeabe H. Haileselasie, Mekonen Teferi, Tadesse Dejenie, Kiros Welegerima, Tsegaluel Abay, Solomon A. Hiluf and Kokob Girmay, . Abundance, Species Composition and Spatial Distribution of Zooplankton in Lake Hashengie of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Current Research Journal of Biological Sciences, (4): 389-393.
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ISSN (Online): 2041-0778
ISSN (Print): 2041-076X |
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