Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Plankton variations in Lake Cote, Costa Rica, from 2002 to 2018

  • TROPICAL LAKES
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Long-term plankton studies in neotropical lakes are scarce. Here we studied plankton composition in Lake Cote, Costa Rica, twice per year from 2002 to 2018, to monitor changes after it was modified as a reservoir for hydroelectricity in 2003. Plankton variation was examined for a long-term trend and its relationship with basic limnological characteristics of the lake. Phytoplankton was sampled from the surface and with a depth-integrating sampler. Zooplankton was caught with vertical hauls, at the same station at the middle of the lake. A total of 138 taxa of microalgae occurred, most from Chlorophyta and Cyanobacteria, to which dominant species belonged; Aulacoseira granulata was also ubiquitous. A shift in dominance occurred, from Cosmarium asphaerosporum to Aphanothece cf. microscopica, and Aphanocapsa cf. delicatissima. Zooplankton included 23 species of Cladocera, Copepoda, Rotifera, and Chaoborus. Most abundant were Keratella americana, Eubosmina tubicen, and Cyclopoida; Daphnia laevis became abundant after 2007 while E. tubicen declined. There was little correspondence between both planktonic components. Plankton composition was typical of a mesotrophic to eutrophic shallow lake, but changes indicated an increase in stratification, and can be attributed to combined effects of recent warming and outflow management for hydropower production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahn, C. Y., S. H. Joung, A. Choi, H. S. Kim, K. Y. Jang & H. M. Oh, 2007. Selective control of cyanobacteria in eutrophic pond by a combined device of ultrasonication and water pumps. Environmental Technology 28: 371–379.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alcocer, J. & F. W. Bernal-Brooks, 2009. Investigación ecológica a largo plazo en cuerpos acuáticos epicontinentales. Revista Digital Universitaria 10: 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antenucci, J. P., A. Ghadouani, M. A. Burford & J. R. Romero, 2005. The long-term effect of artificial destratification on phytoplankton species composition in a subtropical reservoir. Freshwater Biology 50: 1081–1093.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arcifa, M. S., T. C. Dos Santos-Ferreira, C. Fileto, M. S. Maioli Castilho-Noll, T. C. Bunioto & W. J. Minto, 2015. A long-term study on crustacean plankton of a shallow tropical lake: the role of invertebrate predation. Journal of Limnology 74: 606–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arrieira, R. L., L. T. Schwinda, C. Y. Jokob, G. M. Alvesc, L. F. Velhoa & F. M. Lansac-Tôhaa, 2016. Relationships between environmental conditions and the morphological variability of planktonic testate amoeba in four neotropical floodplains. European Journal of Protistology 56: 180–190.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baltodano, J., 2008. Bosque, cobertura y recursos forestales. Ponencia preparada para el Decimocuarto Informe Estado de la Nación. San José: Programa Estado de la Nación. Retrieved from http://coecoceiba.org/wp-content/subidas/2009/11/Bosques-coberturas-Baltodano-2008.pdf).

  • Bays, J. S. & T. L. Crisman, 1983. Zooplankton and trophic state relationships in Florida lakes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 40: 1813–1819.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellinger, E. G., & D. C. Sigee, 2010. Freshwater algae identification and use as bioindicators. Wiley Blackwell. Chichester, UK.

  • Berman, T., L. Stone, Y. Z. Yacobi, B. Kaplan, A. Schlichter, A. Nishri & U. Pollingher, 1995. Primary production and phytoplankton in Lake Kinneret: a long-term record (1972–1993). Limnology and Oceanography 40: 1064–1076.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bukowska, A., T. M. Kaliński, I. Koper, I. Kostrzewska-Szlakowska, J. Kwiatowski, H. Mazur-Marzec & I. Jasser, 2017. Predicting blooms of toxic cyanobacteria in eutrophic lakes with diverse cyanobacterial communities. Scientific Reports 7: 1–12.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera, J. G., 2007. Plancton como indicador de calidad del agua en la presa Aguamilpa. Tecnología y ciencias del agua 22: 103–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., B. Qin, K. Teubner & M. T. Dokulil, 2003. Long-term dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages: microcystis-domination in Lake Taihu, a large shallow lake in China. Journal of Plankton Research 25: 445–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conde-Porcuna, J. M., E. Ramos-Rodríguez & R. Morales-Baquero, 2004. El zooplancton como integrante de la estructura trófica de los ecosistemas lénticos. Revista Ecosistemas 13: 23–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dokulil, M. T. & J. Padisák, 1994. Long-term compositional response of phytoplankton in a shallow, turbid environment, Neusiedlersee (Austria/Hungary). Hydrobiologia 275: 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domingos, P., T. K. Rubim, R. J. R. Molica, S. M. F. O. Azevedo & W. W. Carmichael, 1999. First report of microcystin production by picoplanktonic cyanobacteria isolated from a northeast Brazilian drinking water supply. Environmental Toxicology 14: 31–35.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fernando, C. H. (ed.), 2002. A Guide to Tropical Freshwater Zooplankton: Identification. Ecology and Impact on Fisheries. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden.

    Google Scholar 

  • García Chicote, J., 2015. El zooplancton como indicador de la calidad del agua en embalses: un estudio en el ámbito de actuación de la Confederación Hidro-gráfica del Júcar (Doctoral thesis). Universitat de València, Valencia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavlas, A. M., 2012. Cambios estacionales y relaciones alimenticias de la comunidad planctónica del Embalse Arenal, Costa Rica. (M.Sc. Thesis). San José: Universidad de Costa Rica.

  • Geller, W. & H. Müller, 1981. The filtration apparatus of Cladocera: filter mesh-sizes and their implications on food selectivity. Oecologia 49: 316–321.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerritsen, J., R. W. Sanders, S. W. Bradley & K. G. Porter, 1987. Individual feeding variability of protozoan and crustacean zooplankton analyzed with flow cytometry 1. Limnology and oceanography 32: 691–699.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guiry, M.D. & G. M. Guiry, 2020. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org.

  • Haberyan, K. A., G. Umaña, C. Collado & S. P. Horn, 1995. Observations on the plankton of some Costa Rican lakes. Hydrobiologia 312: 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Ø., D. A. T. Harper & P. D. Ryan, 2019. PAST: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4: 9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horppila, J., L. Härkönen, N. Hellén, S. Estlander, Z. Pekcan-Hekim & A. Ojala, 2019. Rotifer communities under variable predation-turbulence combinations. Hydrobiologia 828: 339–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, C. H., Y. Sakai, S. Ban, K. Ishikawa, T. Ishikawa, S. Ichise & M. Kumagai, 2011. Eutrophication and warming effects on long-term variation of zooplankton in Lake Biwa. Biogeosciences 8: 1383–1399.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huber-Pestalozzi, G., 1955. Das Phytoplankton des Süsswassers, Systematik und Biologie. 4. Teil: Euglenophyceen. E. Schweizerbart´sche Verlagsuchhandlung, Stuttgart.

  • Huber-Pestalozzi, G., 1961. Das Phytoplankton des Süsswassers, Systematik und Biologie. 5. Teil: Chlorophyceae (Grünalgen) Ordnung: Volvocales. E. Schweizerbart´sche Verlagsuchhandlung, Stuttgart.

  • Huber-Pestalozzi, G., 1968a. Das Phytoplankton des Süßwassers. 2 Aufl., ed. B. Fott. Die Binnengewässer. E. Scheizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart.

  • Huber-Pestalozzi, G., 1968b. Das Phytoplankton des Süsswassers, Systematik und Biologie. 3. Teil: Cryptophyceae, Chloromonadophyceae, Dinophyceae. (2nd. Ed.). E. Schweizerbart´sche Verlagsuchhandlung, Stuttgart.

  • ICE, 2013. Informe de labores realizadas en atención a la orden de servicio No 7800-13-053, Servicio de Medición Batimétrica Laguna Cote. Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, San José.

  • John, D. M., B. A. Whitton & A. J. Brook, 2005. The Freshwater Algalflora of the British Isles, An Identification Guide to the Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalff, J., 2002. Limnology. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassambara, A. & F. Mundt, 2017. Factoextra: extract and visualize the results of multivariate data Analyses. R package version 1.0.5. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=factoextra.

  • Kilham, S. S. & P. Kilham, 1990. Do African lakes violate the ‘first law’ of limnology? Verhandlungen der Internationale Verein der Limnologie 24: 68–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinn, C., L. Corrales & D. Morales, 2002. Forest cover in Costa Rica: a comparative study of tropical forest cover estimates over time. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 73: 17–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komárek, J., 1983. Contribution to the Chlorococcal algae of Cuba. Nova Hedwigia 37: 65–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotov, A. A., & P. Štifter, 2006. Cladocera. Family Ilyocryptidae (Branchiopoda, Cladocera, Anomopoda). Guides to the Identification of the Microinvertebrates of the Continental Waters of the World. Dumont, H. J. F. (ed.). Vol. 22. Kenoby Productions. Ghent.

  • Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1991. Süβwasserflora von Mitteleuropa. Bacillariophyceae 3. Teil: Centrales, Fragilariaceae, Eunotiaceae. Gustav-Fischer Verlag, Sttutgart.

  • Le, S., J. Josse & F. Husson, 2008. FactoMineR: an R Package for Multivariate Analysis. Journal of Statistical Software 25: 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre, P. & L. Legendre, 1998. Numerical Ecology. 2nd. English edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

  • López-López, E. & J. A. Serna-Hernández, 1999. Varia-ción estacional del zooplancton del embalse Ignacio Allende, Guanajuato, México y su relación con el fitoplancton y factores ambientales. Revista de Biología Tropical 47: 643–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lund, J. W. G., C. Kipling & E. D. Le Cren, 1958. The inverted microscope method of estimating algal numbers and the statistical basis of estimations by counting. Hydrobiologia 11: 143–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maas, S. 1998 Introduction to the identification of Copepoda (Calanoida & Cyclopoida). International Training Course ‘Lake zooplankton: a tool in Lake Management’. Laboratorium Voor Ecologie der Dieren, Universiteit Gent.

  • Mäemets, A., 1983. Rotifers as indicators of lake types in Estonia. Hydrobiologia 104: 357–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manickam, N., P. S. Bhavan & P. Santhanam, 2017. Seasonal variations in species composition and community structure of zooplankton in a two perennial lakes of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Southern India. Journal of Aquatic Research on Marine Science 2017: 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merayo, S. & E. J. Gonzalez, 2010. Variaciones de abundancia y biomasa del zooplancton en un embalse tropical oligo-mesotrofico del norte de Venezuela. Revista de Biología Tropical 58: 603–619.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, C. M., S. R. Alin, P. D. Plisnier, A. S. Cohen & B. A. McKnee, 2003. Climate change decreases aquatic ecosystem productivity of Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Nature 424: 766–768.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen, J., F. G. Blanchet, M. Friendly, R. Kindt, P. Legendre, D. McGlinn, P. R. Minchin, R. B. O’Hara, G. L. Simpson, P. Solymos, M. H. H. Stevens, E. Szoecs & H. Wagner, 2018. Vegan: Community Ecology Package. R package version 2.5-2. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan.

  • Özkan, K., E. Jeppesen, T. A. Davidson, R. Bjerring, L. S. Johansson, M. Søndergaard, T. L. Lauridsen & J. C. Svenning, 2016. Long-term trends and temporal synchrony in plankton richness, diversity and biomass driven by re-oligotrophication and climate across 17 Danish lakes. Water 8: 427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paerl, H. W. & J. Huisman, 2008. Blooms like it hot. Science 320: 57–58.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. R., Y. Maita & C. M. Lalli, 1984. A Manual of Chemical and Biological Methods for Seawater Analysis. Pergamon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinto-Coelho, R., B. Pinel-Alloul, G. Méthot & K. E. Havens, 2005. Crustacean zooplankton in lakes and reservoirs of temperate and tropical regions: variation with trophic status. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 62: 348–361.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Plisnier, P. D., 2000. Recent climate and limnological changes in lake Tanganika. Verhandlung der Internationalis Vereiningung Limnologie 27: 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team. 2018. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. URL http://www.R-project.org/.

  • Reynolds, C. S., 2006. Ecology of Phytoplankton. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez, M. P. & T. Matsumura-Tundisi, 2000. Variation of density, species composition and dominance of rotifers at a shallow tropical reservoir (Broa Reservoir, SP, Brazil) in a short scale time. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 60: 1–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sader, S. & A. Joyce, 1988. Deforestation rates and trends in Costa Rica 1940 to 1983. Biotropica 20: 11–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salmaso, N., 2010. Long-term phytoplankton community changes in a deep subalpine lake: responses to nutrient availability and climatic fluctuations. Freshwater Biology 55: 825–846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Azofeifa, G. A., R. C. Harris & D. L. Skole, 2001. Deforestation in Costa Rica: a quantitative analysis using remote sensing imagery. Biotropica 33: 378–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiel, R. J., 1995. A Guide to the Identification of Rotifers, Cladocerans and Copepods from Australian Inland Waters. The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Center. Albury.

  • Simões, N. R., F. A. Lansac-Tôha, L. F. M. Velho & C. C. Bonecker, 2012. Intra and inter-annual struc-ture of zooplankton communities in floodplain lakes: a long-term ecological research study. Revista de Biología Tropical 60: 1819–1836.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sládeček, V., 1983. Rotifers as indicators of water quality. Hydrobiologia 100: 169–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sournia, A., 1978. Phytoplankton Manual. UNESCO, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thackeray, S. J., I. D. Jones & S. C. Maberly, 2008. Long-term change in the phenology of spring phytoplankton: species-specific responses to nutrient enrichment and climatic change. Journal of Ecology 96: 523–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umaña, G., 1993. The planktonic Association of Lake Hule. Revista de Biología Tropical 41: 163–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umaña V. G., 2010. Temporal variation of phytoplankton in a small tropical crater lake, Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical 58: 1405–1419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umaña, V. G., 2014a. Phytoplankton variability in Lake Fraijanes, Costa Rica, in response to local weather variation. Revista de Biología Tropical 62: 483–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umaña, V. G., 2014b. Ten years of limnological monitoring of a modified natural lake in the tropics: cote Lake, Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical 62: 567–578.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Umaña, V. G. & L. V. Avilés, 2019. Plankton variation in Río Cuarto Lake, Costa Rica (2013–2017). Revista de Biología Tropical 67: 1543–1559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verburg, P., R. E. Hecky & H. Kling, 2003. Ecological consequences of a century of warming in Lake Tan-ganyika. Science 301: 505–507.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wehr, J. D. & R. G. Sheath (eds), 2003. Freshwater Algae of North America, Ecology and Classification. Academic Press, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, W. & G. S. West, 1904–1923. A Monograph of the Brititsh Desmidiaceae. Volumes. I–V. Johnson Reprint Corporation, London.

  • Wetzel, R. G., 2001. Limnology, Lake and River Ecosystems, 3rd ed. Academic Press, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winder, M. & U. Sommer, 2012. Phytoplankton response to a climate change. Hydrobiologia 698: 5–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zehrer, R. F., C. W. Burns & S. Flöder, 2014. Sediment resuspension, salinity and temperature affect the plankton community of a shallow coastal lake. Mari-ne and Freshwater Research 66: 317–328.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was made possible in part through a research grant from the Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad de Costa Rica, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR), No. 808-89-063, and later through a contract to CIMAR from the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL) in Costa Rica, for the monitoring of Lake Cote before, during, and after its modification for electricity generation, from 2002 until 2018, Projects Nos. 808-A2-524 and 808-A2-400. The work was possible thanks to the dedicated assistance of Luis Rolier Lara Gutiérrez, Eddy Gómez Ramírez, and Aldo Farah Pérez either in the field or with the analysis of samples in the laboratory, and many other people who came with us to the field all these years, including, Jeffry Sibaja, Pablo Gutiérrez, Farrel Ruiz, Octavio Esquivel, Anne Marie Gavlas, Delia Zavala, Arturo Angulo, among others.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIMAR – School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San José, 11501, Costa Rica

    Gerardo Umaña-Villalobos & Lidia Avilés-Vargas

Authors
  1. Gerardo Umaña-Villalobos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lidia Avilés-Vargas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gerardo Umaña-Villalobos.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Guest editors: Alonso Ramírez, Checo Colon-Gaud, Margarita Caballero & Gabriela Vázquez / Recent Advances in Tropical Lake Research

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 388 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Umaña-Villalobos, G., Avilés-Vargas, L. Plankton variations in Lake Cote, Costa Rica, from 2002 to 2018. Hydrobiologia 847, 4177–4190 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04387-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04387-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation