Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Composition and indication of plankton fatty acids under the influence of environmental factors in the Hongfeng Reservoir, Southwest China

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To clarify the indication of plankton fatty acids (FAs) under the influence of the natural environmental factors that affect FA composition and transmission, the Hongfeng Reservoir was investigated including plankton community structure and FA composition as well as the physical and chemical indicators of water quality. Thereafter, redundancy analysis (RDA) was performed to analysis the pattern of plankton FA composition during August 2018 to July 2019. The results showed that water quality indicators, including total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chlorophyll a (Chl a), pH, and DO, exerted significant influence on plankton FA composition. It was also observed that Cyanophyta (Pseudanabaena limnetica, Merismopedia and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii) and copepod (Mongolodiaptomus birulai) constituted the dominant phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, respectively. Further, Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) presented a relatively intuitive indication of the changes in the community structure of Cyanophyta. One of the MUFAs (C16:1) content reflected Bacillariophyta community structure changes. Additionally, there is a good indicational effect between C18:2ω6 and cladocerans, which exhibit a feeding phenomenon toward Cryptophyta. Rotifers obtained C20:2 through Pyrrophyta in order to get polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). EPA is indication of rotifers. The research results can provide theoretical support for understanding the mechanism of fatty acid transfer among plankton.

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
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackman RG, Jangaard PM, Hoyle RJ, Brockerhoff H (2011) Origin of marine fatty acids. I. Analyses of the fatty acids produced by the diatom Skeletonema costatum. J Fish Res Board Can 21:747–756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahlgren G, Lundstedt L, Brett M, Forsberg C (1990) Lipid composition and food quality of some freshwater phytoplankton for cladoceran zooplankters. J Plankton Res 12:809–818

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arts MT, Brett MT, Kainz MJ (2009) Lipids in aquatic ecosystems. Springer- Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 115–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Brett MT, Muller-Navarra DC (1997) The role of highly unsaturated fatty acids in aquatic food web processes. Freshw Biol 38:483–499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brett MT, Kainz MJ, Taipale SJ, Seshan H (2009a) Phytoplankton, not allochthonous carbon, sustains herbivorous zooplankton production. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:21197–21201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brett MT, Müller-Navarra DC, Persson J (2009b) Crustacean zooplankton fatty acid composition. In: Arts MT, Brett MT, Kainz MJ (eds) Lipids in Aquatic Ecosystems. Springer, New York, pp 115–146

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bychek EA, Dobson GA, Harwood JL, Guschina IA (2005) Daphnia magna can tolerate short-term starvation without major changes in lipid metabolism. Lipids 40:599–608

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dalsgaard J, John MS, Kattner G, Müller-Navarra D, Hagen W (2003) Fatty acid trophic markers in the pelagic marine environment. Adv Mar Biol 46:225–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desvilettes C, Bourdier G, Amblard C, Barth B (1997) Use of fatty acids for the assessment of zooplankton grazing on bacteria, protozoans and microalgae. Freshw Biol 38:629–637

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farkas T, Kariko K, Csengeri I (1981) Incorporation of [1-14C] acetate into fatty acids of the crustaceans Daphnia magna and Cyclops strenus in relation to temperature. Lipids 16:418–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GB 3838-2002 (2002) Environmental quality standards for surface water ministry of environmental protection of the People’s Republic of China ICS 13060 Z 50 (in Chinese)

  • Geider RJ, Macintyre, Lisa M, Graziano R, Michael L, McKay (1998) Responses of the photosynthetic apparatus of Dunaliella tertiolecta (Chlorophyceae) to nitrogen and phosphorus limitation. Eur J Phycol 33

  • Gladyshev MI, Sushchik NN, Makhutova ON, Dubovskaya OP, Kravchuk ES, Kalachova GS, Khromechek EB (2010) Correlations between fatty acid composition of seston and zooplankton and effects of environmental parameters in a eutrophic Siberian reservoir. Limnologica 40:343–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graeve M, Greenacre MJ (2020) The selection and analysis of fatty acid ratios: a new approach for the univariate and multivariate analysis of fatty acid trophic markers in marine pelagic organisms. Limnol Oceanogr Methods 18:196–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberd AE, Clesceri LS, Eaton AD (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 22nd edn. American Public Health Association: Washington, DC, USA. Nunavut. Mar Biol 159:1095–1105

  • Gunn JM, Snucins E, Yan ND, Arts MT (2001) Use of water clarity to monitor the effects of climate change and other stressors on oligotrophic lakes. Environ Monit Assess 67:69–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hessen DO, Leu E (2006) Trophic transfer and trophic modification of fatty acids in high Arctic lakes. Freshw Biol 51:1987–1998

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin S, Li QH, Qi JQ, Wang X, Kuang P, Chen WS (2020a) Fatty acid composition and affecting factors of phytoplankton in Hongfeng Reservoir in Guizhou Plateau. Chin J Ecol 39:3363–3370

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin JM, Wang JH, Li QH, Zhang RX, Liu Y, Yu PP, Chen JA (2020b) Effects of physicochemical characteristics of water body on phytoplankton community in Hongfeng Lake in Guizhou Province. Mar Drugs 39:517–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Jing M, Lin D, Wu PP, Mjk E, Kevin B, Yan HY, Wang R, Wang Q, Li QH (2019) Effect of aquaculture on mercury and polyunsaturated fatty acids in fishes from reservoirs in Southwest China. Environ Pollut 257:113543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonasdottir SH (2019) Fatty acid profiles and production in marine phytoplankton. Mar Drugs 17:151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Gallagher ED (2001) Ecologically meaningful transformations for ordination of species data. Oecologia 129:271–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li QH, Han BP (2007) Dynamics and structure of phytoplankton community in spring in a southern subtropical pumped-water reservoir. J Trop Subtrop Bot 15:294–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Li QH, Xiao J, Ou T, Han MS, Wang JF, Chen JG, Li YL, Salmaso N (2018) Impact of water level fluctuations on the development of phytoplankton in a large subtropical reservoir: implications for the management of cyanobacteria. Environ Sci Pollution Res 25:1306–1318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu M, Sun LS (2011) Seasonal variation in fatty acid composition of seston and the copepod Calanus sinicus (Brodsky, 1962) in Jiaozhou Bay and its trophic implications. Chin J Oceanol Limnol 29:1164–1173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma SN, Wang HJ, Wang HZ, Li Y, Liu M, Liang XM, Yu Q, Jeppesen E, Søndergaard M (2018) High ammonium loading can increase alkaline phosphatase activity and promote sediment phosphorus release: a two-month mesocosm experiment. Water Res 145:388–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mcmeans BC, Arts MT, Rush SA, Fisk AT (2012) Seasonal patterns in fatty acids of Calanus hyperboreus (Copepoda, Calanoida) from Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Nunavut. Mar Biol 159(1095):1105

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng SL, Qu JH, Qiu LP, Hu GD, Fan LM (2013) Effect of decreasing phosphorus in eutrophic water on the community structure of phytoplankton. Ecol Environ Sci 9:1578–1582

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris RJ, Mccartney MJ, Robinson GA (1983) Studies of a spring phytoplankton bloom in an enclosed experimental ecosystem. I. Biochemical changes in relation to the nutrient chemistry of water. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 70:249–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Müller-Navarra DC, Brett MT, Park S, Chandra C, Ballantyne AP, Zorita E, Goldman CR (2004) Unsaturated fatty acid content in seston and tropho-dynamic coupling in lakes. Nature 427:69–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson JM, Brett MT, Vrede T, Ravet L (2007) Food quantity and quality regulation of trophic transfer between primary producers and a keystone grazer (Daphnia) in pelagic freshwater food webs. Oikos 116:1152–1163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qi JQ (2020) Study on the relationship between the dynamic change of fatty acids in plankton and eutrophication of Plateau Reservoir in Guizhou. Guizhou Normal University

  • Taipale SJ, Brett MT, Kainz M (2011) Diet-switching experiments confirm preferential retention of highly unsaturated fatty acids in Daphnia. Oikos 120:1674–1682

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taipale SJ, Strandberg U, Peltomaa E, Galloway AWE, Ojala A, Brett MT (2013) Fatty acid composition as biomarkers of freshwater microalgae: analysis of 37 strains of microalgae in 22 genera and in 7 classes. Aquat Microb Ecol 71:165–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trommer G, Lorenz P, Lentz A, Fink P, Stibor H (2019) Nitrogen enrichment leads to changing fatty acid composition of phytoplankton and negatively affects zooplankton in a natural lake community. Sci Rep 9:16805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von Elert E (2002) Determination of limiting polyunsaturated fatty acids in Daphnia galeata using a new method to enrich food algae with single fatty acids. Limnol Oceanogr 47:1764–1773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wacker A, Marzetz V, Spijkerman E (2015) Interspecific competition in phytoplankton drives the availability of essential mineral and biochemical nutrients. Ecology 96:2467–2477

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1612442), special Foundation for National Science and Technology Basic Research Program of China (2019FY101900), and the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province ([2018]1110, [2020]6009, [2020]4Y009). We also appreciate our colleagues for assisting with fieldwork and laboratory experiments. The data for this study are available through the corresponding author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Information System of Mountainous Area and Protection of Ecological Environment of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China

    Xing Wang, Qiuhua Li, Wenshen Chen & Libin Han

  2. Guizhou International Science & Technology Cooperation Base-International Joint Research Centre for Aquatic Ecology, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China

    Xing Wang, Qiuhua Li, Wenshen Chen, Mengshu Han, Libin Han & Anton Brancelj

  3. National Institute of Biology, Vecna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Anton Brancelj

Authors
  1. Xing Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qiuhua Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wenshen Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mengshu Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Libin Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Anton Brancelj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qiuhua Li.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

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

Handling Editor: Man Xiao

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, X., Li, Q., Chen, W. et al. Composition and indication of plankton fatty acids under the influence of environmental factors in the Hongfeng Reservoir, Southwest China. Aquat Ecol 56, 653–666 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09942-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09942-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation