Ref ID : 2161
Michael L. Pace and John D. Orcutt, Jr.; The relative importance of protozoans, rotifers, and crustaceans in a freshwater zooplankton community. Limnol.Oceanogr. 26(5):822-830, 1981
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A complete analysis of the macro- and microzooplankton of a warm monomictic lake indicates that Protozoa dominate the community numerically. During winter mixis, ciliates are found at densities of 1-8x10E3/liter and constitute up to 32% of the zooplankton community biomass. With summer stratification crustaceans decline, while both the relative and absolute abundance of protozoans and rotifers increase. Densities of protozoans are highest (1-2x10E5/liter) in the metalimnion where scuticociliates bloom in zones of intense bacterial activity. During the period of these blooms (July-October), Protozoa account for 15-62% of the zooplankton biomass. This suggest that Protozoa make a significant contribution to rates of grazing, nutrient regeneration, and secondary productivity and should not be overlooked in zooplankton community studies.