Summary
The dependency of the fecundity of Daphnia spec. on the food concentration was studied in Lake Constance. To eliminate the influence of temperature the number of eggs per adult female was plotted against the concentration of particulate carbon (<50 μm) at the estimated time of the production of the eggs. The curve obtained is similar to the results of laboratory investigations. The minimum food concentration for egg production is slightly above 0.2 mg C/1; at 0.7 mg C/1 the curve reaches a plateau. The absolute values of the threshold concentration and the “incipient limiting level” are compared to laboratory results. It appears that the shift of the field curve to higher concentrations is caused by the imcomplete availability of the 50 μm particulate carbon fraction to the daphnids. Daphnia in Lake Constance seem to be food limited during most of the year.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anderson, B.G., Jenkins, J.C.: A time study of events in the life span of Daphnia magna. Biol. Bull. 83, 260–272 (1942)
Burns, C.W.: The relationship between body size of filter-feeding Cladocera and the maximum size of particles ingested. Limnol. Oceanogr. 13, 675–678 (1968)
Edmondson, W.T.: Food supply and reproduction of zooplankton in relation to phytoplankton population. Cons. Internat. Exptl. Mer, Rapp. Proc.-Verb. 153, 137–141 (1962)
Edmondson, W.T.: Reproductive rate of planktonic rotifers as related to food and temperature in nature. Ecol. Monogr. 35, 61–111 (1965)
Elster, H.-J., Schwoerbel, J.: Beiträge zur Biologie und Populationsdynamik der Daphnien im Bodensee. Arch. Hydrobiol. (Suppl.) 38, 18–72 (1970)
Halbach, U., Halbach-Keup, G.: Quantitative Beziehungen zwischen Phytoplankton und der Populationsdynamik des Rotators Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas. Befunde aus Laboratoriumsexperimenten und Freilanduntersuchungen. Arch. Hydrobiol. 73, 273–309 (1974)
Hall, D.J.: An experimental approach to the dynamics of a natural population of Daphnia galeata mendotae. Ecology 45, 94–111 (1964)
Haney, J.F., Hall, D.J.: Sugar coated Daphnia: A preservation technique for cladocera. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18, 331–333 (1973)
Kryutchkova, N.M., Sládeček, V.: Quantitative relations of the feeding and growth of Daphnia pulex obtusa (Kurz) Scourfield. Hydrobiologia 33, 47–64 (1969)
Lampert, W.: A directly coupled, artificial two-step food chain for long-term experiments with filter-feeders at constant food concentrations. Mar. Biol. 37, 349–355 (1976)
Lampert, W.: Studies on the carbon balance of Daphnia pulex de Geer as related to environmental conditions. II. The dependence of carbon assimilation on animal size, temperature, food concentration and diet species. Arch. Hydrobiol. (Suppl.) 48, 310–335 (1977a) III. Production and production efficiency. Arch. Hydrobiol. (Suppl.) 48, 336–360 (1977b) IV. Determination of the “threshold” concentration as a factor controlling the abundance of zooplankton species. Arch. Hydrobiol. (Suppl.) 48, 361–368 (1977c)
Lampert, W., Schober, U.: Das regelmäßige Auftreten von Frühjahrs-Algenmaximum und “Klarwasserstadium” im Bodensee als Folge von klimatischen Bedingungen und Wechselwirkungen zwischen Phyto- und Zooplankton. Arch. Hydrobiol. 82, 364–386 (1978)
Lenarz, H.: Beiträge zu einer Revision der C-14-Methode zur Messung der Primärproduktion in Binnengewässern. Diss., Univ. Freiburg i. Br. (1972)
Richman, S.: The transformation of energy by Daphnia pulex. Ecol. Monogr. 28, 273–291 (1958)
Rigler, F.H.: The relation between concentration of food and feeding rate of Daphnia magna Straus. Can. J. Zool. 39, 857–868 (1961)
Seitz, A.: Die Bedeutung von Umweltfaktoren, Konkurrenz und Räuber-Beute-Beziehungen für die Koexistenz dreier Daphnienarten. Eine Freilandanalyse im Seeoner Klostersee. Diss., Univ. Munich (1977)
Weglenska, T.: The influence of various concentrations of natural food on the development, fecundity and production of planktonic filtrators. Ecol. Pol. Ser. A 19, 427–473 (1971)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lampert, W. A field study on the dependence of the fecundity of Daphnia spec. on food concentration. Oecologia 36, 363–369 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348062
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348062