This research was conducted to provide baseline data on the population dynamics of microcrustacean zooplankton at Prairie Creek Reservoir in Delaware County, Indiana from 24 January 1996 to 30 December 1996. This lake is a shallow lake (average depth <8m) used for recreational fishing and water supply for the local community. No published studies of zooplankton have previously been conducted at this location. I intended to test the hypothesis that Prairie Creek Reservoir has the same microcrustacean populations of shallow lakes in this region. The findings were compared to other studies in several North American lakes and reservoirs. Biotic and abiotic factors were considered as related to the population dynamics of zooplankton. Zooplankton serve as a critical forage base for many fish species, including several of economic importance. Increases and changes in species composition of zooplankton organisms associated with eutrophic conditions may also be an indication of deteriorating water quality (Gannon 1972). The data from this research suggest that Prairie Creek Reservoir has the typical zooplankton populations of a shallow, eutrophic North American lake. The presence of relatively high numbers of organisms generally associated with eutrophic environments, such as Bosmina longirostris, Leptodiaptomus siciloides, Acanthocyclops vernalis, and others supports this idea. The data from this study will be helpful to fisheries and environmental managers and will provide a baseline for future studies. / Department of Biology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/185854 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Cescon, Cinzia Tatiana |
| Contributors | Ball State University. Dept. of Biology., Torke, Byron G. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 116 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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