Biodiv Sci ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 166-175.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2019319

• Original Papers: Animal Diversity • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Path analysis of zooplankton diversity and environmental factors in the water sources rivers, Zhejiang Province

Li Gongguo1,*(),Li Ping1,Xu Hangying2,Yu Haiyan2,Yu Jian2   

  1. 1 College of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100
    2 Zhejiang Environment Monitoring Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007
  • Received:2019-10-13 Accepted:2020-01-18 Online:2020-02-20 Published:2020-03-08
  • Contact: Li Gongguo

Abstract:

In order to understand zooplankton diversity and their relationship with water environmental factors, we monitored zooplankton abundance as a measure of water quality. Forty samples were collected at two sampling stations (H1 and H2) of water sources rivers, Zhejiang Province in the winter (January), spring (April), summer (July) and autumn (October), annually from 2010 to 2014. We also measured environmental variables at the stations. The average abundance of zooplankton in stations H1 and H2 were 1,387.4 ind./L and 873 ind./L, respectively. The abundance of small zooplankton (rotifer + copepod nauplii) accounted for 92.8% of the abundance at station H1 and 91.5% at station H2. Dominant species of Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda in the two sampling stations were Polyarthra trigla, Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Thermocyclops sp., respectively. Multivariate stepwise regression and path analysis showed that N∶P was the limiting factor for Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') of rotifers in winter and had indirect effects (+) on the rotifers mainly through TP. N∶P was also the deciding factor for H' of rotifers in spring and could have greater indirect effects (+) on rotifers in autumn through TN. The content of NH4 +-N and TN were the deciding and limiting factors, respectively, for size diversity index (Hs) of crustaceans in winter. DO was a limiting factor for species richness of total zooplankton (d) in summer, having a large indirect effect (+) mainly through pH. We believe this to be due to significant increases in H' of rotifers with the rising DO (P < 0.01), while the Hs index of crustacean declined significantly (P < 0.05). The relationship between water environmental factors and zooplankton diversity in water source rivers provides the possibility for ecological monitoring of water sources.

Key words: rivers, Rotifera, crustacean, diversity index, path analysis, water sources