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Erik Jeppesen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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substantial differences in littoral fish community structure and dynamics in subtropical and temperate shallow lakes
Freshwater Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Franco Teixeira De Mello, Mariana Meerhoff, Zeynep Pekcanhekim, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Summary 1. Fish play a key role in the functioning of temperate shallow lakes by affecting nutrient exchange among habitats as well as lake trophic structure and dynamics. These processes are, in turn, strongly influenced by the abundance of submerged macrophytes, because piscivorous fish are often abundant at high macrophyte density. Whether this applies to warmer climates as well is virtually unknown. 2. To compare fish community structure and dynamics in plant beds between subtropical and temperate shallow lakes we conducted experiments with artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in a set of 10 shallow lakes in Uruguay (30°–35°S) and Denmark (55°–57°N), paired along a gradient of limnological characteristics. 3. The differences between regions were more pronounced than differences attributable to trophic state. The subtropical littoral fish communities were characterised by higher species richness, higher densities, higher biomass, higher trophic diversity (with predominance of omnivores and lack of true piscivores) and smaller body size than in the comparable temperate lakes. On average, fish densities were 93 ind. m−2 (±10 SE) in the subtropical and 10 ind. m−2 (±2 SE) in the temperate lakes. We found a twofold higher total fish biomass per unit of total phosphorus in the subtropical than in the temperate lakes, and as fish size is smaller in the former, the implication is that more energy reaches the littoral zone fish community of the warmer lakes. 4. Plant architecture affected the spatial distribution of fish within each climate zone. Thus, in the temperate zone fish exhibited higher densities among the artificial Free-Floating Plants while subtropical fish were denser in the artificial submerged plant beds. These patterns appeared in most lakes, regardless of water turbidity or trophic state. 5. The subtropical littoral fish communities resembled the fish communities typically occurring in temperate eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes. Our results add to the growing evidence that climate warming may lead to more complex and omnivory-dominated food webs and higher density and dominance of smaller-sized fish. This type of community structure may lead to a weakening of the trophic cascading effects commonly observed in temperate shallow lakes and a higher risk of eutrophication.
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can warm climate related structure of littoral predator assemblies weaken the clear water state in shallow lakes
Global Change Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Mariana Meerhoff, Carlos Iglesias, Juan M Clemente, Franco Teixeira De Mello, Asger Roer Pedersen, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Shallow lakes, the most abundant lake type in the world, are very sensitive to climatic changes. The structure and functioning of shallow lakes are greatly impacted by submerged Plants, and these may be affected by climate warming in various, contrasting, ways. Following a space-for-time substitution approach, we aimed to analyse the role of aquatic (submerged and Free-Floating) Plants in shallow lakes under warm climates. We introduced artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in five comparable lakes located in the temperate zone (Denmark, 55–57 °N) and in the subtropical zone (Uruguay, 30–35 °S), with the aim to study the structure and dynamics of the main associated communities. Regardless of differences in environmental variables, such as area, water transparency and nutrient status, we found consistent patterns in littoral community dynamics and structure (i.e. densities and composition of fish, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and periphyton) within, but substantial differences between, the two regions. Subtropical fish communities within the macrophyte beds exhibited higher diversity, higher density, smaller size, lower relative abundance of potentially piscivores, and a preference for submerged Plants, compared with otherwise similar temperate lakes. By contrast, macroinvertebrates and cladocerans had higher taxon richness and densities, and periphyton higher biomass, in the temperate lakes. Several indicators suggest that the fish predation pressure was much stronger among the Plants in the subtropical lakes. The antipredator behaviour of cladocerans also differed significantly between climate zones. Submerged and Free-Floating Plants exerted different effects on the spatial distribution of the main communities, the effects differing between the climate zones. In the temperate lakes, submerged Plants promoted trophic interactions with potentially positive cascading effects on water transparency, in contrast to the Free-Floating Plants, and in strong contrast to the findings in the subtropical lakes. The higher impact of fish may result in higher sensitivity of warm lakes to external changes (e.g. increase in nutrient loading or water level changes). The current process of warming, particularly in temperate lakes, may entail an increased sensitivity to eutrophication, and a threat to the high diversity, clear water state.
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effects of habitat complexity on community structure and predator avoidance behaviour of littoral zooplankton in temperate versus subtropical shallow lakes
Freshwater Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Mariana Meerhoff, Carlos Iglesias, Franco Teixeirade Mello, Juan M Clemente, Elisabeth Jensen, Torben L Lauridsen, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Summary 1. Structural complexity may stabilise predator–prey interactions and affect the outcome of trophic cascades by providing prey refuges. In deep lakes, vulnerable zooplankton move vertically to avoid fish predation. In contrast, submerged Plants often provide a diel refuge against fish predation for large-bodied zooplankton in shallow temperate lakes, with consequences for the whole ecosystem. 2. To test the extent to which macrophytes serve as refuges for zooplankton in temperate and subtropical lakes, we introduced artificial plant beds into the littoral area of five pairs of shallow lakes in Uruguay (30°–35°S) and Denmark (55°–57°N). We used Plants of different architecture (submerged and Free-Floating) along a gradient of turbidity over which the lakes were paired. 3. We found remarkable differences in the structure (taxon-richness at the genus level, composition and density) of the zooplankton communities in the littoral area between climate zones. Richer communities of larger-bodied taxa (frequently including Daphnia spp.) occurred in the temperate lakes, whereas small-bodied taxa characterised the subtropical lakes. More genera and a higher density of benthic/plant-associated cladocerans also occurred in the temperate lakes. The density of all crustaceans, except calanoid copepods, was significantly higher in the temperate lakes (c. 5.5-fold higher). 4. Fish and shrimps (genus Palaemonetes) seemed to exert a stronger predation pressure on zooplankton in the plant beds in the subtropical lakes, while the pelagic invertebrate Chaoborus sp. was slightly more abundant than in the temperate lakes. In contrast, plant-associated predatory macroinvertebrates were eight times more abundant in the temperate than in the subtropical lakes. 5. The artificial submerged Plants hosted significantly more cladocerans than the Free-Floating Plants, which were particularly avoided in the subtropical lakes. Patterns indicating diel horizontal migration were frequently observed for both overall zooplankton density and individual taxa in the temperate, but not the subtropical, lakes. In contrast, patterns of diel vertical migration prevailed for both the overall zooplankton and for most individual taxa in the subtropics, irrespective of water turbidity. 6. Higher fish predation probably shapes the general structure and dynamics of cladoceran communities in the subtropical lakes. Our results support the hypothesis that horizontal migration is less prevalent in the subtropics than in temperate lakes, and that no predator-avoidance behaviour effectively counteracts predation pressure in the subtropics. Positive effects of aquatic Plants on water transparency, via their acting as a refuge for zooplankton, may be generally weak or rare in warm lakes.
Mariana Meerhoff - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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substantial differences in littoral fish community structure and dynamics in subtropical and temperate shallow lakes
Freshwater Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Franco Teixeira De Mello, Mariana Meerhoff, Zeynep Pekcanhekim, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Summary 1. Fish play a key role in the functioning of temperate shallow lakes by affecting nutrient exchange among habitats as well as lake trophic structure and dynamics. These processes are, in turn, strongly influenced by the abundance of submerged macrophytes, because piscivorous fish are often abundant at high macrophyte density. Whether this applies to warmer climates as well is virtually unknown. 2. To compare fish community structure and dynamics in plant beds between subtropical and temperate shallow lakes we conducted experiments with artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in a set of 10 shallow lakes in Uruguay (30°–35°S) and Denmark (55°–57°N), paired along a gradient of limnological characteristics. 3. The differences between regions were more pronounced than differences attributable to trophic state. The subtropical littoral fish communities were characterised by higher species richness, higher densities, higher biomass, higher trophic diversity (with predominance of omnivores and lack of true piscivores) and smaller body size than in the comparable temperate lakes. On average, fish densities were 93 ind. m−2 (±10 SE) in the subtropical and 10 ind. m−2 (±2 SE) in the temperate lakes. We found a twofold higher total fish biomass per unit of total phosphorus in the subtropical than in the temperate lakes, and as fish size is smaller in the former, the implication is that more energy reaches the littoral zone fish community of the warmer lakes. 4. Plant architecture affected the spatial distribution of fish within each climate zone. Thus, in the temperate zone fish exhibited higher densities among the artificial Free-Floating Plants while subtropical fish were denser in the artificial submerged plant beds. These patterns appeared in most lakes, regardless of water turbidity or trophic state. 5. The subtropical littoral fish communities resembled the fish communities typically occurring in temperate eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes. Our results add to the growing evidence that climate warming may lead to more complex and omnivory-dominated food webs and higher density and dominance of smaller-sized fish. This type of community structure may lead to a weakening of the trophic cascading effects commonly observed in temperate shallow lakes and a higher risk of eutrophication.
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can warm climate related structure of littoral predator assemblies weaken the clear water state in shallow lakes
Global Change Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Mariana Meerhoff, Carlos Iglesias, Juan M Clemente, Franco Teixeira De Mello, Asger Roer Pedersen, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Shallow lakes, the most abundant lake type in the world, are very sensitive to climatic changes. The structure and functioning of shallow lakes are greatly impacted by submerged Plants, and these may be affected by climate warming in various, contrasting, ways. Following a space-for-time substitution approach, we aimed to analyse the role of aquatic (submerged and Free-Floating) Plants in shallow lakes under warm climates. We introduced artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in five comparable lakes located in the temperate zone (Denmark, 55–57 °N) and in the subtropical zone (Uruguay, 30–35 °S), with the aim to study the structure and dynamics of the main associated communities. Regardless of differences in environmental variables, such as area, water transparency and nutrient status, we found consistent patterns in littoral community dynamics and structure (i.e. densities and composition of fish, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and periphyton) within, but substantial differences between, the two regions. Subtropical fish communities within the macrophyte beds exhibited higher diversity, higher density, smaller size, lower relative abundance of potentially piscivores, and a preference for submerged Plants, compared with otherwise similar temperate lakes. By contrast, macroinvertebrates and cladocerans had higher taxon richness and densities, and periphyton higher biomass, in the temperate lakes. Several indicators suggest that the fish predation pressure was much stronger among the Plants in the subtropical lakes. The antipredator behaviour of cladocerans also differed significantly between climate zones. Submerged and Free-Floating Plants exerted different effects on the spatial distribution of the main communities, the effects differing between the climate zones. In the temperate lakes, submerged Plants promoted trophic interactions with potentially positive cascading effects on water transparency, in contrast to the Free-Floating Plants, and in strong contrast to the findings in the subtropical lakes. The higher impact of fish may result in higher sensitivity of warm lakes to external changes (e.g. increase in nutrient loading or water level changes). The current process of warming, particularly in temperate lakes, may entail an increased sensitivity to eutrophication, and a threat to the high diversity, clear water state.
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effects of habitat complexity on community structure and predator avoidance behaviour of littoral zooplankton in temperate versus subtropical shallow lakes
Freshwater Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Mariana Meerhoff, Carlos Iglesias, Franco Teixeirade Mello, Juan M Clemente, Elisabeth Jensen, Torben L Lauridsen, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Summary 1. Structural complexity may stabilise predator–prey interactions and affect the outcome of trophic cascades by providing prey refuges. In deep lakes, vulnerable zooplankton move vertically to avoid fish predation. In contrast, submerged Plants often provide a diel refuge against fish predation for large-bodied zooplankton in shallow temperate lakes, with consequences for the whole ecosystem. 2. To test the extent to which macrophytes serve as refuges for zooplankton in temperate and subtropical lakes, we introduced artificial plant beds into the littoral area of five pairs of shallow lakes in Uruguay (30°–35°S) and Denmark (55°–57°N). We used Plants of different architecture (submerged and Free-Floating) along a gradient of turbidity over which the lakes were paired. 3. We found remarkable differences in the structure (taxon-richness at the genus level, composition and density) of the zooplankton communities in the littoral area between climate zones. Richer communities of larger-bodied taxa (frequently including Daphnia spp.) occurred in the temperate lakes, whereas small-bodied taxa characterised the subtropical lakes. More genera and a higher density of benthic/plant-associated cladocerans also occurred in the temperate lakes. The density of all crustaceans, except calanoid copepods, was significantly higher in the temperate lakes (c. 5.5-fold higher). 4. Fish and shrimps (genus Palaemonetes) seemed to exert a stronger predation pressure on zooplankton in the plant beds in the subtropical lakes, while the pelagic invertebrate Chaoborus sp. was slightly more abundant than in the temperate lakes. In contrast, plant-associated predatory macroinvertebrates were eight times more abundant in the temperate than in the subtropical lakes. 5. The artificial submerged Plants hosted significantly more cladocerans than the Free-Floating Plants, which were particularly avoided in the subtropical lakes. Patterns indicating diel horizontal migration were frequently observed for both overall zooplankton density and individual taxa in the temperate, but not the subtropical, lakes. In contrast, patterns of diel vertical migration prevailed for both the overall zooplankton and for most individual taxa in the subtropics, irrespective of water turbidity. 6. Higher fish predation probably shapes the general structure and dynamics of cladoceran communities in the subtropical lakes. Our results support the hypothesis that horizontal migration is less prevalent in the subtropics than in temperate lakes, and that no predator-avoidance behaviour effectively counteracts predation pressure in the subtropics. Positive effects of aquatic Plants on water transparency, via their acting as a refuge for zooplankton, may be generally weak or rare in warm lakes.
Nigel J Willby - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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macrophyte assessment in european lakes diverse approaches but convergent views of good ecological status
Ecological Indicators, 2018Co-Authors: Sandra Poikane, Rob Portielje, Luc Denys, Didzis Elferts, Martyn Kelly, Agnieszka Kolada, Helle Maemets, Geoff Phillips, Martin Sondergaard, Nigel J WillbyAbstract:Abstract The European Water Framework Directive has been adopted by Member States to assess and manage the ecological integrity of surface waters. Specific challenges include harmonizing diverse assessment systems across Europe, linking ecological assessment to restoration measures and reaching a common view on ‘good’ ecological status. In this study, nine national macrophyte-based approaches for assessing ecological status were compared and harmonized, using a large dataset of 539 European lakes. A macrophyte common metric, representing the average standardized view of each lake by all countries, was used to compare national methods. This was also shown to reflect the total phosphorus (r2 = 0.32), total nitrogen (r2 = 0.22) as well as chlorophyll-a (r2 = 0.35–0.38) gradients, providing a link between ecological data, stressors and management decisions. Despite differing assessment approaches and initial differences in classification, a consensus was reached on how type-specific macrophyte assemblages change across the ecological status gradient and where ecological status boundaries should lie. A marked decline in submerged vegetation, especially Charophyta (characterizing ‘good’ status), and an increase in abundance of Free-Floating Plants (characterizing ‘less than good’ status) were the most significant changes along the ecological status gradient. Macrophyte communities of ‘good’ status lakes were diverse with many charophytes and several Potamogeton species. A large number of taxa occurred across the entire gradient, but only a minority dominated at ‘less than good’ status, including filamentous algae, lemnids, nymphaeids, and several elodeids (e.g., Zannichellia palustris and Elodea nuttallii). Our findings establish a ‘guiding image’ of the macrophyte community at ‘good’ ecological status in hard-water lakes of the Central-Baltic region of Europe.
Reyes Morales F - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Regime shift in the littoral ecosystem of volcanic Lake Atitlán in Central America: combined role of stochastic event and invasive plant species
eScholarship University of California, 2018Co-Authors: Rejmánková E, Bw Sullivan, Ortiz Aldana, Jm Snyder, St Castle, Reyes Morales FAbstract:© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Different functional groups of macrophytes vary in their impact on aquatic ecosystem structure and processes. The introduction of new species with different growth form, combined with a stochastic event, may have serious and irreversible consequences on lake functioning. Our goals were to document and explain physical, chemical, metabolic and biotic changes in the littoral zones of a volcanic lake before and following two coinciding events: invasion by a submersed macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae), followed by a rapid increase in the lake water level (>2.5 m). We recorded plant biomass, plant tissue C:N:P stoichiometry, macroinvertebrates, water characteristics data along transects through littoral zones, and measured gas emission in controlled mesocosms and in the lake. The native emergent species, Schoenoplectus californicus (Cyperaceae), was generally not able to survive such a rapid water level increase, and Hydrilla spread and formed dense mats further preventing Schoenoplectus regeneration. The impact of another introduced species, the Free-Floating Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae), was more localised, despite its much longer presence at the lake. Although the three species had comparable standing biomass, the two invader species had lower C:N:P ratios than Schoenoplectus, resulting in faster decomposition rates and indicating potential shifts in nutrient cycling within the ecosystem. The oxygen profile of the water column was altered by the non-native species in a significantly different manner: in Eichhornia, the saturation concentrations dropped down to 30%–50% of dissolved oxygen, while oxygen supersaturation was recorded in Hydrilla. Both Schoenoplectus and Eichhornia patches exhibited comparable carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes, sequestering 230 and 300 mg CO2 m−2 hr−1, respectively, during the day and emitting 250 and 200 mg CO2 m−2 hr−1, respectively, during the night. Contrary to these two species, Hydrilla patches sequestered CO2 during the day (34 mg CO2 m−2 hr−1) and night (44 mg CO2 m−2 hr−1). The invasive species maintained a richer community of macroinvertebrates compared to several native species (excluding Schoenoplectus), both in taxa diversity and in numbers of individuals. When the results are considered in the regional context, an increase in nutrient supply could lead to the dominance of Free-Floating Plants. We discussed management options more broadly considering the negative impacts of introduced species balanced against their beneficial effects, in the context of environmental changes
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Regime shift in the littoral ecosystem of volcanic Lake Atitlán in Central America: combined role of stochastic event and invasive plant species
eScholarship University of California, 2018Co-Authors: Rejmánková E, Bw Sullivan, Ortiz Aldana, Jm Snyder, St Castle, Reyes Morales FAbstract:Different functional groups of macrophytes vary in their impact on aquatic ecosystem structure and processes. The introduction of new species with different growth form, combined with a stochastic event, may have serious and irreversible consequences on lake functioning. Our goals were to document and explain physical, chemical, metabolic and biotic changes in the littoral zones of a volcanic lake before and following two coinciding events: invasion by a submersed macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae), followed by a rapid increase in the lake water level (>2.5 m). We recorded plant biomass, plant tissue C:N:P stoichiometry, macroinvertebrates, water characteristics data along transects through littoral zones, and measured gas emission in controlled mesocosms and in the lake. The native emergent species, Schoenoplectus californicus (Cyperaceae), was generally not able to survive such a rapid water level increase, and Hydrilla spread and formed dense mats further preventing Schoenoplectus regeneration. The impact of another introduced species, the Free-Floating Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae), was more localised, despite its much longer presence at the lake. Although the three species had comparable standing biomass, the two invader species had lower C:N:P ratios than Schoenoplectus, resulting in faster decomposition rates and indicating potential shifts in nutrient cycling within the ecosystem. The oxygen profile of the water column was altered by the non-native species in a significantly different manner: in Eichhornia, the saturation concentrations dropped down to 30%–50% of dissolved oxygen, while oxygen supersaturation was recorded in Hydrilla. Both Schoenoplectus and Eichhornia patches exhibited comparable carbon dioxide (CO ) fluxes, sequestering 230 and 300 mg CO m hr , respectively, during the day and emitting 250 and 200 mg CO m hr , respectively, during the night. Contrary to these two species, Hydrilla patches sequestered CO during the day (34 mg CO m hr ) and night (44 mg CO m hr ). The invasive species maintained a richer community of macroinvertebrates compared to several native species (excluding Schoenoplectus), both in taxa diversity and in numbers of individuals. When the results are considered in the regional context, an increase in nutrient supply could lead to the dominance of Free-Floating Plants. We discussed management options more broadly considering the negative impacts of introduced species balanced against their beneficial effects, in the context of environmental changes. 2 2 2 2 2 2 −2 −1 −2 −1 −2 −1 −2 −
Franco Teixeira De Mello - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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substantial differences in littoral fish community structure and dynamics in subtropical and temperate shallow lakes
Freshwater Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Franco Teixeira De Mello, Mariana Meerhoff, Zeynep Pekcanhekim, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Summary 1. Fish play a key role in the functioning of temperate shallow lakes by affecting nutrient exchange among habitats as well as lake trophic structure and dynamics. These processes are, in turn, strongly influenced by the abundance of submerged macrophytes, because piscivorous fish are often abundant at high macrophyte density. Whether this applies to warmer climates as well is virtually unknown. 2. To compare fish community structure and dynamics in plant beds between subtropical and temperate shallow lakes we conducted experiments with artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in a set of 10 shallow lakes in Uruguay (30°–35°S) and Denmark (55°–57°N), paired along a gradient of limnological characteristics. 3. The differences between regions were more pronounced than differences attributable to trophic state. The subtropical littoral fish communities were characterised by higher species richness, higher densities, higher biomass, higher trophic diversity (with predominance of omnivores and lack of true piscivores) and smaller body size than in the comparable temperate lakes. On average, fish densities were 93 ind. m−2 (±10 SE) in the subtropical and 10 ind. m−2 (±2 SE) in the temperate lakes. We found a twofold higher total fish biomass per unit of total phosphorus in the subtropical than in the temperate lakes, and as fish size is smaller in the former, the implication is that more energy reaches the littoral zone fish community of the warmer lakes. 4. Plant architecture affected the spatial distribution of fish within each climate zone. Thus, in the temperate zone fish exhibited higher densities among the artificial Free-Floating Plants while subtropical fish were denser in the artificial submerged plant beds. These patterns appeared in most lakes, regardless of water turbidity or trophic state. 5. The subtropical littoral fish communities resembled the fish communities typically occurring in temperate eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes. Our results add to the growing evidence that climate warming may lead to more complex and omnivory-dominated food webs and higher density and dominance of smaller-sized fish. This type of community structure may lead to a weakening of the trophic cascading effects commonly observed in temperate shallow lakes and a higher risk of eutrophication.
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can warm climate related structure of littoral predator assemblies weaken the clear water state in shallow lakes
Global Change Biology, 2007Co-Authors: Mariana Meerhoff, Carlos Iglesias, Juan M Clemente, Franco Teixeira De Mello, Asger Roer Pedersen, Erik JeppesenAbstract:Shallow lakes, the most abundant lake type in the world, are very sensitive to climatic changes. The structure and functioning of shallow lakes are greatly impacted by submerged Plants, and these may be affected by climate warming in various, contrasting, ways. Following a space-for-time substitution approach, we aimed to analyse the role of aquatic (submerged and Free-Floating) Plants in shallow lakes under warm climates. We introduced artificial submerged and Free-Floating plant beds in five comparable lakes located in the temperate zone (Denmark, 55–57 °N) and in the subtropical zone (Uruguay, 30–35 °S), with the aim to study the structure and dynamics of the main associated communities. Regardless of differences in environmental variables, such as area, water transparency and nutrient status, we found consistent patterns in littoral community dynamics and structure (i.e. densities and composition of fish, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and periphyton) within, but substantial differences between, the two regions. Subtropical fish communities within the macrophyte beds exhibited higher diversity, higher density, smaller size, lower relative abundance of potentially piscivores, and a preference for submerged Plants, compared with otherwise similar temperate lakes. By contrast, macroinvertebrates and cladocerans had higher taxon richness and densities, and periphyton higher biomass, in the temperate lakes. Several indicators suggest that the fish predation pressure was much stronger among the Plants in the subtropical lakes. The antipredator behaviour of cladocerans also differed significantly between climate zones. Submerged and Free-Floating Plants exerted different effects on the spatial distribution of the main communities, the effects differing between the climate zones. In the temperate lakes, submerged Plants promoted trophic interactions with potentially positive cascading effects on water transparency, in contrast to the Free-Floating Plants, and in strong contrast to the findings in the subtropical lakes. The higher impact of fish may result in higher sensitivity of warm lakes to external changes (e.g. increase in nutrient loading or water level changes). The current process of warming, particularly in temperate lakes, may entail an increased sensitivity to eutrophication, and a threat to the high diversity, clear water state.
