Tropical high Andes lakes: A limnological survey and an assessment of exotic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tropical high Andes lakes: A limnological survey and an assessment of exotic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

AU - Aguilera, X.

AU - Declerck, S.

AU - De Meester, Luc

AU - Maldonado-Lasunción, Inés

AU - Ollevier, F.

N1 - WOS:000243218200006 ISI Document Delivery No.: 122IA Times Cited: 10 Cited Reference Count: 32 Aguilera, Ximena Declerck, Steven De Meester, Luc Maldonado, Mabel Ollevier, Frans Declerck, Steven/E-4338-2010; De Meester, Luc/F-3832-2015 Declerck, Steven/0000-0001-6179-667X; De Meester, Luc/0000-0001-5433-6843 10 2 12 Elsevier gmbh, urban & fischer verlag Jena 2

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - Tropical high Andes lakes are aquatic ecosystems with peculiar limnological characteristics that are related to their geographical location and high altitude, yet they remained understudied. We present the results of a standardized survey of morphometric, physico-chemical and biotic variables in 32 high altitude lakes of the Cordillera del Tunari (Eastern Andes of Bolivia). Based on the variables measured, we identified three lake types. One group of lakes differed from the other lakes by a relatively high pH and biological productivity (as evidenced from higher densities of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish). A second group of lakes consisted of relatively large and deep water bodies with neutral to slightly acid pH and with a relatively high occurrence of the large cladoceran Daphnia pulex. The third group contained relatively small, shallow, and acid lakes with no Daphnia. Rainbow trout occurred in more than half of the lakes and catch yields were very variable. Overall, the abundances of different organism groups tended to be positively associated (e.g. phytoplankton, copepods, rotifers, fish) indicating the existence of a major productivity gradient. We found no negative associations between trout catches and densities of any of the major zooplankton groups, suggesting moderate to low top-down effects of trout on the zooplankton communities. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

AB - Tropical high Andes lakes are aquatic ecosystems with peculiar limnological characteristics that are related to their geographical location and high altitude, yet they remained understudied. We present the results of a standardized survey of morphometric, physico-chemical and biotic variables in 32 high altitude lakes of the Cordillera del Tunari (Eastern Andes of Bolivia). Based on the variables measured, we identified three lake types. One group of lakes differed from the other lakes by a relatively high pH and biological productivity (as evidenced from higher densities of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish). A second group of lakes consisted of relatively large and deep water bodies with neutral to slightly acid pH and with a relatively high occurrence of the large cladoceran Daphnia pulex. The third group contained relatively small, shallow, and acid lakes with no Daphnia. Rainbow trout occurred in more than half of the lakes and catch yields were very variable. Overall, the abundances of different organism groups tended to be positively associated (e.g. phytoplankton, copepods, rotifers, fish) indicating the existence of a major productivity gradient. We found no negative associations between trout catches and densities of any of the major zooplankton groups, suggesting moderate to low top-down effects of trout on the zooplankton communities. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

KW - Andes high altitude lakes Bolivia high mountain lakes limnology rainbow trout fish radiation dynamics Marine & Freshwater Biology

U2 - 10.1016/j.limno.2006.08.001

DO - 10.1016/j.limno.2006.08.001

M3 - Article

SN - 0075-9511

VL - 36

SP - 258

EP - 268

JO - Limnologica

JF - Limnologica

IS - 4

ER -