Stoichiometric constraints in plankton communities of Patagonian lakes. Implications for Parabroteas sarsi distribution and conservation

Abstract

The Patagonian region, from the Andes to the steppe, includes a profuse hydrographic network with deep and shallow lakes. Here, we analyze the stoichiometric constraints for the large predaceous copepod Parabroteas sarsi in fish and fishless lakes. For this purpose, we examined previous literature data on the composition of the zooplankton community in different Patagonian lakes with and without fish (mainly introduced in the XX century) and own laboratory and field experiments. The ecological stoichiometry theory predicts that consumers need to attain specific elemental ratios to achieve maximum growth, and the geometric framework of nutrition proposes that consumers may need to combine food items to fulfill nutrient requirements. We show that the predaceous copepod does not necessarily encounter prey that fulfills their stoichiometric requirements, thus growth is impaired. However, through the combination of different prey, this predator can fulfill its requirements. In the presence of fishes, food webs change towards smaller-sized zooplankton species with the loss of low C:nutrient ratio species. In this sense, we demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of fish introduction on the stoichiometric balances and the disappearance of this invertebrate predator in lacustrine food webs.