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Diversity
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Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Plankton
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Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Plankton

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Freshwater Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 807

Special Issue Editors

Dr. István Gyulai

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Guest Editor
Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: zooplankton; limnology; paleolimnology; ecology
Dr. Berta Csaba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: zooplankton; macroscopic invertebrates; hydrobiology; statistics
Prof. Dr. István Grigorszky

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: phytoplankton ecology; water quality; environmental monitoring; standing water; running water
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years and past decades, extreme water regimes and unpredictable dry-out and refilling cycles of wetlands, exacerbated by climate change, have significantly altered plankton communities. Additionally, anthropogenic activities (such as retention, irrigation, urbanization, and recreational purposes, etc.) have further shaped these communities. The objectives of this Special Issue are threefold:

  1. To present the changes occurring in plankton communities: We aim to document the transformations these communities are undergoing, capturing the nuances of their evolution in response to environmental stressors.
  2. To examine how plankton diversity and ecological relations have changed: This will involve an in-depth analysis of species diversity, distribution, and community composition, as well as the genetic diversity within these populations. We will also explore how these changes impact ecological relationships and the overall quality of the ecosystem.
  3. To identify indicator species: We seek to identify plankton species that can serve as operational tools for indicating newly shaped environmental conditions. These indicator species will provide valuable insights into the health and status of aquatic ecosystems, enabling us to assess the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities more accurately.

The scope of this Special Issue is broad and includes, but is not limited to, the following fields:

  • Species diversity and distribution: An examination of the variety of plankton species present and their geographical distribution.
  • Community composition: An analysis of the structure and dynamics of plankton communities.
  • Indicator species and their relation to ecosystem quality: The identification and study of species that can serve as proxies for ecosystem health and resilience.
  • Genetic diversity: An exploration of the genetic variation within plankton populations and its implications for ecosystem stability.
  • Population and community ecology: An investigation of the interactions between plankton species and their environment, including competition, predation, and symbiosis.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting your research findings that align with these objectives and scopes. If you have any questions or are interested in this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. István Gyulai
Dr. Berta Csaba
Prof. Dr. István Grigorszky
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • algae
  • zooplankton
  • community composition
  • biodiversity and conservation
  • population and community ecology
  • indicator species
  • aquatic food webs
  • environmental monitoring

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 16334 KiB  
Article
Annual Dynamics of Phytoplankton Communities in Relation to Environmental Factors in Saline–Alkaline Lakes of Northwest China
by Yuying Ma, Linghui Hu, Ruomei Ma, Liting Yang, Qiang Huo, Yong Song, Xuyuan Lin, Zhen Sun, Sheng’ao Chen and Daoquan Ren
Diversity 2025, 17(5), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17050328 - 2 May 2025
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Abstract
To evaluate the change trends of plankton in inland saline–alkaline water bodies, this study investigated the ecological restoration and rational development of saline–alkaline lakes in northwest China. From June to October 2023, phytoplankton communities in a high-salinity lake in Alar City, Xinjiang, were [...] Read more.
To evaluate the change trends of plankton in inland saline–alkaline water bodies, this study investigated the ecological restoration and rational development of saline–alkaline lakes in northwest China. From June to October 2023, phytoplankton communities in a high-salinity lake in Alar City, Xinjiang, were analyzed using standard survey methods for inland natural waters. Biodiversity indices were calculated, and redundancy analysis (RDA), Spearman’s correlation analysis, and Mantel test were carried out to assess the functional community structure of phytoplankton and its environmental drivers. In total, 115 phytoplankton taxa belonging to seven phyla were identified. The densities ranged from 23.76 × 105 to 53.54 × 107 cells/L. Bacillariophyta and Cyanophyta were the dominant phyla, accounting for 41.7% and 27.8% of the total taxa, respectively. The dominant species included Microcystis spp., Merismopedia sp., Cyclotella meneghiniana, and other algae. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that salinity, water temperature (WT), Na+, TDS, HCO3−, Cl−, and K+ were key environmental factors significantly influencing phytoplankton community structure. Mantel tests confirmed that salinity (SAL), TDS, DO, and major ions (K+, Na+, CO32−) served as key determinants of spatiotemporal phytoplankton community distribution (p < 0.05). RDA results indicated that WT, TDS, alkalinity (ALK), pH, salinity, and Na+ were the key factors driving seasonal variations in phytoplankton communities. Notably, decreasing salinity and ion concentrations stabilized the phytoplankton community structure, maintaining high-diversity indices. This highlights the positive impact of ecological restoration measures, such as fisheries-based alkalinity control and systematic environmental management, on the health of saline–alkaline lake ecosystems. These findings provide important insights for the sustainable development of saline–alkaline fisheries and the conservation of aquatic biodiversity in arid regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Plankton)
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18 pages, 2813 KiB  
Article
Spatial–Temporal Pattern and Stability Analysis of Zooplankton Community Structure in the Lower Yellow River in China
by Yaowei Wang, Shiyuan Zhang, Minfang Sun, Jiamin Han, Ziyue Wang, Xinlei Chen, Zengfei Chen and Haiming Qin
Diversity 2025, 17(3), 162; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17030162 - 25 Feb 2025
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Abstract
In March (spring), June (summer), October (autumn), and December (winter) 2022, zooplankton were quantitatively investigated in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China. A total of 29 sampling points that were separated by about 20 km were set up in the [...] Read more.
In March (spring), June (summer), October (autumn), and December (winter) 2022, zooplankton were quantitatively investigated in the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China. A total of 29 sampling points that were separated by about 20 km were set up in the survey area. The purpose of this study is to investigate the seasonal dynamics and spatial distribution characteristics of the zooplankton community in the Yellow River, which has a high sediment content. The main results are as follows: A total of 119 species of zooplankton were found during the survey, including 70 species of rotifers, 29 species of cladocerans, and 20 species of copepods. Because the temperate continental monsoon climate has four distinct seasons, the zooplankton community in the Yellow River showed typical seasonal dynamics. There were significant differences in the richness of zooplankton and dominant species across the four seasons (p < 0.05). There were 15 common species in each of the four seasons. The density and biomass of zooplankton were significantly higher in spring (16.76 ind./L; 0.049 mg/L) and summer (26.17 ind./L; 0.249 mg/L) compared to autumn (5.65 ind./L; 0.042 mg/L) and winter (1.56 ind./L; 0.006 mg/L) (p < 0.05). Additionally, the density and biomass of zooplankton were significantly lower in estuarine areas compared to other areas. The results of multidimensional non-metric ranking (NMDS) based on zooplankton abundance showed four distinct communities: a spring community, a summer community, an autumn community, and a winter community. The spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton communities in spring, summer, and autumn was significantly different (p < 0.05). However, only the estuarine area had a special zooplankton community in winter. Monte Carlo test results showed that pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were the main environmental factors affecting the community structure of zooplankton (p < 0.05). The areas of the Yellow River affected by human disturbances have lower zooplankton community stability. Overall, the standing stock of zooplankton was very low (less than 15 ind./L), but the species richness was higher (119 species) in the river, which had a high sediment content and a fast flow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity and Ecology of Freshwater Plankton)
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