Horticulture Research Station

Local Adaptation Alters Population Dynamics in Experimental Plankton Systems

Authors: Eric Moody (Iowa State University) , Grace Wilkinson (Iowa State University)

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms are a growing concern in many Iowa lakes as these are impacted by agricultural nutrient runoff. One common management strategy to reduce algal blooms is to manage lake food webs for high population densities of the grazing zooplankter Daphnia. However, this management strategy produces inconsistent results, particularly in highly-impacted hypereutrophic lakes. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that local adaptation of Daphnia to hypereutrophic conditions diminishes a lake’s ability to control algal blooms using experimental mesocosms.

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How to Cite: Moody, E. & Wilkinson, G. (2019) “Local Adaptation Alters Population Dynamics in Experimental Plankton Systems”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports. 2018(1).