
The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): taxonomy, ecology and biogeography
- Author
- Kay Van Damme (UGent) and Hilde Eggermont (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- The timely characterization of high-altitude freshwater habitats allows an assessment of the diversity of its biota and provides the basis for monitoring community change. In this study, we investigate the Cladocera fauna of 29 water bodies (pools, freshwater lakes, and surrounding swamps sampled at various occasions between 2005 and 2009) in the Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda, D. R. Congo), which are part of the East African Sky Island Complex. All sites except one are located above 3700 m altitude. We include notes on the morphology, taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of each recorded taxon and describe a new species of the Alona rustica-group (Alona sphagnophila n.sp.; Chydoridae). We found 11 species of which seven are restricted to Lake Mahoma, the lowest lake in our study area (2990 m) (Alona affinis barbata, A. intermedia, Alonella exisa, Alonella nana, Daphnia cf. obtusa, Pleuroxus aduncus) and/or Lake Bujuku (Daphnia cf. curvirostris, P. aduncus) (3900 m). Two taxa (Ilyocryptus cf. gouldeni, A. sphagnophila n.sp.) are restricted to Carex/Sphagnum bogs surrounding lakes in the afroalpine zone. Pigmented populations of Chydorus cf. sphaericus occur in all the sites. It is the only cladoceran species surviving the extreme alpine and nival conditions in the Rwenzori. The species is joined by A. guttata at locations at lower altitudes (ca. 3000-4000 m), present in about half of the sites. The Rwenzori Cladocera fauna is characterized by a strong extratropical temperate component and a low level of speciation/endemism. Harboring an impoverished boreal cladoceran community, Lake Mahoma is given closer attention. At 2990 m, the lake is a cold-temperate aquatic island in the tropics and may function as a stepping stone for Palaearctic taxa. We introduce a new term for high-altitude, cold-water habitats in the tropics, which act as climatic islands for extratropical freshwater faunas, Loffler Islands, in honor of Dr Heinz Loffler. In comparison to surveys in 1961, we list five new records in Lake Mahoma, which could indicate cladoceran community changes over the past few decades at ca. 3000 m in the Rwenzori. Since the species distributions correlate to temperature and catchment properties of the lakes, the Rwenzori cladoceran fauna can be expected as sensitive indicators for local changes.
- Keywords
- Biogeography, Alona sphagnophila n.sp., Cladocera, Rwenzori Mountains, Taxonomy, Loffler Island, East African Sky Island Complex (EASIC), SPECIES-DIVERSITY, FRESH-WATER, WEST-AFRICA, CHYDORID CLADOCERA, ALPINE LAKES, CUTICULAR PIGMENTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGES, GENETIC CONSEQUENCES, CHIRONOMIDAE INSECTA, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-2308686
- MLA
- Van Damme, Kay, and Hilde Eggermont. “The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): Taxonomy, Ecology and Biogeography.” HYDROBIOLOGIA, vol. 676, no. 1, 2011, pp. 57–100, doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0892-0.
- APA
- Van Damme, K., & Eggermont, H. (2011). The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): taxonomy, ecology and biogeography. HYDROBIOLOGIA, 676(1), 57–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0892-0
- Chicago author-date
- Van Damme, Kay, and Hilde Eggermont. 2011. “The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): Taxonomy, Ecology and Biogeography.” HYDROBIOLOGIA 676 (1): 57–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0892-0.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Van Damme, Kay, and Hilde Eggermont. 2011. “The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): Taxonomy, Ecology and Biogeography.” HYDROBIOLOGIA 676 (1): 57–100. doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0892-0.
- Vancouver
- 1.Van Damme K, Eggermont H. The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): taxonomy, ecology and biogeography. HYDROBIOLOGIA. 2011;676(1):57–100.
- IEEE
- [1]K. Van Damme and H. Eggermont, “The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): taxonomy, ecology and biogeography,” HYDROBIOLOGIA, vol. 676, no. 1, pp. 57–100, 2011.
@article{2308686, abstract = {{The timely characterization of high-altitude freshwater habitats allows an assessment of the diversity of its biota and provides the basis for monitoring community change. In this study, we investigate the Cladocera fauna of 29 water bodies (pools, freshwater lakes, and surrounding swamps sampled at various occasions between 2005 and 2009) in the Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda, D. R. Congo), which are part of the East African Sky Island Complex. All sites except one are located above 3700 m altitude. We include notes on the morphology, taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of each recorded taxon and describe a new species of the Alona rustica-group (Alona sphagnophila n.sp.; Chydoridae). We found 11 species of which seven are restricted to Lake Mahoma, the lowest lake in our study area (2990 m) (Alona affinis barbata, A. intermedia, Alonella exisa, Alonella nana, Daphnia cf. obtusa, Pleuroxus aduncus) and/or Lake Bujuku (Daphnia cf. curvirostris, P. aduncus) (3900 m). Two taxa (Ilyocryptus cf. gouldeni, A. sphagnophila n.sp.) are restricted to Carex/Sphagnum bogs surrounding lakes in the afroalpine zone. Pigmented populations of Chydorus cf. sphaericus occur in all the sites. It is the only cladoceran species surviving the extreme alpine and nival conditions in the Rwenzori. The species is joined by A. guttata at locations at lower altitudes (ca. 3000-4000 m), present in about half of the sites. The Rwenzori Cladocera fauna is characterized by a strong extratropical temperate component and a low level of speciation/endemism. Harboring an impoverished boreal cladoceran community, Lake Mahoma is given closer attention. At 2990 m, the lake is a cold-temperate aquatic island in the tropics and may function as a stepping stone for Palaearctic taxa. We introduce a new term for high-altitude, cold-water habitats in the tropics, which act as climatic islands for extratropical freshwater faunas, Loffler Islands, in honor of Dr Heinz Loffler. In comparison to surveys in 1961, we list five new records in Lake Mahoma, which could indicate cladoceran community changes over the past few decades at ca. 3000 m in the Rwenzori. Since the species distributions correlate to temperature and catchment properties of the lakes, the Rwenzori cladoceran fauna can be expected as sensitive indicators for local changes.}}, author = {{Van Damme, Kay and Eggermont, Hilde}}, issn = {{0018-8158}}, journal = {{HYDROBIOLOGIA}}, keywords = {{Biogeography,Alona sphagnophila n.sp.,Cladocera,Rwenzori Mountains,Taxonomy,Loffler Island,East African Sky Island Complex (EASIC),SPECIES-DIVERSITY,FRESH-WATER,WEST-AFRICA,CHYDORID CLADOCERA,ALPINE LAKES,CUTICULAR PIGMENTATION,ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGES,GENETIC CONSEQUENCES,CHIRONOMIDAE INSECTA,COMMUNITY STRUCTURE}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{57--100}}, title = {{The Afromontane Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of the Rwenzori (Uganda-D. R. Congo): taxonomy, ecology and biogeography}}, url = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0892-0}}, volume = {{676}}, year = {{2011}}, }
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