Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 eISSN: 2536-8400 Faculty of Science http://doi.org/10.4038/rjs.v13i2.127 University of Ruhuna SRI LANKA Faculty of Science, University of Ruhuna Sri Lanka 217 Zooplankton community structure of a tropical lake in a Northcentral State, Nigeria Elvis Joefaith Ebesi1 Yakubu Manbe Mohammed1*, Kate Isioma Iloba2, Kabir Mohammed Adamu1, and Solomon Bake Adama3 1Department of Biological Sciences, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria 2Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria 3Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, Nigeria *Correspondence: yakubmohammedmanbe@yahoo.com; ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0890-7083 Received: 23rd September 2021, Revised: 8th February 2022, Accepted: 4th September 2022 Abstract. One of the biological components that play a vital role in the ecological integrity of an aquatic ecosystem is zooplankton. These organisms are good indicators of stressors, especially anthropogenic stressors in their environment. Thus, there is a need to study the diversity in a diversified freshwater lake (Dangana Lake) in order to provide baseline information and knowledge on the status of the lake for proper and adequate water preservation and conservation. In addition to the zooplankton structure determination, the study also examined the physicochemical parameters of the Lake. Three sampling sites were identified with distinct characteristics where water and zooplankton samples were collected for physicochemical analyses and biotic identification using standard protocols. Sampling was conducted for a duration of eight months. The monitored physicochemical parameters, i.e., temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and pH revealed no significant difference (p>0.05) among sampling sites. However, significance (p<0.05) amongst sampling sites was recorded in electrical conductivity, nitrate and phosphate. Seasonally, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) among sampling months in all the monitored parameters. A total of ten species of zooplankton were recorded with four species each of rotifera and copepoda and two species of cladocera. The order of abundance of zooplankton population was rotifera (56.39%), copepoda (29.18%) and cladocera (14.42%). Zooplankton population was significantly (p<0.05) higher during the dry season than in the rainy season. The Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed a strong correlation between the zooplankton and physicochemical parameters. Ipso-facto, the lake exhibited spatiotemporal changes in zooplankton composition and physicochemical parameters during the sampling period. Keywords: Anthropogenic activities, Dangana Lake, Physicochemical parameters, Zooplankton https://rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/index http://doi.org/10.4038/rjs.v13i2.127 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ mailto:kabrmoh@yahoo.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0890-7083 Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 218 1 Introduction Freshwater ecosystems provide distinctive environments that improve ecological status and the survival of many biotic components (Mohammed et al. 2021, Oparaku et al. 2022). Systematic monitoring of freshwater resources (rivers, streams, lakes, springs, and ponds) is required to ensure their socioeconomic function (Mohammed et al. 2020). According to Arimoro et al. (2015) there is global rise in freshwater environment research as it relates to the conservation of its inhabitants. Thus, the contamination of freshwater ecosystems by various anthropogenic activities is becoming an important concern owing to the damage it poses to productivity, environmental sustainability, and social and economic development in Africa (Arimoro and Keke 2016). The activities in the freshwater bodies such as laundry, agricultural operations and hydropower generation introduces pollutants that result in changes observed in the aquatic habitat (Adamu et al., 2020; Adamu et al., 2018; Kun et al. 2015). Freshwater bodies such as Lakes and reservoirs are valuable resources that possess tremendous economic value as they provide many benefits to nearby settlements, such as means of flood control, recreation, aquatic life support, domestic water supply, irrigation and industrial water supply (Maishanu et al., 2022; KDHE 2011). Monitoring freshwater bodies such as lake helps to create information on species richness in the ecosystem, as well as information on the health status of the water body being studied (Adamu et al., 2020; Ajuzie 2012). Zooplankton such as rotifers, copepods, and cladocerans are environmental stressor indicators and quick responders (Pawlowski et al. 2016, Xiong et al. 2019). They contribute to aquatic ecosystem biodiversity. According to Xiong et al. (2020), zooplankton are widely accepted and indispensable bioindicators in the ecological conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems. Despite their ecological importance, zooplankton richness and diversity are threatened (Oparaku et al. 2022). This is exacerbated when variables impacting zooplankton populations remain unknown (Mimouni et al. 2018), particularly in areas where zooplankton are regarded as species of low ecological significance (Noble and Hassall 2015). Zooplankton communities are used as bioindicators of environmental changes because they have short life cycles and can respond quickly to shifts in physicochemical variables (Kuczyńska-Kippen et al. 2020, Yuezhao et al. 2021, Li and Chen 2022). Zooplankton also play a key role in the energy transfer between primary producers and other top trophic levels, and responds differently to environmental degradation (Chiba et al. 2018, Lomartire et al. 2021, Makwinja et al. 2021). Studies have revealed that anthropogenic activities and climate change are presently threatening the stability of most freshwater ecosystems (Oparaku et al. 2022), resulting in a decrease in zooplankton diversity (Alahuhta et al. 2019). Therefore, understanding the impact of environmental drivers on zooplankton communities is critical in assessing the ecological integrity of a tropical lake Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 219 impacted by various anthropogenic activities. Thereof, this study was aimed at investigating the composition, distribution pattern, abundance and community structure of the zooplankton fauna of Dangana lake Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. 2 Materials and Methods 2.1 Description of study area and sampling sites This study was carried out at Dangana lake (Fig. 1), Lapai, Lapai Local Government of Niger State, Nigeria. Dangana lake is located within longitude 6°36129.61E and latitude 9°02112.02N with the elevation of 159 m above sea level. Fig. 1: Geographical location of Dangana Lake Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria The area lies in the savannah region of Central Nigeria with mixed vegetation, the common ones of which include Malaina (Gmeilana arborea), locust beans (Parkia biglobosa), neem (Azadirachta indica) and other few native trees and grasses. The climate presents two distinct seasons, a rainy season between May to September, and a dry season (October-April) completely devoid of rain. The characteristics of the three sampling sites are shown in Table 1. Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 220 Table 1: Sampling site characteristics of Dangana lake during the sampling period. 2.2 Sampling technique Determination and analysis of physicochemical parameters Water samples for physicochemical parameters were collected monthly between March and October, 2019 within the seasons: dry season (March to May) and rainy season (June to October) from the three selected sampling sites in the lake. The water temperature, dissolved Oxygen (DO), conductivity and pH were measured in-situ using a multipurpose Meter (HANNA model 1910), whereas, BOD5, nitrate and phosphate were determined by the methods described in APHA (2012). Zooplankton sample collection and analysis Samples of zooplankton were collected at the same time as sampling water for physiochemical analyses using a modified hand trawling approach. At each station, a 50 μm mesh size plankton net was horizontally trawled for zooplankton sampling for twenty minutes at four distinct points within the sampling sites as described in Yagit (2006). Using labeled plastic containers, samples were stored in a 4% formalin solution and sent to the laboratory for examination and identification. In the laboratory, 1 mL of each of the three samples taken per station was analysed. The plastics holding zooplankton samples were thoroughly shaken to achieve an even distribution of the zooplankton. Thereafter, a drop of the 1 mL mixed samples was deposited into a glass slide coated with a coverslip for identification and enumeration using a compound microscope (mag: 10×10) and validated (mag: 10×40) by manually counting. This was done twice for each of the three plastics holding zooplankton samples, one for each plastic container (Tash 1971). The specimens were identified by comparing them to plankton identification charts (Needhem and Needhem 1975, Shiel 1995, Fernando 2002, Botes 2003, Perry 2003, Witty 2004). The zooplankton individuals recorded per station for the eight-month sampling period were added to give the total number of zooplankton individuals collected in the entire study period. Sampling site Description Site A The entry point of water entry into the lake, where the lake receives its water sources from nearby wetlands and has few human activities taking place. Site B This site is dominated with high anthropogenic activities. Various human activities in this site include laundry, car wash and other domestic activities. Site C This site is free of human activities; It has an opening which allows water to move out of the lake when there is excess water in the lake due to flood or excessive rainfall Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 221 2.3 Statistical analyses Descriptive statistics (mean, range, and standard deviation) for each physicochemical variable per station were calculated. The statistical differences in zooplankton metrics between stations and seasons were calculated using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The impact of stations and months on physicochemical characteristics were also calculated. Tukey Posthoc test was used to compare means. Species abundance, species richness, taxonomic dominance, evenness index, Simpson dominance index, Shannon Weiner index, and Margalef's index of the zooplankton were calculated. Canonical correspondence analysis, the link between physicochemical characteristics assessed and zooplankton species composition and abundance were determined. The Monte-Carlo permutation test with 1000 permutations was used to establish the CCA significance. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Paleontological Statistical Package (PAST) software, version 4.0. 3 Results 3.1 Physicochemical parameters The physicochemical parameters of sampling sites of Dangana lake, Lapai Niger state for a period of eight months (March-October in 2019) is presented in Table 2. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in water temperature, DO, BOD5 and pH among all the sampling sites. However, electrical conductivity, nitrate and phosphate differ significantly (P<0.05) among sampling sites. Table 2. Mean summary of physicochemical parameters of Dangana Lake, Lapai Niger State Nigeria. Parameters Stations Probabilities Site A Site B Site C Stations Months Water temperature (°C) 26.41 ± 0.38a 26.65 ± 0.74a 23.50 ± 0.90a 0.72 5.81E-06 DO (mg/L) 4.02 ± 0.10a 3.98 ± 0.15a 4.13 ± 0.20a 0.54 0.00 BOD5 (mg/L) 3.00 ± 0.14a 3.08 ± 0.18a 3.12 ± 0.19a 0.37 3.40E-07 pH 6.88 ± 0.17a 7.05 ± 0.12a 6.98 ± 0.11a 0.13 1.29E-06 Conductivity (µS/cm) 86.43 ± 8.57b 91.42 ± 9.04a 94.80 ± 8.54a 0.02 1.97E-08 Nitrate (mg/L) 0.68 ± 0.08b 0.76 ± 0.08a 0.67 ± 0.09a 0.00 8.25E-12 Phosphate (mg/L) 0.90 ± 0.10a 1.04 ± 0.12a 0.85 ± 0.10b 7.38E-05 3.51E-11 Note: values are Mean ± standard error; Each parameter with the different superscript letters across sampling site showed significant differences (p<0.05, Tukey post hoc test), while parameters with same superscript letters showed no significant differences (p>0.05). Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 222 There was a significant difference (P<0.05) among sampling months in all the physicochemical parameters measured. The water temperature recorded the highest mean value of 26.65 ± 0.74°C in sampling site B and the least mean water temperature value of 23.5 ± 0.90°C was recorded in site C. Site B recorded the least mean value of 3.98 ± 0.15 mg/L in dissolved oxygen concentration whereas site C recorded the highest mean value of 4.13 ± 0.20 mg/L. Mean BOD was 3.00 ± 0.14 mg/L in site A and 3.12 ± 0.19 mg/L in site C. The mean pH mean value was lowest in site A (6.88 ± 0.17) and highest (7.05 ± 0.12) in Site B. Other monitored physicochemical parameters are presented in Table 2. 3.2 Zooplankton structural assemblage A total of ten species of zooplankton in three divisions were identified in Dangana Lake, Lapai Niger state. The groups encountered were copepoda (4 species), rotifera (4 species) and Cladocera (2 species) (Table 3). The percentage abundance of rotifera, copepoda and cladocera were 56.39, 29.18 and 14.42 respectively. Table 3: Zooplankton composition, distribution and percentage abundance in Dangana Lake, Lapai during the sampling periods Division Species Code Site A Site B Site C % Copepoda Diaptomus gracilis DIA 6 6 16 Cyclops sp CYC 6 8 6 Microcyclops varicans MIC 10 7 6 Mesocyclops sp ZOC 7 8 3 Total 29 29 31 29.18 Rotifera Keratella sp KER 29 20 31 Lecane sp LEC 5 21 9 Notholca sp NOT 10 4 9 Brachionus variabalis BRA 11 6 17 Total 55 51 66 56.39 Cladocera Daphnia sp DAP 8 7 5 Ceriodaphnia sp. CER 12 3 9 Total 20 10 14 14.42 Zooplankton distribution in all sampling sites recorded higher abundance in the dry season months (March to May) compared to the rainy season months (June to October) as presented in Figure 2. Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 223 Fig 2: Monthly distribution of zooplankton in Dangana lake 3.3 Ecological indices of zooplankton in Dangana Lake Lapai, Niger State Nigeria The diversity indices of zooplankton in each of the sampling sites are presented in Table 4. There were 10 identified zooplankton in each of the sites with 104, 90, 111 individuals recorded in sites A, B and C respectively. Shannon and Evenness index followed a similar trend with site A>B>C. Margalef’s index was highest in site B (2.00) and 1.988 and 1.91 for site A and C respectively. Table 4: Zooplankton diversity indices value of Dangana lake Lapai Niger State, Nigeria. Indices Site A Site B Site C Taxa_S 10 10 10 Individuals 104 90 111 Dominance_D 0.1402 0.1437 0.1506 Shannon_H 2.147 2.114 2.087 Evenness_e^H/S 0.8561 0.8283 0.8057 Margalef 1.938 2.00 1.911 3.4 Association of zooplankton distribution and physicochemical parameters The total Zooplankton compositions were observed to show an association with the mean physicochemical parameters measured of the lake as shown in Fig 3. CCA ordination Axis 1 account for 71.73% of species variation with eigen value of 0.0905 while Axis 2 showed 28.27% specie variation with eigen value of 0.0356 as Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 224 presented in Table 5. The most significant association between physicochemical parameters was observed for Biochemical oxygen demand, Conductivity, pH, nitrate, phosphate and temperature. These parameters were strongly positively correlated with Diaptomus gracilis, Lecane sp., Brachionus variabalis, Keratella sp., Cyclops sp., Daphnia sp., Microcyclops varicans, and Mesocyclops sp. However, Notholca sp. and Ceriodaphnia sp. correlated negatively with the measured physicochemical parameters. Fig 3: Canonical correlation analysis ordination plot of physicochemical parameters and Zooplankton species of Dangana Lake Lapai, Niger state Table 5: Weighted intra-set correlation of Eigen value of CCA axis. Axis1 Axis2 % 71.73 28.27 eigen value 0.090504 0.03566 DO -0.74766 0.636934 BOD5 0.129254 0.995598 pH 0.672748 0.763448 Conductivity 0.050073 0.999897 Nitrate 0.999159 -0.00527 Phosphate 0.980827 -0.15969 Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 225 4 Discussion 4.1 Physicochemical parameters The monthly trend in the concentrations of DO, BOD5, pH, nitrate and phosphate in the lake shows a similar trend to that earlier reported in inland waters in Nigeria (Akindele et al. 2013, Yusuf 2020, Mohammed et al. 2021). All the monitored physicochemical parameters show spatial and temporal changes between sampling months, and this could be a result of some natural factors and different anthropogenic activities taking place around the lake (Mustapha 2009). The water temperature of the lake falls within the normal temperature range of 20 to 30ºC required by aquatic organisms for metabolic activities (Mustapha 2009). Moderate water temperature was observed throughout the sampling period due to high rainfall and minimum amount of sunlight. The DO and BOD5 concentration observed in this study were high in the months which falls within the rainy season than in the dry season, this could be due to an increase in the volume of water in the rainy season as well as an increase in the flow of organic matters into the lake though surface runoff (Davies et al. 2009, Raji et al. 2015). Water pH value obtained from Dangana Lake slightly falls within the recommended pH range of 6.5-8.5 for productivity in natural waters (Raji et al. 2015). High pH and moderate temperature, on the other hand, have been reported to boost primary production in an aquatic environment, which supports zooplankton growth and survival (Mustapha 2009). The high conductivity values observed during the rainy season could be attributed to a high amount of dissolved and suspended solid materials present in the water which results in an increase in dissolved cations such as calcium, magnesium and sulphate concentration in the sampling sites (Arimoro and Keke 2016). Nitrates and phosphate are among the limiting factors in the aquatic environment (Arimoro et al. 2015). The high mean phosphate value and nitrate value measured in the lake also improve primary production. The availability of nutrients impacts the shape and number of zooplankton (Oparaku et al. 2022). An increase in phosphate and nitrate concentrations in aquatic environments has been related to anthropogenic activity; as a result, eutrophication is unavoidable (Andong et al. 2019). It has shown that nutrients have a bigger influence on most freshwater biota than temperature (Birk et al. 2020), but another study discovered that the effect of temperature on aquatic invertebrates was stronger under nutrient constraint (Pomati et al. 2019). 4.2 Zooplankton structural assemblage and diversity Most of the zooplankton groups observed in this study appears to be the normal inhabitants of lakes, streams, ponds and artificial impoundment in the tropics Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 226 (Mustapha 2009, Arimoro and Oganah 2010, Tanko et al. 2016, Iloba et al. 2019). Zooplankton composition and abundance in any aquatic ecosystem are important in water quality monitoring. Zooplankton populations are threatened due to different human activities such as domestic waste, agricultural waste such as runoff manure and fertilizers from nearby farms (Anago et al. 2013). The differences in zooplankton distributions and assemblage in this study may be due to sampling space, time and the dynamic nature of aquatic systems (Iloba 2019). Changes in zooplankton populations in Dangana lake could be attributed to different species having their nutritional requirement of different temperature, pH, DO, BOD5 and nutrients (Chia et al. 2012). High nutrient level, high concentration of nitrate, and phosphate favor the growth of Baccillariophyta which forms the major diet of zooplankton (Chia et al. 2012). Zooplankton are an important component in the dynamics of aquatic environment and its productivity (Iloba 2019). Plankton abundance and distribution are affected by seasonal changes of both physical and chemical parameters as well as phytoplankton in aquatic environments (Norris and laws 2017, Adamu et al. 2021). Zooplankton were dominated by the rotifers in this study, and this could be attributed to their reproduction pattern which is parthenogenetic and short development rate under favorable aquatic condition (Akin-Ariola 2003, Tanko et al. 2016). The low abundance of copepoda, and cladocera groups could be attributed to low abundance of aquatic macrophytes, which may increase the rate of predation by fishes in the lake (Arimoro and Oganah 2010, Edegbene et al. 2022). The zooplankton diversity and abundance reported in this study is similar to the abundance and diversity pattern that is reported by Akindele and Olutona (2014) in the headstream water of Aiba Reservoir, Iwo, Nigeria. In this study, the monthly dynamics of the abundance and composition of zooplankton correlates with the season as higher populations were recorded during the dry season. The low abundance of zooplankton population observed in the rainy season could best be attributed to an influx of materials into the water body which may lead to further growth dilution of nutrients required for essential growth in the lake and surrounding environment (Yusuf 2020). The taxonomic richness of zooplankton ecological parameters in this research region was rather high in number (9 zooplankton types) than that reported by Abdul et al. (2016). The taxonomic distribution was also relatively even, in contrast to the eleven zooplankton taxa distribution in certain Nigerian riverine systems (Abdul et al. 2016). The high connection reported in the CCA model between zooplankton and measured physicochemical parameters may imply that zooplankton taxonomic assemblages in the Dangana lake were influenced by the majority of the prevailing environmental conditions. Earlier research found that environmental factors had varying effects on zooplankton populations in Nigerian rivers (Arimoro and Oganah 2009, Abdul et al. 2016). However, when compared to other studies in Nigeria, this study had lower taxonomic richness and evenness of zooplankton (Arimoro and Oganah 2009, Abdul et al. 2016, Edegbene et al. 2022). Elvis Joefaith Ebesi et al. Zooplankton community in Dangana lake, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science Vol 13 (2): 217-230, December 2022 227 5 Conclusion The lake exhibits spatio-temporal changes in zooplankton composition and the monitored physicochemical parameters during the sampling period. Anthropogenic activities throughout the sample locations altered the water quality and zooplankton assemblages and their organization. Furthermore, the three taxonomic groupings of zooplankton in this study were Cladocera, Copepoda, and Rotifera. Zooplankton communities respond differently to environmental conditions. 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