Non-predatory mortality of planktonic microcrustaceans (Cladocera and Copepoda) in neotropical semiarid reservoirs

The accuracy of traditional methods to sample planktonic microcrustaceans depends on two assumptions: that organisms are alive during sampling and that all carcasses can be identified despite their degradation state, but fresh carcasses are not easy to distinguish by traditional methods. Previous studies about mortality have shown that neglecting dead organisms can provide biased ecological information. Thus, our objective was to determine the mortality rate and the proportion of dead microcrustacean in three tropical reservoirs. Sampling was carried out in 12 stations during two periods. The proportion of dead organisms was verified using aniline blue and it varied between 0.6% and 90.6%. The carcass decomposition period varied between 3 to 16 days and microcrustaceans mortality rate varied between 0.005 and 0.314 d-1. Traditional preservation techniques with formalin do not significantly overestimate species abundance. However, these values should not be disregarded, because corrected (disregarding organisms that were dead) and formalin-preserved abundances were correlated with distinct limnological descriptors. Therefore, the traditional formalin preservation technique could provide misleading ecological interpretations. Other studies over larger temporal scales in addition to experiments to evaluate the effects of viruses, parasitism and the toxic effects of cyanobacteria on zooplankton would enlighten mortality rate patterns in freshwater ecosystems.