Peculiarities of the Pontogammarus robustoides (Amphipoda, Gammaridae) Adaptive Reactions to the Water Temperature Increasing in the Model Ecosystem – Microcosm

Abstract

The crustaceans’ family Gammaridae populations’ adaptive reactions with a water temperature increasing to the critical values were studied in the model ecosystem – the microcosm. The experiment included investigation of such indexes as population dimensional composition, precopulatory activity, number of oviparous females, embryogenesis duration, and energy metabolism at the different phases of thermocycle. Obtained data revealed optimal and critical for gammarid’s viability temperature conditions of environment. It is assumed that under conditions of climate change, when water temperature sharp fluctuations take place, in the Kyiv reservoir (Dnipro River, Ukraine) coastal shallow water crustacean’s family Gammaridae components of the invertebrates associations the structural and functional changes are expected. Temperature increasing to the critical values will promote the animals migration processes intensification; incapable of this animals will perish. Gammarids with ability to migrate in direction of areas with more favorable for their viability conditions will have a significant advantage.