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A comparison of filtrate and sediment samples of Cladocera in Hungarian shallow lakes to characterise the types of wetland
* 1, 2 , * 1, 3 , 1, 3 , 1 , 1 , 4
1  University of Debrecen, Pál-Juhász Nagy Doctoral School of Biology and Environmental Science, Egyetem tér 1. H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
2  Mount Kenya University, Department of Biological Sciences, Kenya. P.O Box 342-01000, Thika Kenya.
3  National Laboratory for Water Science and Water Security, University of Debrecen, Department of Hydrobiology, Debrecen, Hungary
4  University of West Hungary, Institute of Geography and Environmental Sciences. Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár square 4. 9700. Hungary
Academic Editor: Kevin Cianfaglione

Abstract:

Wetlands are essential parts of the ecosystems that sustain plant and animal life on Earth. Water fleas, also known as cladocera, are microcrustaceans, or microspecies, with bodies that are translucent, plate-like appendages with a length of less than one millimetre. They are filter feeders. These microscopic crustaceans feed on phytoplankton and serve as a source of food for aquatic zooplankton. Cladocera species found in various lake zonations may vary based on elements such as the water quality and macrophytic organisms present in the ecosystem. Through wetland modification and degradation, recent anthropogenic activities are having a significant negative impact on the quality of the wetland and habitat. Wetlands need to be closely observed and evaluated to yield data that will be useful for restoration efforts. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the filtrate samples obtained from the water samples will reveal any cladoceran remnants in the sediments. This will also be achieved through examining the characteristics, both chemical and physical, of the sediment samples from Cladocera. A comparison between the sediment Cladocera fossils and the filtrate samples will provide helpful information about whether the sediment and filtrate samples show the same occurrence or quite different. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the patterns of biological community, distribution, and sediment analysis as a functional tool for bio-identification of the status of wetland quality. A comparison between the sediment and filtrate samples may be useful as a biological indicator tool to track how species are responding to changes in their natural or altered habitat. Multivariate statistical approaches will be used in this study for multiple variables.

Keywords: Cladocera assemblages, filtrate samples, sediment samples, bio-indicators, wetland habitat quality.
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