Fitness cost from fluctuating ultraviolet radiation in Daphnia magna.

ABSTRACT: Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important environmental threat for organisms in aquatic systems, but its temporally variable nature makes the understanding of its effects ambiguous. The aim of our study was to assess potential fitness costs associated with fluctuating UVR in the aquatic zooplankter Daphnia magna. We investigated individual survival, reproduction and behaviour when exposed to different UVR treatments. Individuals exposed to fluctuating UVR, resembling natural variations in cloud cover, had the lowest fitness (measured as the number of offspring produced during their lifespan). By contrast, individuals exposed to the same, but constant UVR dose had similar fitness to control individuals (not exposed to UVR), but they showed a significant reduction in daily mov

SUBMITTER: Stabile F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8331227 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature