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There is a great need in environmental research for test systems that include ecologically important factors and that are also easy to use. We present here the automated test system Nanocosm, which is composed of populations of Daphnia magna and Culex pipiens molestus. The Nanocosm system allows the investigation of stressed populations in the presence of interspecific competition, which is a very important factor involved in the dynamics of ecosystems. With the Nanocosm system, the abundance and size structure of populations of both species are quantified by image analysis. The technique enables a time-efficient, non-invasive and reliable long-term monitoring of interactions between two aquatic populations. We recommend the Nanocosm system as a novel tool for the simplified integration of competition into environmental and ecotoxicological research as well as for the assessment of risk due to stressors., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study assesses the potential of cladocerans as competitors for controlling the oviposition and larval abundances of mosquitoes. Control of mosquito larvae involving the use of antagonists has focused mostly on predators. We hypothesized that cladoceran competitors have a strong potential to control larval populations of some species of mosquitoes that can be early colonizers of newly-filled waterbodies, and should be less efficient competitors. To test this hypothesis, the establishment and development of larval populations of wild Culex pipiens were investigated in outdoor microcosms varying in terms of Daphnia magna populations. When the population was well established (i.e., high densities of D. magna), oviposition was fully inhibited and there was consequently no mosquito larvae. When the population was more recently established (i.e., lower densities of D. magna), oviposition and larval development of Cx. pipiens occurred. In the absence of D. magna, oviposition, larval biomass, and abundance of Cx. pipiens reached high values. In this situation, conspecifics were inhibiting further oviposition of Cx. pipiens. Based on these results, we suggest that competing zooplankton species, such as D. magna, could be used for the control of mosquito species such as Cx. pipiens. This approach could be beneficial for the management of wetlands.

The responses of various suborganismal and organismal endpoints of Daphnia magna to pulse exposure to sublethal levels of the organophosphate paraoxon-methyl were compared. The changes and recovery of biochemical, metabolic, and behavioural variables, as well as physiological responses, were observed. The cholinesterase (ChE), filtration, and swimming activities were all affected in a concentration-dependent manner, and these effects reached significance at concentrations of 1.0, 1.5, and 0.7 microg L(-1), respectively. The levels of these variables recovered significantly after detoxification for 24h in clean medium. ChE and swimming activities were affected significantly by lower concentrations of paraoxon-methyl than filtration activity, which had the same threshold as the physiological responses ((15)N abundance and body size). This study showed that among the parameters studied, swimming activity was the most sensitive, whereas changes in filtration activity had the most significant physiological consequences, and were therefore important in terms of effects propagation to the population level., ((c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effects and recovery of 24 h pulse exposure to paraoxon-methyl on Daphnia magna were recorded for various endpoints to study the propagation of effects through various biological levels of organization. Above a threshold concentration (2.2 microgL(-1)), all selected endpoints were affected. Thus, effects at the suborganismal level (e.g., the biomarker response: transient inhibition of cholinesterase (ChE) activity) were accompanied by effects at the organismal (survival, reduction in reproductive performance, decrease in body size) and population (reduced population growth rate) levels. At intermediate and sublethal concentrations, exposure induced a transient ChE inhibition that was also accompanied by effects at the organismal level and that exerted long-term effects on population dynamics. At lower concentrations, although ChE activity was affected, there was no propagation of effects to higher biological levels. This study shows that effects of pulse exposure to organophosphates propagate from the suborganismal level toward the population level and demonstrates the significance of transient ChE inhibition on population dynamics.

Feeding activity and maturation were investigated in Daphnia magna exposed to fenvalerate for 24 h. The feeding activity was monitored by measuring filtration rates and 15N-traced food assimilation. Exposure resulted in individuals with reduced feeding activity and smaller body size at concentrations of 0.3 microg/L or greater as well as delayed maturation at concentrations of 0.61microg/L or greater. Filtration rates recovered within 2 d of the exposure, but long-term effects of reduced feeding activity, such as growth retardation, occurred. Because D. magna needs to reach a minimum size to mature, growth retardation may explain the observed delay in maturity. The proposed causal relationships suggest that exposure to fenvalerate reduces feeding activity, resulting in growth retardation, which leads to delayed maturity. In cases of exposure to such toxicants, the monitoring of feeding activity may predict long-term effects on population parameters.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of exposure duration (1 h, 24 h, continuous) to paraoxon-methyl on the magnitude of lethal and sublethal effects, the shape of the concentration-response relationships and the recovery processes in Daphnia magna. Survival was more severely reduced in the continuous than in the pulse exposure regimes. The lethal concentrations (3d median lethal concentration [LC50] values) were 233, 2.33, and 1.14 microg/L after 1-h, 24-h, and continuous exposure, respectively. The shapes of the concentration-response relationships for survival were significantly different after 1 h of exposure than after 24-h and continuous exposure. Indeed, the slopes of the curves defined by the ratios LC90/LC10 (ratio of 90 and 10% lethal concentrations) were 100, 1.74, and 1.97 for 1-h, 24-h, and continuous exposure, respectively. The large difference between 1 h and longer durations of exposure shows that the population is partially affected (10-90%) over a much broader range of concentrations when exposure is short. Negative effects on reproductive outputs occurred mostly at concentrations affecting partly the survival and therefore also over a broad range of concentrations after 1 h of exposure. However, these effects were only transient in the pulse exposure regimes as individual performances recovered. By contrast, reproductive outputs of survivors exposed continuously remained impaired. These results suggest that a refined risk assessment should consider exposure duration because it influences the magnitude of effects and recovery.

Little is known about the effect of pulse exposure to toxicants on populations when density regulation is present. Yet, for a more realistic risk assessment, it is necessary to include effect and recovery at the population level. Here, we investigate the long-term and delayed effects as well as the subsequent recovery of populations of Daphnia magna. A 24-h pulse of the pyrethroid fenvalerate reduced the abundance at a concentration of 1.0 microg/L and higher. However, abundance recovered and reached control levels after one to two generation times (GTs) following reproduction of surviving individuals (GT = 8 d, from birth until first reproduction). At high concentrations above the acute median lethal concentration (3.2 micorg/L), abundance initially decreased even more strongly but was then elevated compared to control values for an extended period of time. Population structure (size distribution) was affected at lower concentrations than abundance (> 0.8 microg/L). In addition, the alteration of population structure lasted for a long time, so that control levels were approached only after approximately six or seven GTs. Our results show that pulse exposure to toxicants may lead to a long-term alteration of population structure even at sublethal concentrations. Possible mechanisms that sustain the effects of toxicants may be delayed life-history effects on the individual level and elevated competition because of altered population structure on the population level.