Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of zooplankton assemblages (Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda) in the water bodies of the Gemenc Floodplain (Duna-Dráva National Park, Hungary)

Abstract

The Gemenc Floodplain, situated between the 1498th and 1470th river-kilometres of the River Danube, is part of the Danube–Dráva National Park in Hungary. The floodplain is one of the largest in Europe with an area of 18,000 hectares, and within its territory various typical side arms and backwaters can be found. The area needs hydrological revitalization because of the sinking river bed, caused by the regulation of the main arm at the end of the 19th century. In order to assess the conditions of the intervention, an exhaustive knowledge about the hydrobiological relations of the different water bodies will be necessary. The aim of our study was to explore connections between the hydrological events, the physical–chemical parameters of the water-bodies, and the abundance of the planktonic crustacean and rotifer assemblages.