[问答题]
Dissolved $CO_2$
is increasing in standing waters of lakes and ponds. Research has shown this will impact the nutritional quality of phytoplankton (primary producers) and may further affect zooplankton (consumers) that feed on the phytoplankton.
Mesocosms were used to monitor three species of zooplankton, the water flea (Daphnia magna), the seed shrimp (Heterocypris incongruens) and the rotifer (Brachionus calyciflorus) under three different conditions of $CO_2$
in ponds and shallow lakes:
Treatment C - present day levels of $CO_2$, (control)
Treatment 1 - moderate increase of $CO_2$(possible future levels)
Treatment 2 - high increase of $CO_2$(more extreme future levels)
Glass jars filled with filtered pond water were injected with both carbon dioxide and air under pressure, and the representative species of zooplankton, water flea, seed shrimp or rotifer were added to the jars. They were monitored for survival, growth rate and body size over the next several days.
The image below shows the three species of zooplankton that were studied in the mesocosms.
The survival probability of the three species of zooplankton were monitored over several days in the mesocosms and the results are shown in the graphs below.
1.Giving a reason, predict which zooplankton is the least resilient to the effects of increased carbon dioxide.
2.Describe how using mesocosms for research is both an advantage and a disadvantage in predicting the effects of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
