Unveiling Zooplankton Diversity Patterns: The Differential Influence of Macrophyte Belts on Species and Functional Metrics

Species and functional diversity are essential frameworks for analyzing changes in planktonic communities. In lakes and rivers, macrophytes within the coastal zone are a primary determinant of zooplankton community structure and function. This study investigated the influence of various macrophyte beds in the littoral zones of lakes and river estuaries on the species and functional diversity of zooplankton communities. Our analysis revealed that among the species diversity metrics, only zooplankton species richness notably demonstrated a clear relationship with macrophyte type and their projective coverage. The highest richness was observed in mixed and submerged macrophytes due to the peculiarities of their morphological structure. Functional diversity indices—functional richness, functional evenness, and functional divergence—had a strong association with diverse macrophyte belts. The extent of these differences in zooplankton species and functional diversity is further amplified by a greater representation of diverse macrophyte belt types within the littoral zone. Macrophyte thickets consistently demonstrated increased species richness, functional richness, and functional divergence in zooplankton communities compared to open water zones, with mixed and submerged macrophytes exerting the most pronounced impact on diversity. These results underscore that the diverse structures of macrophytes contribute significantly to variation in zooplankton diversity in coastal areas. Consequently, functional diversity indices prove to be more effective tools than traditional species diversity indices for assessing changes in planktonic communities along spatial gradients.