Figure 3
Trophic changes of Kings Billabong revealed by the percentage abundance of the most common planktonic and littoral cladocerans. The assemblage of planktonic species prior to river regulation (1930) is low. River regulation caused hydrological shift of the Murray River causing (low littoral:planktonic ratios) as well as the composition of B. meridionalis has increased. Among littoral cladocerans, the assemblage of turbid water preferring species mostly small Alona, A. guttata, and other species, A. quadrangularis, Biapertura longispina and C. sphaericus all have increased, but the composition of the pioneer clear water macrophyte preferring species, D. crassa, declined from c. 1970. The post 1990 shows a sign of reduced water quality due to increased turbidity revealed by increased cladoceran ephippia. Depth information in the y-axis (in cm) is from the sediment core.
