Cenotes – lakes of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico)

• Autorzy: Szeroczyńska K. , Zawisza E.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Cenote lakes are natural sinkholes or depressions resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock exposing the groundwater underneath. Thousands of such lakes are particularly encountered on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). These lakes were of great significance for the Maya culture as important religious places and primary source of drinking water. They permitted the survival of Mayan communities through dry periods known as “Maya drought”. Most of the cenote lakes are large open water pools measuring tens of meters in diameter. The majority of cenotes are smaller sheltered sites. Their waters are usually very clear and oligotrophic, originating from rain water filtering slowly through the ground. The authors visited and collected zooplankton samples from eight cenotes in November 2013, namely: Ik-Kil, Samula, Zaci, X-Kekn, Actum Ha, Cristal, Sian Ka’an, and Chan Chemuxil (transect Merida–Tulum– Cancun). The analysed lakes differ considerably in morphological terms, varying from very deep to shallow. Some of them are under human impact (tourists). The water samples were analysed for zooplankton content, but the phytoplankton frequently occurring was also taken into account. The obtained results are largely varied, indicated big eco- logical verity among cenotes which depended on lake age, localization and morphometry. As showed our study Cladocera zooplankton was very rare and only present at several sites. Between the fauna community Copepoda and Ostracoda species were the most abundant. Phytoplankton were present in all studied lakes and it sees that played the central role in those ecosystems.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

cenotes; Yucatan; Mexico; phytoplankton; zooplankton

• Wydawca: Institute of Geological Science Polish Academy of Science
• Czasopismo: Studia Quaternaria
• Rocznik: 2015
• Tom: Vol. 32, Nr 1
• Strony: 53--57
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 20 poz.., tab., rys.

Twórcy

autor

Szeroczyńska K.

• Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland

autor

Zawisza E.

• Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland

Bibliografia

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