Ostracod and ephippia records were used to determine the environmental characteristics of Lake San Lorenzo from 1956 to 2013. D. stevensoni, C. okeechobei and C. ilosvayi have been previously reported in the Neotropical-Caribbean region (Pérez et al. 2010; Díaz et al. 2017; Amezcua-Vargas 2022). D. stevensoni is a benthic species with cosmopolitan distribution and tolerates mesohaline environments (≤ 15‰; Meisch 2000). This species is considered as an indicator of shallow waters (up to 15 m) and prefers aquatic environments with slow currents (Pérez et al. 2010). C. okeechobei is a nektobenthonic species that presents a high hydrochemical tolerance and prefers calm waters. Pérez et al. (2010) suggest it could be indicative of stressful environments with waters no deeper than 40 m, as living specimens in the Neotropical-Caribbean region prefer littoral zones with rich vegetation. C. ilosvayi is mainly a neotropical benthic species that prefers waters with salinity < 3.2‰, tolerates relatively high concentrations of sulphate (up to 2300mg/L), temperatures > 20°C and shallow waters (< 40 m) (Pérez et al. 2010). On the other hand, ephippium are resting eggs produced by Cladocera when disruption of optimal environmental conditions occurs. Ephippium sediment in the lake bottom where they remain safe until conditions become favourable again for a new parthenogenetic stage (Ramírez, 1981). Although we recognized three different types (Fig. 3), specific classification was not possible as head remains are necessary for this. In the following section we discuss the possible environmental changes of Lake San Lorenzo based on ostracod and ephippia variations (this work), diatom record and geochemical data (Fig. 4) previously published in Caballero et al. (2022). As explain before, we use ephippium results as indicative of environmental stress, and Ti variations as indicative of catchment disturbance due to anthropogenic activities. Moreover, we use Mn variations as indicator of bottom redox conditions as this element is mobile in anoxic environments (e.g. Schaller and Wehrli 1996, Caballero et al. 2019). In Fig. 4, we also present the diatom data highlighting the taxa which ecological distribution is indicative of higher turbidity, higher nutrients, and slightly higher salinity environments such as Aulacoseira granulata and its var. angustissima, Stephanocyclus meneghinianus, Stephanodiscus hantzchii and Ulnaria delicatissima.
Ecological implications
During the late 1950s Caballero et al. (2020) reports that changes in land use during the agrarian reform disturbed Lake Balamtetik (Fig. 1) environment with high local and regional erosion, soil organic matter, eutrophication, and anoxic bottom water conditions. Similarly, the Lake San Lorenzo Ti record also reflects higher erosion during this period. The Mn data suggest that anoxic lake bottom conditions prevailed except for a brief episode at the base of the sequence when ostracod valves were also present. Moreover, diatoms that are indicative of disturbance and eutrophication coexist with D. stevensoni and Cladocera ephippium. These results suggest that conditions of Lake San Lorenzo during the late 1950s were already with relatively high environmental stress possibly associated to changes in land use.
During the 1960s, ostracods and ephippium were not preserved in San Lorenzo record, whereas diatom productivity increased probably as a reflection of increased productivity in the lake. This could be indicative of a resilience period where environmental conditions enhanced the productivity of planktonic diatoms and Cladocera reestablished its parthenogenetic reproduction. However, ostracods absence in the sedimentary record correlates with anoxic bottom water conditions. Thus, we suggest ostracods are mainly responding to oxygen lake bottom availability with preference to oxygenated conditions and that they are lost from the record during times when increased lake productivity favoured anoxic bottom waters.
Based on magnetic susceptibility data, C/N values, and Ti and Fe concentration, Caballero et al. (2022) reported two periods of major catchment disturbance that increased the sediment discharge to Lake San Lorenzo through the RGC. The first one from 1970 to 1985 whereas the second from 1990 to 2000. Overall, during the first period diatom productivity decreases but proportions of the disturbance taxa remain high. Moreover, Cladocera also reflects increasing water turbidity as ephippium were produced and deposited in the sediment. On the other hand, the ostracod record exhibits presence of juveniles and no adults during the 1970s. This correlates again with oxygenated lake bottom conditions as the Mn record reflects. We suggest, the increasing sediment discharge caused by anthropogenic activity might have led to mixing lake water conditions, bringing some oxygen to the lake bottom. However, this new oxygen level was not optimal for the ostracods to reach their final adult stage, until the 1978. During this time, the only presence of C. ilosvayi suggests conditions of enhanced dissolved oxygen and slightly higher salinity. However, in 1981 enhanced turbidity and salinity might have caused this species to disappear, while D. stevensoni, C. okeechobei and Unknown 1 are present in the sedimentary record. We suggest, Unknown 1 could be a variant of C. okeechobei with different ornamentation due to enhanced salinity conditions. Slightly higher salinities in these lakes seems to be a response to increased sulphates derived from the use of fertilizers (Mora Palomino et al. 2017) and in the diatom record some salt tolerant species were also recorded (Stephanocyclus meneghinianus) (Caballero et al. 2022). For example, Wrozyna et al. (2017) suggest that differences in chloride and sulphate concentrations, related to lake level fluctuations and precipitation, are considered to affect valve development via controlling osmoregulation and carapace calcification on Neotropical cytheroidean Ostracoda. However, this hypothesis on C. okeechobei needs to be tested.
Later on, from 1982 to 1992 the ostracod record exhibits only the presence of the Unknown 2 species. This period is the transition between the two intervals of major catchment disturbance reported by Caballero et al. (2022). During this period, diatom record shows the lowest productivity, and Mn data suggests fluctuating bottom oxygen conditions as sediment discharge and water mixing ceased. Moreover, ephippium absence suggest Cladocera reestablished its parthenogenetic reproduction probably due to water turbidity decreasing. Overall, we suggest less oxygenated water and less turbidity conditions favored Unknown 2 occurrence. However, this unknown species disappeared from the record in 1994, when conditions of catchment disturbance (Ti) and turbidity settled back, also marked by presence of ephippium, D. stevensoni and C. okeechobei in the record. Moreover, we suggest Uknown 2 was a species that adapted faster to the new environmental conditions compared to the other ostracod species. Based on its smaller size (Fig. 5), sieve porosity and ability of rapid adaptation, we suggest Unknown 2 could belong to the Subfamily Cypridopsinae Kaufmann, 1900. Furthermore, no sexual dimorphism was observed on Unknown 2 valves. For example, C. vidua exhibits sieve porosity, it is considered as a cosmopolitan species with wide range of temperature toleration (Keyser 1976; Lorenschat 2009), and sex ratio analyses of C. vidua in natural populations and laboratory studies have indicated that this species is exclusively female (Havel and Hebert 1989). Analysis and description of soft parts and live specimens of Uknown 2 will be necessary to determine this species.
Finally, during the period from 1995 to 2013 the diatom productivity increased with higher proportions of the disturbance indicator taxa. Moreover, the Mn record exhibits the lowest values indicating the most severe anoxic conditions of the record. This correlates again with no ostracod preservation, but juveniles in 2002 when Mn data shifts from higher that the average to lower than the average values. We suggest the lack of oxygenated water at the bottom of the lake is affecting the ostracod productivity in Lake San Lorenzo. Modern sediments collected in 2013 were devoid of ostracods, when lake bottom oxygen levels were anoxic (0.4 mg/L).