Eutrophication causes invertebrate biodiversity loss and decreases cross-taxon congruence across anthropogenically-disturbed lakes

Eutrophication is a major problem currently impacting many surface water ecosystems. Impacts of increased nutrient concentrations on biodiversity may differ between different scales, organism groups, and trophic states. Surveys at spatial scales have suggested that taxa exhibit significant cross-taxon congruence. In our study, we examined the diversity zooplankton zoobenthos across 261 lakes in Lake Taihu watershed, an area undergoing severe eutrophication process. We tested congruence species richness Shannon-Wiener along gradient lakes. Our findings were consistent with intermediate disturbance hypothesis, considering input as disturbance. Also, found diversities. results confirmed excess levels resulted loss community simplification. Zoobenthos more sensitive to increases compared zooplankton, which decreased because these groups did not respond similarly anthropogenic