Lake Warming and Microbial Food Web Dynamics in Spring: A Focus on Ciliates

Abstract

Lakes worldwide are increasingly affected by global warming, with profound impacts on their physical, chemical and biological properties. Over the past decades, rising air temperatures have increased the thermal budgets of temperate lakes, with the surface water warming faster than deeper layers. This imbalance in water density has intensified thermal stratification and reduced winter mixing, leading to a shortening of nutrient availability for primary producers and their top predators, such as ciliates. Ciliates play a critical role Show more