Zooplankton dynamics from inundation to drying in a complex ephemeral floodplain-wetland

Ecological responses to wetting and drying in dryland river floodplain systems are often described in terms of "boom" and "bust". We suggest that patterns in floodplain species abundances and assemblage structures will be closely linked to the changes in spatial habitat heterogeneity that accompany flooding and drying phases. This study examined the responses of zooplankton through a wetting and drying cycle in a complex floodplain-wetland system in semi-arid Australia, the Narran Lakes. We illustrate the complexity of the zooplankton "boom" and "bust" response. Total densities of zooplankton varied considerably over time and patterns were very dissimilar between sites with abundances varying from