The 24 h LC₅₀ values of Cd²⁺ to Brachionus angularis and Keratella valga at (25±1)℃ were determined by acute toxicity tests, and the effects of Cd²⁺ concentrations (7.0, 12.0, 20.4, 34.6, 58.8 and 100.0 μg/L) on the life table demographic parameters including survivorship, fecundity, life expectancy at hatching, generation time, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of population increase and proportion of mictic offspring of B. angularis and K. valga both cultured at (25±1)℃ and with 1.0×10⁶ cells/mL of Scenedesmus obliquus as the rotifers' food were studied by life table experiments. The results showed that the 24 h LC₅₀ values of Cd²⁺ to B. angularis and K. Valga were 95.5 and 231.9 μg/L, respectively. Cd²⁺ concentration significantly affected the survivorships of B. angularis and K. valga (P<0.05). Compared with the controls, Cd²⁺ at 100.0 μg/L decreased the survivorship of B. angularis, Cd²⁺ at 34.6 and 100.0 μg/L decreased the survivorship of K. valga. The survivorships of K. valga were higher than those of B. angularis, when they were exposed to Cd²⁺ at 0, 7.0, 20.4, 34.6, 58.8 and 100.0 μg/L (P<0.05). Cd²⁺ concentration markedly affected the fecundity of B. angularis (P<0.01), but the fecundities of the rotifers exposed to all the concentrations of Cd²⁺ were similar to that in the control. Cd²⁺ concentration did not affect the fecundity of K. valga (P>0.05). When the concentrations of Cd²⁺ were 12.0 and 100.0 μg/L, the fecundities of B. angularis were higher than those of K. valga. Cd²⁺ concentration significantly affected the intrinsic rate of population increase of B. angularis, and generation time, life expectancy at hatching and net reproductive rate of K. valga (P<0.05). Compared with the controls, Cd²⁺ at 100.0 μg/L significantly decreased the intrinsic rate of population increase of B. angularis. Cd²⁺ at 34.6 and 58.8 μg/L shortened the generation time, Cd²⁺ at 34.6 and 100.0 μg/L shortened the life expectancy at hatching, and Cd²⁺ at 34.6 μg/L decreased the net reproductive rate of K. valga. B. angularis is more sensitive to Cd²⁺ pollution than K. valga. The sensitivity of life-table demographic parameters to Cd²⁺ pollution depends on the test rotifer species. The relationship between the generation time (Y, h) of B. angularis and Cd²⁺ concentration (X, μg/L) could be described by Y=-0.011X²+0.657X+71.719 (R²=0.570, P<0.01).