UDC 582.26.574.2

Gorohova O.G., Zinchenko T.D. COMMUNITIES OF PLANKTON AND BENTOS ALGAE OF HIGHLY MINERALIZED RIVERS TRIBUTARIES OF LAKE ELTON // Arid Ecosystems. 2022. Vol. 28. № 4 (93). P. 201-210. | PDF

The results of long-term (2008, 2012-2019) studies of phytoplankton and phytobenthos of seven highly mineralized rivers of the Elton region are presented. The flora of algae includes 214 taxa from 7 systematic divisions, Bacillariophyta are leading in terms of species richness and quantitative development. A comparative description of the taxonomic structure and species diversity of communities in the mineralization gradient is given. Structure-forming species were identified as widespread euryhaline taxa: Chaetoceros muelleri Lemm., Conticribra weissflogii (Grun.) S.-Suchoples et Williams, Nitzschia closterium Ehr., Halamphora coffeaeformis (Ag.) Meresch., Achnanthesbrevipes Ag. (Bacillariophyta), and also Cyanoprokaryota – Phormidium breve (Kütz. ex Gom.) Anagn. & Kom., Oscillatoria limosa Ag. ex Gom., O. tenuis Ag. ex Gom., Geitlerinema amphibium (Ag. ex Gom.) Anagn. Under conditions of critical salinity for rivers, species of the genus Dunaliella (Chlorophyta) dominate. It is shown that the abundance and biomass of algae in algocenoses vary widely and do not depend on the level of mineralization. Specific species richness is characterized by a weak negative correlation with mineralization in mesohaline rivers and significant (R = -0.50, R = -0.52, p < 0.05) in polyhaline rivers. The seasonal dynamics of plankton algocenoses is expressed in changes in the species structure, abundance, and biomass.

Keywords: salt rivers, Lake Elton, algocenoses.

Financing. The work was carried out as part of the state task «Assessment of Modern Biodiversity and Forecast of Its Changes for the Ecosystems of the Volga Basin in the Conditions of Their Natural and Anthropogenic Transformation» (AAAAA-A17-117112040040-3), with the financial support of the Russian Fundation for Basic Research (17-04-00135).

DOI: 10.24412/1993-3916-2022-4-201-210

EDN: JMKBDF