UDC

574.587 (470.11+282.2)

Authors

Aleksandr P. Novoselov*, Igor’ I. Studenov*, Aleksey K. Koz’min*, Gennadiy A. Dvoryankin*, Aleksandr G. zavisha*, Marina A. Studenova*, Aleksandr L. Levitskiy*
*Northern branch of the Knipovich Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (Arkhangelsk, Russian Federation)

Abstract

The Lacha Lake ‒ the largest lake in the Arkhangelsk region is subject to successional changes in abiotic and biotic components of the aquatic ecosystem. The article presents the characteristics of the lake forage base. The paper demonstrates a rich species diversity (163 species, 16 systematic groups) of benthic invertebrates common to the northwestern zone and widespread in the Palaearctic northern part; their taxonomic status is also determined. Freshwater sponges of Porifera and Coelenterata coelenterata (1 species) are isolated. Annelid worms (24 species) and Mollusca mollusks (43 species) are characterized by a large number of species. More than half of all found species (94) belong to the Arthropoda type. Both in abundance and biomass, the water larvae of chironomids dominate. Oligochaetes, nematodes and bivalves are highly abundant. Gastropods and oligochaetes play a significant role in the formation of biomass. The distribution of zoobenthos along the lake’s water area is characterized by an almost identical (both in abundance and in terms of biomass) ratio of the representatives of the dominant group ‒ the aquatic larvae of chironomids. At the beginning of the 21st century, the benthos population was formed due to the small number of dipterans, oligochaetes and bivalves; in the following years, the number of oligochaetes increased. The lake’s average longterm indicators of benthos fauna development are the abundance ‒ 3,620 specimen/m² and biomass ‒ 10.6 g/m². According to the fishery classification, the Lacha Lake can be attributed to the reservoirs of medium food capacity for bottom-feeding fishes. The information can be used in the methods development of rational commercial use of inland waters in the Northern Fishery Basin.

Keywords

benthos community of the Lacha Lake, species diversity of zoobenthos, abundance of zoobenthos, zoobenthos biomass, spatial distribution of zoobenthos, trophic status of the Lacha Lake

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