Specific Structural Features of Zooplankton in Lakes Differing in Trophic Status: Zoosynusiae

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Specific Structural Features of Zooplankton in Lakes Differing in Trophic Status: Species Populations

The index of cenotic significance and other indices calculated on its basis were used for revealing specific structural features of zooplanktonic communities in lakes differing in productivity. The results showed that new indices (complexity coefficient, index of cenotic significance of dominant species, and integrated cenotic significance of the zooplankton) strongly correlate with the trophic status of the water body and are more responsive to changes in the structure of the community than the Shannon–Weaver index of species diversity. The results confirm the hypothesis that the structure of zooplankton is simplified in the course of lake eutrophication.     

On the Assessment of the Structural Organization of Phytoplankton (Lake Bol'shoe Miassovo,the Southern Urals)

Ordination methods were applied to the identification of structural units in the phytoplankton community. The groups of phytoplanktonic species identified by the time gradient and the method of cluster analysis of species lists were compared. The structural complexity of the phytoplankton community was evaluated using the index of cenotic significance (ICS) and derivative calculation coefficients. A high degree of similarity in the structure of dominance between the zooplanktonic and phytoplanktonic communities of the water body was revealed.     

Psychrophilic and Psychrotolerant Heterotrophic Microorganisms of Middle Siberian Karst Cavities

The natural microflora of Middle Siberian karst cavities, which comprises psychrotolerant bacteria and fungi capable of growing at 3–15 and 3...+28°C, respectively, has been studied. Bacteria are ubiquitous in caves, their count varying from 10³ to 10⁷ cells/g ground. The bacteria have been identified as Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and coryneform bacteria. Fungi have been found in places exposed to increased anthropogenic impact, their count being as large as 10⁶ to 10⁷ cells/g ground. Mucor, Penicillium, and Chrysosporium were dominant fungal genera.