Features of the Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton at the Left Bank of the Volga Reach of Kuibyshev Reservoir (Republic of Tatarstan, Rf)

Abstract

Biocenosis of shallow waters of lowland reservoirs lives in various habitat regimes and are characterized by a special structural and functional organization. To fully elucidate these features, it is necessary to research several hydrologically different areas simultaneously. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seasonal dynamics on the phytoplankton community of the Volga reach of the Kuibyshev reservoir near the left bank. During the observation period, 112 taxa were found in the phytoplankton of the studied site. The greatest number of taxa were identified from the groups of diatoms (44%) and green (28%) algae. Some other less diverse groups are blue-green (16%), Chrysophyta (6%), cryptophyta and dinophyta (3%), etc. Cosmopolitan and planktonic species of algae prevail in terms of environmentally-geographical characteristics. Concerning halobility, most species are indifferent, and in terms of pH, the most common are the indifferent alkaliphile + alkalibiontic algae. The total abundance and biomass of planktonic algae range 8.49-1661.09 mln.cl./l and 10.28 -114.11 mg/l respectively. Some important dominant species are blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa f. flos-aquae, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Anabaena flos-aquae, Anabaena scheremetievi, Aulacoseira italica, Navicula sp., Carteria globosa, Chlamydomonas sp., Pandorina morum, Scenedesmus guadricauda. Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton have two peaks of abundance and biomass which are at the end of the first decade of July and in the second decade of August. Both maxima are due to the massive development of blue-green algae, which causes water to “bloom”. The phytoplankton of the investigated section of the Kuibyshev reservoir is dominated by β-mesosaprobic organisms.