Composition and structure of phytoplankton communities in the Samara River (Saratov Reservoir basin)

O.G. Gorokhova

Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin RAS, Togliatti, 445003 Russia

E-mail: o.gorokhova@yandex.ru

Received December 23, 2019

Full text PDF

DOI: 10.26907/2542-064X.2020.3.413-429

For citation: Gorokhova O.G. Composition and structure of phytoplankton communities in the Samara River (Saratov Reservoir basin). Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Estestvennye Nauki, 2020, vol. 162, no. 3, pp. 413–429. doi: 10.26907/2542-064X.2020.3.413-429. (In Russian)

Abstract

The phytoplankton communities of the Samara River were described based on their quantitative parameters and species diversity. A total of 160 species and intraspecific taxa of algae from 8 divisions were identified in the algal flora. Chlorophyta (46%) and Bacillariophyta (25%) prevailed. The degree of species composition similarity differed between the river reaches: from 15% in the upstream area to 59% in the ecotone zone, in which the water from the river mixes with the Saratov Reservoir. The abundance and biomass of phytoplankton increased, with significant fluctuations, from the headwaters to the mouth. The longitudinal dynamics of phytoplankton abundance was determined by Chlorophyta, while the dominance of other algal groups appeared to be confined to only certain areas. Based on the biomass values, diatoms, green algae, and large-cell phytoflagellates prevailed. The dominant species composition of the algal communities shifted because of flood control, tributary influx, anthropogenic eutrophication, and backwater effect in the mouth area.

Keywords: phytoplankton, algal communities, Samara River, Saratov Reservoir, Volga River basin

Acknowledgments. This study was performed as part of the state assignment “Assessment of current biodiversity and forecast of its change for ecosystems of the Volga River basin under the conditions of their natural and anthropogenic transformation”.

Special thanks to L.V. Golovatyuk (PhD in Biology, Laboratory of Ecology of Small Rivers, Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin, Russian Academy of Sciences) and E.M. Kurina (PhD in Biology, Laboratory of Ecology of Small Rivers, Institute of Ecology of the Volga River Basin, Russian Academy of Sciences) for kindly providing the phytoplankton samples and the hydrological data.

Figure Captions

Fig. 1. Schematic location of stations in the Samara River, where samples were taken (scale: 1:2 500 000).

Fig. 2. Composition of the algal divisions in the phytoplankton of the Samara River (I) and changes in the species abundance within the algal divisions along the river length (II).

Fig. 3. Dendrogram of similarities between the local algal florae at different reaches of the Samara River.

Fig. 4. Percentage of the dominant species from different divisions in the total number (N) and biomass (B) of phytoplankton; changes in the species diversity indices (Hn, Hb) and evenness along the river length.

References

1. Okhapkin A.G. The species composition of phytoplankton as an indicator of the habitat conditions in watercourses of various types. Bot. Zh., 1998, vol. 83, no. 9, pp. 8–9. (In Russian)
2. Mischke U., Venohr M., Behrendt H. Using phytoplankton to assess the trophic status of German rivers. Int. Rev. Hydrobiol., 2011, vol. 96. no. 5, pp. 578–598. doi: 10.1002/iroh.201111304.
3. Reynolds C.S., Descy J.P. The production, biomass and structure of phytoplankton in large rivers. Arch. Hydrobiol., 1996, vol. 10, nos. 1–4, suppl. 113: Large Rivers, pp. 161–187. doi: 10.1127/lr/10/1996/161.
4. Bolgovics Á., Várbíró G., Ács É., Trábert Z., Kiss K.T., Pozderka V., Görgényi J., Boda P., Lukács B.-A., Nagy-László Z., Abonyi A., Borics G. Phytoplankton of rhithral rivers: Its origin, diversity and possible use for quality-assessment. Ecol. Indic., 2017, vol. 81, pp. 587–596. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind. 2017.04.052.
5. Gorokhova О.G., Zinchenko T.D. Phytoplankton of the Usa River and its tributaries (Kuibyshev Reservoir basin). Biol. Bull., 2019, vol. 46, no. 10, pp. 1382–1389. doi: 10.1134/S1062359019100121.
6. Rozenberg G.S., Saksonov S.V., Evlanov I.A., Zinchenko T.D., Matveev V.I., Bykova S.V., Gerasimov Yu.L., Golovatyuk L.V., Gorbunov M.V., Gorokhova O.G., Ivanova A.V., Koneva N.V., Krasnova E.S., Lysenko T.M., Nomokonova V.I., Romanova E.P., Solov’eva V.V., Umanskaya M.V., Sherysheva N.G., Yuritsyn N.A. Golubaya kniga Samarskoi oblasti: redkie i okranyaemye gidrobiotsenozy [The Blue Book of the Samara Region: Rare and Protected Hydrobiocenoses]. Rozenberg G.S., Saksonov S.V. (Eds.). Samara, SamNTs Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2007. 200 р. (In Russian)
7. State Report. On the state of the environment and natural resources of the Samara region in 2015. Samara, 2016, vol. 26. 296 p. (In Russian)
8. Ekologicheskii byulleten’. Samarskaya oblast’. 2015 g. [Environmental Bulletin. Samara Region. 2015]. Samara, FGBU “Privolzh. UGMS”, 2016. 42 p. (In Russian)
9. State Report. On the state and protection of the environment in the Orenburg region in 2015. Kostyuchenko K.P. (Ed.). Orenburg, 2016. 260 p. (In Russian)
10. Gaev A.Ya., Gatskov V.G., Kozemchuk M.P., Malkin A.V., Nechitailo O.N., Pampushka A.M. On the environmental impact assessment of oil and gas fields (by the example of the Orenburg region). Mater. VII Mezhreg. geol. konf. “Geologiya, poleznye iskopayemye i problemy geoekologii Bashkortostana, Urala i sopredel’nykh territorii”. 19–21 noyabrya 2008 g. [Proc. VII Interreg. Geol. Conf. “Geology, Minerals and Geoecological Problems of Bashkortostan, the Urals, and Neighboring Territories”. Nov. 19–21, 2008]. Ufa, 2008, pp. 292–296. (In Russian)
11. Pazhenkov A.S. Reestr osobo okhranyaemykh prirodnykh territorii regional’nogo znacheniya Samarskoi oblasti [Register of the Regional Protected Areas in the Samara Region]. Samara, Ekoton, 2010. 259 p. (In Russian)
12. Metodika izucheniya biogeotsenozov vnutrennikh vodoemov [Methods of Studying Inland Water Ecosystems]. Moscow, Nauka, 1975. 240 p. (In Russian)
13. Gorokhova O.G. On the saprobity assessment of the Samara River waters (a tributary of the Saratov Reservoir). Ekologicheskii sbornik 7: Trudy molodykh uchenykh. Vserossiiskaya (s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem) molodezhnaya nauchnaya konferentsiya “Aktual’nye problemy ekologii Volzhskogo basseina”. Tol’yatti, 18–21 aprelya 2019 g. [A Collection of Ecological Papers 7: Proc. of Young Scientists. All-Russ. (Int. Participation) Youth Sci. Conf. “Current Ecological Problems of the Volga River Basin”. Togliatti, Apr. 18–21, 2019]. Senator S.A., Mukhortova O.V., Saksonov S.V. (Eds.). Samara, IEVB Ross. Akad. Nauk, “Anna”, 2019, pp. 133–134. (In Russian)
14. Zelenevskaya N.A., Prokina N.Yu. Phytoplankton of the estuarine sections of the Sok, Samara, and Chapaevka Rivers in 1978–1979. Vestn. Volzh. Univ. im. V.N. Tatishcheva, 2011, no. 11, pp. 44–53. (In Russian)
15. Korneva L.G. Fitoplankton vodokhranilishch basseina Volgi [Phytoplankton of Reservoirs in the Volga River Basin]. Kostroma, Kostrom. Pechatnyi Dom, 2015. 284 p. (In Russian)
16. Ekologicheskie problemy malykh rek Rspubliki Tatarstan [Ecological Problems of Small Rivers of the Republic of Tatarstan]. Yakovlev V.A. (Ed.). Kazan, Fen, 2003. 289 p. (In Russian)
17. Gorokhova O.G. Description of phytoplankton from the Bolshoy Cheremshan River (Kuibyshev Reservoir). Uchenye Zapiski Kazanskogo Universiteta. Seriya Estestvennye Nauki, 2016, vol. 158, no. 2, pp. 247–258. (In Russian)
18. Fitoplankton Nizhnei Volgi. Vodokhranilishcha i nizov’e reki [Phytoplankton of the Lower Volga River. Reservoirs and Lower Reaches]. St. Petersburg, Nauka, 2003. 231 p. (In Russian)
19. Gorokhova O.G. Composition and structure of phytoplankton communities in the Usa Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir during the period water “blooming”. Izv. SamNTs Ross. Akad. Nauk, 2016, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 122–130. (In Russian)
20. Gerasimova N.A. Fitoplankton Saratovskogo i Volgogradskogo vodokhranilishch [Phytoplankton of the Saratov and Volgograd Reservoirs]. Togliatti, IEVB Ross. Akad. Nauk, 1996. 200 p. (In Russian)
21. Popchenko I.I. Vidovoi sostav i dinamika fitoplanktona Saratovskogo vodokhranilishcha [Species Composition and Dynamics of Phytoplankton in the Saratov Reservoir]. Togliatti, 2001. 148 p. (In Russian)
22. Skulberg O.M. Blue-green algae in Lake Mjøsa and other Norwegian lakes. Eutrophication of Deep Lakes: Proc. Semin. on Eutrophication of Deep Lakes Held on 19–20 June, 1978 at Gjøvik, Norway, 1980, pp. 121–141. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-026024-2.50012-2.
23. Belyakova R.N., Voloshko L.N., Gavrilova O.V., Gogorev R.M., Makarova I.V., Okolodkov Yu.B., Rundina L.A. Vodorosli, vyzyvayushchie “tsvetenie” vodoemov Severo-Zapada Rossii [Blooming Algae of Northwestern Russia]. Moscow, Tov-vo. Nauchn. Izd. KMK, 2006. 367 p. (In Russian)

The content is available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.