Abstract
The specific composition, vertical distribution and daily migration of plankton in a meromictic salt lake, Lake Shira, have been investigated. The main structural components of the ecosystem are bacteria, algae and crustaceans. Since the late 1970s, blue-green algae are reported as dominant. Nowadays the phytoplankton is dominated by Lyngbya contorta, Microcystis ichtyoblabe (Cyanophyta), Cyclotella tuberculata (Bacillariophyta) and Dictyosphaerium tetrachotomum (Chlorophyta). The zooplankton of Lake Shira comprises Arctodiaptomus salinus (Copepoda), Brachionus plicatilis and Hexarthra oxiuris (Rotatoria). Investigation revealed a stratified vertical distribution of all dominant species except Cyclotella with a maximum at a depth of 12--15 m during the summer growth period. Zooplanktons differ in the pattern of distribution and daily migration, but most zooplankton tend to concentrate near the surface. The possible reasons for the vertical distribution of the plankton are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexandrovskaya, M.A., Goncharova, M.N., Komarova, N.M., Skornyakov, V.A., Churakov, V.K., Tzytzarin, G.V. and Shmideberg, N.A. 1959. Hydromineral resources of Lake Shira region (Report of investigations in 1957–1958), Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia (In Russian).
Britzke, M.E. 1982. Atomic-absorption spectrochemical analysis. Chimia, Moscow (In Russian).
Campbell, R.C. 1967. Statistics for Biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Degermendzhy, N.N., Zotina, T.A. and Tolomeev, A.P. 1996 Structural-functional components of plankton community of the ecosystem of Lake Shira (review and experiments). Sibirskii ecologicheskii zurnal 5: 439–452 (In Russian).
Gladyshev, M.I. 1990. Daily dynamic of vertical distribution of mass zooplankters in the Sydinskii bay of Krasnoyarsk reservoir. Izvestiya SB Ac. Sci. SSSR 3: 78–85.
Gusev, M.V. and Nikitina, K.A., 1979. Cyanobacteria (Physiology and Metabolism). Nauka, Moscow (In Russian).
Izmest'eva, L.R. and Kuznetsov, I. Yu. 1993. Spatial zonation of phytoplankton using a submerged impulse fluorimeter. In: O.M. Kozhova and L.R. Izmest'eva (eds) Evaluation of phytoplankton productivity, pp. 61–69. Nauka, Novosibirsk (In Russian).
Jorgensen, S.E. 1985. Lake Management. Agropromizdat, Moscow (In Russian).
Keller, A.A. 1987. Mesocosm studies of DCMU-enhanced fluorescence as a measure of phytoplankton photosynthesis. Marine Biol. 96: 107–114.
Kiselev, I.A. 1980. Plankton of the Seas and Continental Waters. Vol. 2. Nauka, Leningrad (In Russian).
Kolmakov, V.I., Gayevsky, N.A., Gold, V.M., Dorovskikh, S.N. and Korkin, A.I. 1993. A Study of Phytoplankton of Lake Shira. Reported in VINITI 2669–Â93: 20 (In Russian).
Kryuchkova, N.M. 1989. Trophic interactions of phyto-and zooplankton. Nauka, Moscow (In Russian).
Kurlov, M.T. 1927. Lake Shira Resort. Kr. znamya, Tomsk (In Russian).
Kuskovskii, V.S. and Krivosheyev, A.S. 1989. Mineral Lakes of Siberia. Nauka, Novosibirsk (In Russian).
Kuzmenko, M.I. 1982. Mixotrophism of blue-green algae and its ecological significance. Naukova dumka, Kiev (In Russian).
Kuzmin, G.V. 1975. Specific composition and abundance of phytoplankton. In: F.D. Morduchay-Boltovskoy (ed.) Methods for Investigation of Inland Water-body Biogeocenoses, pp. 73–87. Nauka, Moscow (In Russian).
Kuznetzov, V.I., Basargin, N.N. and Misisheva L.G. 1968. Method of sulphate determination in solutions. Agrochimia 3: 134–137 (In Russian).
Nobel, P. 1973. Plant Cell Physiology. Mir, Moscow (In Russian).
Platonova, L.V. 1956a. Lake Shira Zooplankton (Communication 2). Transactions of Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical Institute 5: 207-217 (In Russian).
Platonova, L.V. 1956b. Fauna and productivity of Lake Shira. In: B.G. Ioganzen (ed.) Proceedings of the XVI Scientific Conference of Tomsk State University, Tomsk, pp. 65–73. Tomsk University, Tomsk (In Russian).
Poluektov, N.S. 1959. Methods of analysis by flame photometry. Goschimizdat, Moscow (In Russian).
Popova, T.G. 1946. On the algal flora of water bodies of northern Khakassia. Izvestiya Zap.-Sib. Filiala AN SSSR, Ser. Biol. 1: 41–47 (In Russian).
Siginevich, G.P., Volkova, N.I., Dubinina, N.N., Kravchuk, Yu.I., Michaleva, T.V., Mitzukova, L.D., Pushaeva, T.Ya., Romanov, N.S., Skoptzov, V.G., Cherepnina, G.I. and Kalyadin, S.A. 1976. Estimation of the biological productivity and possibility of breeding of fishes of the salmon species in the salt lakes of south Krasnoyarskii region (Report of the investigations in 1975–76). Institute of ecology of the fish-farming water bodies and inland biosystems, Krasnoyarsk, Russia (In Russian).
Suchanova, I.N. and Belyaeva, T.V. 1980. Specific composition, distribution and daily changes of phytoplankton in the Black Sea in October 1978. In: M.E. Vinogradov (ed.) Ecosystems of the Black Sea pelagial, pp. 65–91. Nauka, Moscow (In Russian).
Sudyina, E.G., Shnyukova, E.I., Tupik, N.D. and Timofeev, M.M. 1993. Effect of sodium sulphide on the culture growth of Spirulina platensis (Nordst.) Geitl. (Cyanophyta). Algologia 3(1): 48–52 (In Russian).
Todorova, A. and Juttner, F. 1996. Ecotoxicological analysis of nostocyclamide, a modified cyclic hexapeptide from Nostos. Phycologia 35(6): 183–188.
Trifonova, I.S. 1990. Ecology and succession of lake phytoplankton. Nauka, Leningrad (In Russian).
Vrede, T. 1998. Elemental composition (C:N:P) and growth rates of bacteria and Rhodomonas grazed by Daphnia. Journal of Plankton Research 20: 455–470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zotina, T.A., Tolomeyev, A.P. & Degermendzhy, N.N. Lake Shira, a Siberian salt lake: ecosystem structure and function. 1. Major physico-chemical and biological features. International Journal of Salt Lake Research 8, 211–232 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009030120324
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009030120324