Freshwater investigations

Chertoprud M., Udalov A., 1996. ECOLOGICAL GROUPS OF FRESHWATER GASTROPODS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA. THE INFLUENCE OF THE TYPE OF WATER BODY AND SUBSTRATE // zoologycal journal (rus). V. 75(5). P. 664-676.

Summary. Basing on 370 samples from the central part of European Russia, the freshwater gastropods are classified with the respect to their occurence in different biotopes. Ecological groups of species are distinguished. The influence of the water body type and substrate on the species composition of these groups is considered. The significant correlation between the species composition and the water body type is shown. The influence of the substrate type is much lesser. The correlation between the mobility of gastropods and the substrate preferences of the species is discussed as well as the influence of the mosaicism of substrates.

Chertoprud M., 2002. Stream macrobenthic fauna of Klin-Dmitrov elevation // Inland Water Biology (rus). № 3. С. 16-24.

Summary. Work is based on the 210 qualitative samples of macroinvertebrates from 87 small streams of Klin-Dmitrov elevation (Moscow region). The macrobenthic communities in different biotops and their influence by the stream size, hydrologycal type, geographical locality, sampling season, surrounding landscape and human density of the basin are described. All these factors except geographical are significant for the benthic fauna. The stream size and hydrologycal stream type are the most impotant. Four ecological groups of the stream macrobenthos are subdivided.

Chertoprud M., 2002. Modification of Pantle–Buck Technique for Assessing Watercourse Pollution Based on Macrobenthos Quality Characteristics // Water Resources. V. 29(3). P. 306–311.

Summary. A new index is proposed for water quality assessment in rivers and creeks. The index is similar to the Pantle–Buck saprobity index, but is based on qualitative characteristics and uses macrobenthos families (rarely genera), for which original values of saprobity and indicator weight are given. Data collected at 245 watercourses in the central European Russia are used to study the correlation of the new index with the anthropogenic load onto watercourses, as well as with the watercourse type and size and the type of substrate. The index is shown to be more effective than the Pantle-Buck index modiﬁed by Sladecek and the Woodiwiss index and applicable for rapid assessment of watercourse pollution.

Chertoprud M., Peskov K., 2003. The Geographical Parallels of Lithoreophil Communities Organisation in Small Streams of Eastern Europe And Northern Asia // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 64(1). P. 78-87.

Summary. The influence of geographical position on taxonomical composition and structure of communities inhabited stony riffles is consideed on a material from 79 small streams situated in four regions of Eastern Europe (Moscow region, Southern Ural, Northern Caucasus and Mountain Crimea), as well as on publishing data on Asia and Northern Ural regions. Litoreophil communities of mentioned regions include different but closely allied species with similar habits. Eight basic living forms of litoreophils are common practically everywhere irrespective of geographical position and taxonomical composition of the community. The average number of species in a sample is also constant and includes 13-14 species. Local relief and climate influence the abundance of living forms and species diversity.

Chertoprud M., Chertoprud Е., 2004. Spatial pattern of lithorheophile macrobenthos (by the example of a stream in Moscow region) // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 65(6). P. 480-489.

Summary. The distribution of lithorheophil macrobenthos was studied in the range of scales from decimeter (regions in the scope of one stone) up to seven kilometers on the basis of 153 quantitative samples from oligosaprobic stream in Moscow region. Community shows significant spatial heterogeneity even at the small scale: life forms inhabit different sides of each stone and different sites of the riffle depending on current. At the scale of tens and hundreds of meters (between different riffles, within one stream) spatial heterogeneity of benthos is low, distribution of common species is independent from each other and riffs are similar by community structure. At the scope of kilometers heterogeneity increase and the alterations of community appear due to changes in stream size. Seasonal differences of benthos distribution are mentioned. The impact of various environmental factors on the distribution of lithorheophile macrobenthos is discussed.

Chertoprud M., 2005. Longitude variability of macrobenthos in the streams of Central European Russia // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 66(6). P. 491-502.

Summary. The changes in macrobenthos community depended on changes in stream discharge (from 0.001 m³/sec to 100 m³/sec) were studied on the basis of data from 254 stations of 180 streams located in the centre of European part of Russia. While discharge of stream increases community composition changes considerably. Species diversity increases from 12 to 47 species per station with the increase in stream size. Moreover, the diversity of almost all groups, discerned according habitat or trophic position and main taxonomic groups (with the exception of Plecoptera and Diptera) increases with the increase in stream discharge. The diversity of lithorheophilic species and species inhabiting soft substrates is higher in small streams, whereas phitophilic species are more diverse in large streams. With the increase in stream size the percent of algophagous and filter feeders increases, percent of carnivorous remains the same and the percent of detritophages decreases. The relative role of invertebrates macrotaxons change with the stream size: in the smallest streams the diversity is the highest among Diptera, Trichoptera and Plecoptera, in medium-size streams – among Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera and Diptera, in large streams – in Ephemeroptera, Gastropoda and Trichoptera. In some groups some species replace other (close-related) in parallel with change in stream discharge however in general this tendency is weak. The index of saprobic conditions increases with the increase in stream size from 1.6-1.7 to 2.3-2.4. In small streams the saprobic conditions are very different whereas large streams have tendency to be at β-mesosaprobic level. Cluster analysis reveal four size classes of streams. Peculiarities of habitat and macrobenthos fauna of these classes are described.

Chertoprud M., 2006. Analysis of life forms of rheophilic macrobenthos: a new approach to community classification // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 67(3). P. 190-197.

Summary. The taxonomical composition and number of life forms of macrobenthos assemblages were described for 82 streams in the Central Part of European Russia. The data (445 qualitative samples) were taken from the bottom and macrophytes. The communities typical for four main types of substratum (stones, macrophytes, sand and mud) differ at the level of species, genera, families and life forms. Communities from other habitats were either similar to the main types or demonstrated intermediate characteristics. The list of life forms or families provides more reliable information than that of species because the latter strongly depends on geographic location of a particular site. The author describes life forms and families that can characterize main types of macrobenthics communities connected with different substrata.

Chertoprud M., 2006. Spring macrobenthos communities of the Moscow province // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 67(5). P. 376-384.

Summary. Macrozoobenthos communities are described based on material from 70 springs and spring brooks of the Moscow province. The communities include 587 taxa of various origins: 27 rheophiles, 11 crenobionts, 10 ubiquists of small water bodies, and 3 limnophiles. Rheophile species predominate in diversity (52%) and total abundance (41.5%). Crenobionts include Beraea pullata, B. maura, Crunoecia irrorata, Apatania zonella, Parachiona picicornis, Potamophylax nigrocornis, Oxycera pseudoamoena, О. rаrа, О. pardalina, Pedicia rivosa, Thaumalea testacea; six of these are recorded in the region for the first time. Four types of spring communities are recognized in the region according to the Braun-Blanquet method: with predominant Rhyacophila fasciata and Baetis rhodani (macrorheocrenes), Potamophylax nigroicornis (microrheocrenes), Nemurella pictetii (limnocrenes), and Parachiona picicornis (helocrenes). Three of them are confined to water bodies of different size and flow velocity; one (N. pictetii) is linked to weakly flowing silted wated bodies. Change of spring communities is often observed also downstream due to the distance from the opening of the spring. The structure of rheocrene communities is most similar to that of brooks that are significantly larger than the rheocrenes. Limnocrenes and helocrenes communities have no counterparts among communities of other types of water bodies. Some of the specific traits of spring communities fit the island theory and can be explained by it. Comparison of the studied communities with those of springs of Sweden and England reveals wide variance of the general faunistic composition of the communities with a rather stable assortmeont of troglobiot species.

Chertoprud M., 2006. Species and Habitats of Scuds (Crustacea Amphipoda). Inland Water Biology (rus). № 4. P. 17-21.

Summary. We describing the fauna, habitats, distribution and identification of Amphipoda of Moscow region. There are five species of Scuds in region. Four species with different geographical genesis belong to family Gammaridae: Gammarus lacustris, Stygobromus meschtschericus, Dikerogammarus hemobaphes, Gmelinoides fasciatus, and one species Corophium sowinskyi belong to Corophiidae. Scuds species are occuping the main part of region in collective and have great abundance in its biotops often. It are distributed complementary and may be a markers of individual districts and waterbodyes. Three species of Scuds were emerge recently in Moscow region and developing the continual expansion now.

Chertoprud M., Peskov K., 2007. The rithral macrobenthos community biogeography of southeastern Europe // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 68(1). P. 52-63.

Summary. The rithral and hypocrenal (of small rapid streams) macrobenthos faunas of northern Greece, eastern Carpathians, montane Crimea, and northwestern Caucasus are comparatively analyzed based on original material. Peculiarities of the rheophile communities and faunas of each region and of the whole studied area are described. The area is provisionally divided into biogeographic unites based on rithral fauna; this classification is essentially different from those of other authors. The main faunistic border runs meridionally between Greece-Carpathians on one side and Caucasus-Crimea on the other. The present authors believe that the biogeographic variability of macrobenthos rithral faunas results from the position of regions containing rithron communities and from spatial ties between them. Three fundamental biogeographic zones, suggested to be ranked as subregions, are recognized in the West Palearctic: the Balkan-Alpine (West European), the Scandinavian-Ural (North European), and the Caucasian. All the data available fit the suggested scheme, which shows that this approach is of universal value to biogeographic analysis and to divisions of the rithral into biogeographic zones. The local-scale variability of rheophile macrobenthos fauna in the northwestern Caucasus is discussed. Significant faunistic similarity of territories comprising the studied area is shown, internal division into biogeographic zones is conducted, and the lowest scale border of the faunistic diversity of rheophile macrobenthos is established at about 100-150 km.

Chertoprud M., 2007. The Pantle-Back index modification for the european russia waterbodies // Bioindication in monitoring of freshwater ecosystems. Book of papers of the International Conference. St. Petersburg. LEMA. P. 298-302. (rus).

Summary. A new index is proposed for water quality assessment in European Russia inland waterbodies. The index is similar to the Pantle-Buck saprobity index, but is based on qualitative data and uses macrobenthic family level, with original list of its saprobity and indicator weight. Data collected in different East European waterbodies and watercourses are used to study the correlation of the new index with the waterbodies type, landscape zone, bottom substrat type and antropogenic load onto waters.

Chertoprud M., 2007. Structural variability of the lithorheophile macrobenthos communities // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 68(6). P. 424-434.

Summary. The relationship between the abundance of taxa and life forms of lithorheophile macrobenthos and its variability were studied based on 200 quantitative samples from six territories of the Palaearctic (Moscow province, northwestern Caucasus, eastern Carpathians, northern Karelia, South Urals, and Altai mountains). The set of taxa predominant in the communities and their ecology are described. It is found that community structure varies strongly, depending on the characteristics of each region, on the size of the watercourse, and on the season. Six types of biocenoses are recognized by means of the Braun-Blanquet method, each characterized by its peculiar set of predominant life forms and families rather similar in different territories. The differences between these types are related to the size and the hydrological conditions of the watercourse. Biocenosis 1 is typical to smal brooks (up to 0.01-0.1 m³/s), characterised by the predominance of detritophagous animals non-specific to the type of food (Gammarus, Nemoura, Limnephilidae). In biocenosis 2a (large brooks with water flow 0.03-0.3 m³/s and velocity 0.1-0.3 m/s), almost immobile shell scrapers (Ancylus, Silo, Agapetes, Glossosoma) are predominant. Biocenosis 2b (large brooks with velocity 0.3-0.5 m/s) have a more or less balanced set of fundamental lithorheophile life forms. Biocenosis 2c (large mountain brooks with velocity 0.5-1 m/s) is characterised by specialized scrapers of the rapids (Epeorus and Diamesa) and filterers (Simuliidae). In biocenosis 3 (small rivers), sedentary filterers (Hydropsychidae, Simulliidae) are predominant; scrapers also play a significant role. Biocenosis 4 (rivers with water flow more than 3 m³/s, thick incrustations, and silted stones on the bottom) has predominant filterers (Hydropsychidae) and vermiform algophagous animals inside the incrustations (Orthocladius, Psychomyia). Significant variability in community structure unrelated to the environmental factors is revealed within each of the biocenotic types. It is concluded that the quantitative structure of lithorheophile communities cannot be reliably predicted at the present level of knowledge, and the extrapolation of data is possible only at the level of species composition and ranked distribution of abundance.

Marine & estuarine investigations

Azovsky A., Chertoprood M., 1998. Scale-oriented approach to the analysis of spatial structure of communities // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 59(2). P. 117-136.

Summary. Basic types of spatial structure of communities are briefly reviewed, and some problems of the real structures examination are discussed. We propose a new – fractal – type of a spatial structure as a hierarchical system of several levels of enclosed patches with similar contrast on each level. New statistical criterion is offered for distinction of known types of a structure, including fractal one. The criterion is based on relation of heterogeneity of community structure with spatial scale of consideration. This criterion occurs to be rather effective on simple models simulating various types of distribution, though it has some limitation. Some notion of spatial scaling are specified. Perspectives of the scale-approach to the analysis of spatial structures and some difficulties of its practical use are discussed.

Chertoprood M., Azovsky A., 2000. MULTISCALE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF MACROBENTHOS OF THE WHITE SEA TIDAL ZONE // Journal of General Biology (Rus). V. 61(1). P. 47-63.

Summary. Spatial distribution of macrobenthos of middle intertidal zone was studied in scales from centimeters to 30 kilometers along the coastline. The community structure and distribution of 5 most abundant species (Hydrobia ulvae, Mya arenaria, Macoma baltica, Peloscolex benedeni, Arenicola marina) were considered. Spatial heterogeneity of macrobenthos, estimated as mean dissimilarity between samples, kept constant in scales of centimeters-meters, but increased significantly when enlarged area is considered. Patterns of many species changed with scale from random mosaics to more or less pronounced patchiness, whereas the density of H.ulvae and structure of the whole community demonstrated fractal (self-similar) patch pattern in wide range of scale from dozens of meters to several kilometers. Spatial correlations between species (the composition of assembladges) and between species and environmental factors were also scale dependent. Some possible effects of scale on the observed spatial distribution of benthos are discussed, and multiscaled analysis of biotic heterogeneity is concluded to be very fruitful.

Azovsky A., Chertoprood M., Kucheruk N., Rybnikov P., Sapozhnikov F., 2000. Fractal properties of spatial distribution of intertidal benthic communities // Marine Biology. V. 136(3). P. 581-590.

Summary. We studied the spatial distribution of intertidal macrozoobenthos, microphytobenthos (diatom algae) and sediments at scales from decimeters to kilometers using an index of spatial homogeneity, D_I. Sediments were found to be randomly distributed, making up a mosaic of silty and sandy sites. On the contrary, the estimated spatial variability of macrofauna within all the scales up to 5500 m depended upon neither extent (total area covered) nor grain (finest spatial resolution) but only their ratio. We treat this as evidence of statistical self-similarity (fractal property) of the pattern. For diatoms, spatial heterogeneity of community structure was also self-similar in the range from 0.25 to 75 m (within a single bight). At larger scales, microalgae showed a combination of patchy structure with pronounced gradient along the shoreline from brackish-water to marine flora. Thus, fractal properties of both groups became manifested at scales corresponding to their mean body size. The ranges of fractal patterns were approximately equal to 10³-10⁵ if measured in body size units. We suggest that fractal-like spatial structures may be a general feature of communities, and speculate on the nature of such patterns.

Chertoprood M., Udalov A., Stoljarov A., Borisov R., 2004. Diversity of Macrobenthic Communities in the White Sea Estuaries // Oceanology (Rus). V.44(6). P. 901-911.

Summary. Diversity of intertidal and upper-subtidal macrozoobenthic communities was described on the base of 11 estuaries of small rivers and streams in the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea. Using the Braun-Blanke and claster-analysis technique, the nine types of macrobenthic communities were classified. Community type mostly depends on an estuary size, salinity, substrate type, water velocity and depth. A zonation of macrobenthic communities along a main estuarine axis exists in large estuaries with a pronounced salinity gradient only and is described in detail within the Chernaya River estuary. Such zonation is fully absent in small stream estuaries with polypoikilogalinic conditions, where the poor-species assemblage of brakish-water amphipods Gammarus zaddachi and G. duebeni prevails. The freshwater species of river and lake origin (especially Diptera and Trichoptera larva) are the dominant group in the small-estuarine fauna. On the contrary, the importance of freshwater species in the density and biomass of estuarine assemblages is insignificant.

Chertoprud E., Chertoprud M., Kondar D., Kornev P., Udalov A., 2006. Harpacticoida Taxocens Diversity on the Silt-Sand Littoral of Kandalaksha Bay (the White Sea) // Oceanology (rus). V. 46(4). P. 10-19.

Summary. The fauna composition, ecological groups, and life forms of harpacticoids from 15 soft bottom littoral sites of the White Sea (Karelian coast, Kandalaksha Bay) were studied. Six types of harpacticoids taxocens with different complex of dominated species are described on the basis of this material. Taxocenon of the desalted silt sands is represented by Stenchelia palustris; the medium grained sands by Heterolaophonte minuta, Paraleptastacus kliei – Huntemannia jadensis, Amphiascoides nanus – Scottopsyllus minor; coarse sands by Ameira parvula, and Ameira scotti – Mesochra lilljeborgi. The variety between these groups is partly explained by the difference in granulometric composition and salinity in different sites. Besides, groups of different taxocens from the same type of sediments in different sites of Kandalaksha Bay were found.

Chertoprud E., Chertoprud M., Garlitskaya L., Azovsky A., Kondar D., 2007. SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF HARPACTICOIDA (COPEPODA) TAXOCEN STRUCTURE IN THE INTERTIDAL AND SUBLITORAL ZONES OF THE EUROPEAN SEAS // Oceanology (rus). V. 47(1). P. 1-10.

Summary. We discribe the structure of benthic Harpacticoida assemblages on the basis of 26 original and literature stations in nine seas around Europe. All species of Harpacticoida were divided into six living forms, which composition is constant in all seas and independent of species composition. The Harpacticoida assemblages in different seas are similar. They are usually formed by different species, but close genera, families and living forms. The intraregional and biotopical variability of the structures of Harpacticoida assemblages are often more stable than its interregional (geographical) variability. The main determining factors of the Harpacticoida community structure are the local biotopical factors: the bottom substrate parameters and hydrodynamic processes.