Vertical stratification of physical, chemical and biological components in two saline lakes Shira and Shunet (South Siberia, Russia)

• DOI: 10.1007/s10452-010-9336-6
• Publication Date: 2010-08-14T02:50:58Z
• Authors: Andrey G. Degerme...; Egor S. Zadereev; Denis Yu. Rogozin; Igor G. Prokopkin; Yuri V. Barkhatov; Alexander P. Tolo...; Elena B. Khromechek; Jan H. Janse; Wolf M. Mooij; Ramesh D. Gulati
• Keywords: Chemocline; Epilimnion; Halocline; Stratification (seeds); Diel vertical migration; Lake ecosystem; Seiche; Testate amoebae; Hydrobiology

A feature of meromictic lakes is that several physicochemical and biological gradients affect the vertical distribution different organisms. The stratification physical, chemical components in saline, fishless Shira Shunet (Siberia, Russia) quite mainly because both mean depth maximum differ as well their salinity levels differ. chemocline Lake Shira, many lakes, inhabited by bacterial community consisting purple sulphur heterotrophic bacteria. As variable, does not attain high densities. mixolimnion which thermally stratified summer, also creates habitat for various species. phytoplankton non-uniform with its biomass peak metalimnion. zooplankton heterogeneous rotifers juvenile copepods inhabiting warmer epilimnion older found cold but oxic hypolimnion. amphipod Gammarus lacustris can be assigned to higher trophic link lake's ecosystem, such distributed non-uniformly, density generally observed thermocline region. located at 5 m, unlike due a sharp gradient between monimolimnion, this very stable. relatively shallow (1) an extremely dense community; (2) population Cryptomonas sp.; (3) ciliate comprising long period, populations are vertically stratified. gammarids, however, tend concentrate narrow layer 1–2 m above chemocline. We believe addition inhomogeneities parameters, physical factors play role maintaining these inhomogeneities. conclude distributions major food web will have implications ecosystem structure dynamics. Trophic interactions mass energy flows significantly impacted distributions. Species spatially separated even short distances, say few centimetres directly compete. Importantly, we demonstrate only bacteria, phytoflagellates thin layers larger-sized species (amphipods) under certain environmental conditions maxima layer. lake rather complex ours, strategy research, including sampling techniques, should consider potentially variable non-homogeneous