Trophic state and water quality of the Maloe More Strait, Lake Baikal

Abstract

The results of a two-year study on the plankton structure and abundance in the Maloe More strait, Lake Baikal, are presented. This place is an area of increased anthropogenic pressure because it is too popular for tourists. The data obtained, in comparison with other previous data, enabled us to identify recent changes in the plankton structure and assess the trophic state of the strait. It was found that in the pelagic zone, the trophic state increases in years of abundant development of cryophilic Baikalian diatoms and decreases in low-productive years, while in the littoral zone, the situation is opposite. The water quality of the strait was assessed using the bioindication method. Water quality in the pelagic zone corresponded to class 1 called “purity” but in the littoral zone to classes 1 and 2 from “purity” to “satisfactory purity”.

Keywords

• anthropogenic load
• change in climatic parameters
• lake baikal
• phyto- and zooplankton
• saprobity
• trophic state