AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATES OF RAISED BOGS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE VOLOGDA REGION, RUSSIA

Abstract

The aquatic macroinvertebrates fauna of raised bogs is considered as a complex of faunas of diff erent types of within-bog waterbodies. This study was conducted in 2012–2014 at two large wetlands, Shichengskoe and Alekseevskoe-1 (Vologda Region, Russia). Samples were collected from May to September from pools, spaces between hummocks of water tracks, a mire stream and two within-bog lakes. In total, 120 taxa were found (71 taxa identifi ed to species, 25 – to genus), belonging to 5 phyla, 8 classes. Insects were prevalent (91 species, among them 55 – Diptera, 14 – Odonata, 11 – Coleoptera, 5 – Trichoptera), other groups were scarce (including 12 species of Oligochaeta, 6 Hirudinea, 5 Mollusca). The greatest number of species was registered from Shichengskoe wetland – 109 species, 80 of which were found within the Shichengskiy Landscape Reserve. The fauna was specifi c in each of the studied types of waterbodies. In the stream, amphibiotic insects were prevalent. In the water track, the main role belonged to oligochaetes and chironomids. In the lakes, mollusks and hirudineas were dominant. The most specifi c were the communities of pools, where odonates and chironomids were prevalent. The similarity between the faunas of the studied wetland waterbodies was minimal (Ksc = 0.07–0.36). Analysis of the trophic structure showed that detritophagous insects were the most abundant, while predators prevailed in terms of biomass. The latter were well represented in most of the studied waterbodies, and this was a distinctive feature of within-wetland waterbodies as compared to non-mire ones. The most favourable conditions for aquatic invertebrates were found in within-bog lakes.

Keywords

• benthos
• zoophytes
• mire waterbodies
• raised bog
• vologda region.