Anna A. Novichkova

Fauna of microcrustaceans (Cladocera: Copepoda) of shallow freshwater ecosystems of Wrangel Island (Russian Far East)

Information on the freshwater microcrustaceans of the remote arctic islands is very limited. The species composition of freshwater zooplankton and meiobenthos of Wrangel Island (Russia) is reported here for the first time. We identified five species of Cladocera, and 20 species of Copepoda. Twenty-three taxa are new records for the island. Additionally, we discuss the taxonomy of some species with doubtful taxonomical status. We also analysed data from other arctic and subarctic territories to compare with that of Wrangel Island and evaluate the latitudinal trends of species richness and distribution of Cladocera and Copepoda and their relation to environmental factors. The effects of different environmental factors were statistically examined to establish which are important in controlling distributional patterns and diversity of species. On Wrangel Island the fauna of microcrustaceans is primary controlled by three factors: low temperatures, the remoteness from the nearest mainland and geological history of the island – its relation to ancient Beringia and lack of Pleistocene glaciation.

The freshwater crustaceans (Cladocera: Copepoda) of Bering Island (Commander Islands, Russian Far East): species richness and taxocene structure

ABSTRACT The crustaceans of the fresh waters of Bering Island and their link to the fauna of adjacent regions were studied. Based on original data and existing literature, the species composition of Cladocera and Copepoda was described. The compiled list includes 22 species of Cladocera and 30 species of Copepoda. In the original data, 35 species native to the Commander Islands were reported for the first time. Six species were newly reported in the Far East, and two were newly reported in Russia. The ecological peculiarities of several species and some biogeographical features of the freshwater zooplankton of the island are discussed. The main part of the fauna of the island form Holarctic widespread species (64.3%), another slightly smaller group of the fauna is comprised of Palaearctic species (20.1%), and the remainder comprise Nearctic (6.7%) and Beringian species (8.9%). Particular patterns in the distribution of freshwater zooplankton and the factors underlying the occurrence of these species on the island are considered.

The first data on the freshwater microcrustaceans of Shokalsky Island (Russian Arctic)

Abstract Background Information on freshwater invertebrates of the Russian Arctic is very scarce, especially concerning insular biota. The species composition of microcrustaceans (Cladocera, Copepoda) of many arctic islands is still unknown and have never been explored. Here we report the results of the first investigation of the zooplankton of the Shokalsky Island (YamaloNenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia). Information on freshwater invertebrates of the Russian Arctic is very scarce, especially concerning insular biota. The species composition of microcrustaceans (Cladocera, Copepoda) of many arctic islands is still unknown and have never been explored. Here we report the results of the first investigation of the zooplankton of the Shokalsky Island (YamaloNenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia). New information The new records reported here are novel for the region and significantly expand the knowledge of the high-latitude aquatic biota. We studied the species composition of Cladocera and Copepoda of 21 freshwater habitats located on the southwestern part of Shokalsky Island. We found 15 species of microcrustaceans in total and all of them are reported for the first time here. Also, the obtained data expand the existing ranges of distribution of some species and report several new taxa for the whole YamaloNenets region of Russia.

Freshwater diversity in Svalbard: providing baseline data for ecosystems in change

The high Arctic is in a rapid transition due to climate change, and both direct effects due to warming and an extended growing season, as well as an indirect effect caused by increased bird activity and density (notably geese), strongly affect ponds and lakes. Our study presents the hitherto most comprehensive data on invertebrate freshwater diversity at Svalbard and had three main purposes: to provide a current “baseline” of community composition, to compare current species distribution and occurrence with older data to identify changes that have already occurred, and finally to identify how diversity and community composition are related to the age of localities. To address these aims, we conducted a survey of freshwater invertebrates in 75 ponds and lakes at Svalbard in August 2014 and 2015. We provide a full report of the species’ inventory data for zooplankton, benthos, and meiofauna. We also provide data for species that have likely colonized the sites over the previous decades. Finally, our study also clearly demonstrates a diversity gradient related to ecosystem age and/or parameters confounded with age (e.g., productivity), which may hint at the rate of colonization over the time span from the oldest to the youngest localities.

Benthic fauna and communities of the lagoon water bodies of the White Sea by the example of Lake Kislo-Sladkoe

In the present research the investigation of the lake Kislo-Sladkoe, a small brackish lagoon on the coast of Kandalakshsky Gulf of the White Sea, was conducted. In total 21 species of macrobenthic invertebrates identified and seven types of macrobenthic communities, derived from marine, estuarial and freshwater types, descried. Also, six meiobenthic species of the order Harpacticoida were found. The ecological peculiarities of the macro and meiobenthic taxa and the comparison with the biota of other brackish waters of the White Sea coast are described.

Cladocera and Copepoda of Shokalsky Island: new data from Northwest Siberia

ABSTRACT Information on the freshwater fauna of the remote Arctic territories is very patchy, and most of the isolated islands of the Arctic Ocean remain absolutely unexplored. The pioneer data on the species composition of microcrustaceans of Shokalsky Island (northwest Siberia, Russia) is reported here. The initial three-year research revealed a total of 31 new for the area species of Cladocera and Copepoda, including new records for the whole of northwestern Siberia. Comparing the interannual differences in faunal composition, we suggested the hypothesis of the existence of a cryptic pool of species’ resting stages, which can invade the community in the event of favourable environmental conditions in the Arctic freshwaters. We also compiled all the available data from different parts of northern Siberia and compared them with the fauna of Shokalsky Island to analyse the connection between the diversity and distributional patterns of copepods and cladoceran species and the climate conditions of different territories.

FIRST DATA ON AQUATIC MITES (ACARI) OF INLAND WATER BODIES OF WEST SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD

This paper presents the first results of a study on the aquatic mites (Acari) from the inland water bodies of West Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Six mite species have been found: namely, the oribatids Camisia foveolata Hammer, 1955 and Ameronothrus lineatus (Thorell, 1871); the gamasid mite Halolaelaps sp.; as well as the halacarids Halacarellus sp., Isobactrus levis (Viets, 1927) and Rhombognathides spinipes (Viets, 1933). The latter two species are new to the fauna of Svalbard. No true freshwater mites (Hydrachnidia) have been identified. A preliminary comparison of the inland aquatic acarofauna of Svalbard with the fauna of other Arctic regions has been conducted. The entire halacarid mite fauna of Svalbard (13 species), including both inland water species and true marine ones from the surrounding seas, can be characterized as rather regionally specialized and mainly cryophilic.