Evenness of species abundance in the littoral communities of the Murman

Abstract

The spatial and species structure of fucus algae communities in littoral phytocenoses of Eastern Murmansk is studied. This is the North-Eastern border of Fucus communities. 87 species of macrophyte algae were identified in the communities. The variation of species diversity as an indicator of community structure is determined depending on the leading abiotic factors – salinity, surf content, and substrate type. The species diversity of macrophyte algae in the littoral of the Eastern Murmansk is determined primarily by surf activity. Under similar hydrological conditions, soil features determine the density of thickets and, consequently, the number of species found in a single sample. Salinity fluctuations at which it drops below 15‰ are critical for most species and fundamentally change the structure of communities. The highest values of the indices of species diversity were observed in the littoral areas of the coast that are poorly protected from the surf.