State of benthic invertebrate communities and water quality in the ponds of Noginsk district of Moscow region

Abstract

Hydrochemical regime is one of the important factors affecting the species composition and the amount of benthic invertebrate communities in a water body. With heavy metal pollution and high eutrophication, the oligochaete index increases, the species diversity of benthic invertebrate communities decreases, and almost all representatives of the entomofauna disappear, with the exception of chironomids. Pollution with phosphates and ammonium nitrogen has an adverse effect on the development of benthic invertebrate communities. At present, the amount of available scientific data on the influence of hydrochemical factors on the development of benthic invertebrate communities in pond farms seems to be insufficient, the focus is on hydrological factors, and this suggests the relevance of new research in this area. The purpose of this study was to compare hydrochemical and temperature indicators with the quantitative and qualitative composition of benthic invertebrate communities in three ponds of Noginsk district of Moscow region in December 2022 - January 2023. The selection of hydrobiological materials and water samples for hydrochemical analysis was carried out in December 2022 - January 2023 in the ponds of Noginsk district of Moscow region in EPB RRIFF, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution FRC RIAH named after L.K. Ernst. Pond № 1 has an area of 4,48 ha, pond № 2 has an area of 1,7 ha, pond № 3 has an area of 0,61 ha. The studies conducted in December 2022 - January 2023 showed the presence of correlation between water quality (the sum of hydrochemical indicators: concentration of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, phosphates, total iron, general and carbonate hardness, total mineralization, as well as water temperature) and benthic invertebrate communities (qualitative and quantitative) development indicators. The best indicators of benthic invertebrate communities development were observed in the pond with the best water quality (from a fishery point of view), the worst ones were observed in the pond with the worst water quality (zoobenthos was not found in samples from this pond). In total, 6 taxones of benthic invertebrate communities were found in the studied ponds.