LONG-TERM CHANGES OF MACROPHYTOBENTHOS OF «SUDZHUK LAGOON» NATURAL MONUMENT (BLACK SEA)

Abstract

The Sudzhuk Lagoon, including Sudzhuk Spit and the adjacent territory, is a unique natural complex of the northeastern part of the Black Sea, that has been studied throughout the last century. In accordance with the environmental importance of lagoon ecosystems, the «Sudzhuk Lagoon» Natural Monument of regional significance was created in 1983, which was included within the network of Protected Areas of the Krasnodarsky Krai. The goal of the present research was to characterise the long-term changes in lagoon's bottom vegetation from 1921 to 2015, and to reveal the features of species composition and the communities changes. During the investigation period, the number of macrophyte species increased from 16 to 27. Five new species typical for eutrophic water have been found, and more than ten species disappeared. Despite the Sudzhuk Lagoon being included within the protected areas, almost a complete disappearance of the Lamprothamnium papulosum + Chara vulgaris community and a dominance of the Ruppia cirrhosa – Lophosiphonia obscura – Cladophora albida community have been observed. By 2015, the biomass of the opportunistic green alga Ulva intestinalis near the channel, which connect the lagoon with the sea, increased by an order of magnitude compared to 1985. At the present time, intensive transformation has occurred in communities of aquatic vegetation, and the dominance of Phragmites australis and Stuckenia pectinata were found. Almost all research areas of the Sudzhuk Lagoon were in a poor ecological status according to the Ecological Index (EI), except for a few locations in the central and southeastern parts with a moderate ecological status. The lack of a management plan to protect the Sudzhuk Lagoon and intensification of unregulated recreation, along with other natural and anthropogenic factors, can lead to the loss of this unique natural complex. Effective measures aiming at preserving the ecosystem of the Sudzhuk Lagoon with its biological and landscape diversity were proposed.

Authors and Affiliations

Natalya S. Berezenko, Nataliya A. Milchakova

Keywords

Related Articles

THE USE OF AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS TO MEASURE THE SOIL TEMPERATURE IN THE MORDOVIA STATE NATURE RESERVE (RUSSIA) IN 2016

The article presents the soil temperature data obtained using two automatic weather stations located in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve (Russia). Measurements were carried out at the soil surface and at depths of 20 cm...

TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF RARE SPECIES OF ACRIDIDAE FROM PROTECTED AREAS IN NORTH-WESTERN RUSSIA: CHORTHIPPUS BRUNNEUS BREVIS (ORTHOPTERA, ACRIDIDAE)

The presence of the grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus brevis (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) has been confirmed for the Vyborg district mainland of the Leningrad region, Russia, for the first time since 1908. Infor...

REGIONAL EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE; A CASE STUDY: THE SOCHI NATIONAL PARK AREA (RUSSIA)

The Sochi National Park (SNP) occupies a considerable territory within the Greater Sochi municipality. It is located in several altitudinal zones. Therefore, climatic conditions within its territory are rather diverse. T...

FIRST RECORD OF CLEMMUS TROGLODYTES (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLOIDEA, ANAMORPHIDAE) FOR THE FAUNA OF RUSSIA

During field investigations in 2017, Clemmus troglodytes was found in the Mordovia State Nature Reserve (Republic of Mordovia, Russia). Earlier, C. troglodytes was collected in Yaroslavl City (Yaroslavl region, Russia)....

STRUCTURE AND FEATURES OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PINE FORESTS IN THE PINEGA STATE NATURE RESERVE

The Pinega State Nature Reserve (Russia) is located in the Arkhangelsk region in the northern taiga subzone. Pine forests cover less than 10% of the reserve area. The vegetation of this forest is classified based on 83 p...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP492110
  • DOI 10.24189/ncr.2018.060
  • Views 106
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Natalya S. Berezenko, Nataliya A. Milchakova (2018). LONG-TERM CHANGES OF MACROPHYTOBENTHOS OF «SUDZHUK LAGOON» NATURAL MONUMENT (BLACK SEA). Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука, 3(4), 59-67. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-492110