Macrozoobenthos Communities in Small Tundra Lakes of the European Northeast of Russia

The benthic communities in some large tundra lake ecosystems of European Russia are well-studied, but information on zoobenthos in small shallow tundra lakes is still insufficient. This article presents original information on the taxonomic structure, species composition, and quantitative development of macrozoobenthos communities in 26 small lakes of the Malozemelskaya Tundra and Bolshezemelskaya Tundra areas (July 2000–2014). In regards to the quantitative indicators of abundance, these water bodies are similar to other small water bodies at these latitudes. The biomass variation in wide ranges among lakes is caused by different dominant taxa. The species composition of macrozoobenthos is diverse. Oligochaetes, mollusks, and chironomids are highly rich in species composition, which generally corresponds to the trend identified for other water bodies of the Arctic tundra area.