Nematodes in Meiobenthos and Periphyton of the Rybinsk Reservoir (Review)

Abstract

This paper presents data on changes in the taxonomic composition and abundance of nematodes in meiobenthos and periphyton of the Rybinsk Reservoir in the long term. The species composition of roundworms in bottom communities is significantly richer and their number is manyfold higher than among fouling organisms. These differences are determined by the different habitat conditions at the bottom and hard substrate surfaces in the water column. In modern anthropogenically disturbed zones of various waterbodies, the biocenotic and functional roles of nematodes depend to a larger extent on food availability than on some other environmental factors limiting the development of worms. Roundworms, living under a wide range of ecological conditions, are one of the key groups of invertebrates critical for preserving aquatic life under anthropogenic stresses.