Development of plankton communities in the anthropogenic hydrothermal conditions
N. A. Tashlykova, E. Yu. Afonina
Section: Monitoring of anthropogenically disturbed areas
An electric power plant induced increase in water temperature substantially affects aqueous medium. Any hydraulic
facility zones to be artificially heated and used by power plants may be considered as peculiar “anthropogenic hydrothermal
systems”. Interrelation properties of specific abiotic and biotic parameters of such extreme ecosystems shall be studied at large
for understanding hydraulic facility ecosystem biological efficiency and trophic status alteration factors. This paper applies
to analysis of relations between hydrothermal zone environment factors and basic characteristics of the plankton population
in the Kharanorskaya State District Power Station (Trans-Baikal Territory) cooling reservoir. The population of planktonic
animals and plants were studied at a thermal zone of the cooling reservoir by using standard hydrobiologic methods for the
period of February to October, 2013. Hydrochemical samples were processed at the industrial sanitary laboratory of INTER
RAO-Electroenergy JSC, Kharanorskaya SDPS branch using common techniques. It was found that phytoplankton contained
40 taxonomic groups of algae and 25 invertebrate species of animal plankton. Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and Crysophyta
dominated in algocenosis amounted to 80% of the total taxonomic groups. As for Rotifera, it dominated in animal plankton
cenosis amounted to 40% of the total species. It is demonstrated that the dominated complex varies seasonally. Quantity of
phytoplankton and animal plankton has been specified. The algal species diversity has drastically reduced and quality of inver
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tebrate animals has fallen down within the period when water was maximally warmed up since temperature values jumped up
and oxygen content come down. With some aquatic organisms (i.e. algae and invertebrate animals) taken as an example, it was
found that the offset and extension of organism growth periods induce a primary reaction to particular thermal load increase
factors. Inverse temperature correlation was identified at surface and natural water layers to have specific abiotic parameters
in relation to clear water and nitrate levels in water. As provided by biotic plankton sampling statistical data, it was found that
temperature, cation and anion water composition, as well as suspended solid concentration are the main factors that affect
growth of organisms in the anthropogenic water reservoir of the hydraulic facilities.
Keywords: phytoplankton, zooplankton, abundance, biomass, anthropogenic hydrothermal, principal component analysis, cooling reservoir of Kharanorskaya electric power station
Article published in number 3 for 2018 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2018-3-048-054
ISSN 1995-4301
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