Scientific publications

In August 2023, a study of aquatic vascular plant communities was carried out in Lakes Beloe and Lipovskoe, located on the territory of the Kurgalsky State Nature Reserve of regional importance. The species composition and spatial distribution of macrophyte communities were recorded using the standard phytolittoral mapping method. Changes in the distribution of macrophytes by depth were studied on transects with scuba diving. In an oligotrophic Lake Beloe, submerged plant communities are formed by Lobelia dortmanna with Isoëtes echinospora, I. lacustris, Myriophyllum alterniflorum and Littorella uniflora. The depth of distribution of Lobelia communities in Lake Beloe reaches 4 m. Helophyte communities are dominated by Phragmites australis with Scirpus lacustris and Typha latifolia. Submerged hydrophytes exceed the area of helophytes by 4 times. In a brackish Lake Lipovskoe, both common freshwater species and species typical of saltwater bodies occur. Helophyte communities consist predominantly of Phragmites australis with Bolboschoenus maritimus and Scirpus lacustris. Submerged communities are composed of Potamogeton perfoliatus, P. pectinatus, Myriophyllum sibiricum, Batrachium marinum and Najas marina. Depth of distribution of submerged macrophytes in Lake Lipovskoe reaches 3.5 m. In Lake Lipovskoe, the area of submerged hydrophytes exceeds the area of helophytes by only 1.7 times. Gently sloping shores and high water transparency contribute to a more pronounced dominance of submerged plants in Lake Beloe compared to Lake Lipovskoe. In Lake Beloe, the dominance of Lobelia communities corresponds to oligotrophic conditions. In Lake Lipovskoe, the widespread distribution of eutraphent (Potamogeton pectinatus, Najas marina) and mesotraphent (Potamogeton perfoliatus) species indicate meso-eutrophic status of the lake.