2025 Ecosystem Transformation 8 (1), 185-200

The phytomass and dominant complex of benthic producers in the hydrological natural monument "Coastal aquatic complex at Cape Sarych" (the Black Sea)

Evstigneeva I.K.  , Tankovskaya I.N.  

Phytobenthos studies in the waters of Cape Sarych suggest that Heterokontophyta is the basic producer among the divisions and Ericaria crinita, Gongolaria barbata, Vertebrata subulifera, Phyllophora crispa among the species. Indicators of benthic phytomass vary widely, being the least at great depths. By-depth changes of the cenosis phytomass and Heterokontophyta demonstrate similarity. Location of the phytomass maximum (0.5 m for Chlorophyta and 5 m for the rest) clearly indicates its dependence on light regime at the horizons and photopigment composition in species of different divisions. In terms of intra-annual dynamics, phytomass peak is noted in spring for Chlorophyta and Heterokontophyta, while for Rhodophyta and the entire phytocenosis in summer. It is characterized by strong manifestation. Long-term observations at the reference site show a threefold increase (over 20 years) in the benthic phytomass due to the Heterokontophyta development. Productional heterogeneity of the cenosis, estimated from the Shannon and Pielou indices, is lower in time than in space. By indicators of halobity and saprobity, marine and oligosaprobic species dominate by phytomass and species diversity. Brackish-water, poly- and mesosaprobic species develop en masse in sites with anthropogenic pressure.

I. K. Evstigneeva
A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russian Academy of Sciences
pr. Nakhimova 2, 299011 Sevastopol

ikevstigneeva@gmail.com

I. N. Tankovskaya
A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Russian Academy of Sciences
pr. Nakhimova 2, 299011 Sevastopol

itankovskay@gmail.com

Bakanov, A.I., 2005. Kolichestvennaya otsenka dominirovaniya v ekologicheskikh soobshchestvakh [Quantitative assessment of dominance in ecological communities]. In: Rosenberg, G.S. (ed.), Kolichestvennye metody ekologii i gidrobiologii [Quantitative methods of ecology and hydrobiology]. Samara Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 37–48. (In Russian).
Belich, T.V., Sadogurskaya, S.A., Sadogurskiy, S.E., 2019. K izucheniiu vodoroslei-makrofitov i tsianobakterii pribrezhno-akval'nykh kompleksov iugo-vostochnogo raiona Kryma [Towards the study of macrophyte algae and cyanobacteria of coastal- aquatic complexes of the south-eastern region of Crimea]. Bulleten’ GNBS [Bulletin of Nikita StateBotanical Garden] 131, 61–69. (In Russian).
Darbyshire, I., Anderson, S., Asatryan, A., Byfield, A., Cheek, M. et al., 2017. Important Plant Areas: revised selection criteria for a global approach to plant conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation 26 (8), 1767–1800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-017-1336-6
Edgar, G.J., Langhammer, P.F., Allen, G., Brooks, T.M., Brodie, J. et al., 2008. Key Biodiversity Areas as
globally significant target sites for marine conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater
Ecosystems 18, 969–983.
Evstigneeva, I.K., Tankovskaya, I.N., 2022. Floristicheskii sostav i taksonomicheskaya struktura
makrofitobentosa gidrologicheskogo pamyatnika prirody “Pribrezhnyi akval’nyi kompleks u mysa
Sarych” (Chernoe more) v sovremennykh usloviyakh [Floristic composition and taxonomic structure
of macrophytobenthos of the hydrological natural monument "Coastal aquatic complex near Cape
Sarych" (Black Sea) in modern conditions]. Uchenye zapiski Krymskogo federal’nogo universiteta im. V.I. Vernadskogo. Biologiya. Himiya [Scientific Notes of the V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. Biology. Chemistry] 8 (3), 32–56. (In Russian).
Heino, J., 2010. Are indicator groups and cross-taxon congruence useful for predicting biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems? Ecological Indicators 10 (2), 112–117.
Kalugina, A.A., 1969. Issledovanie donnoi rastitel’nosti Chernogo moria s primeneniem legkovodolaznoi
tekhniki [Black Sea bottom vegetation survey using light diving equipment]. In: Manteifel, B.P. (ed.), Morskie podvodnye issledovaniia [Marine underwater research]. Nauka, Moscow, USSR, 105–113. (In Russian).
Kalugina-Gutnik, А.А., 1973. Fitobentos yuzhnogo poberezh’ya Kryma i ego fitogeograficheskii sostav [Phytobenthos of the southern coast of Crimea and its phytogeographic composition]. Gidrobiologicheskie issledovaniya severo-vostochnoj chasti Chernogo moria [Hydrobiological studies of the northeastern part of the Black Sea]. Publishing House of the Rostov-on-Don Universitym Rostov-on-Don, USSR, 50–68. (In Russian).
Kalugina-Gutnik, A.A., 1975. Fitobentos Chernogo moria [Phytobenthos of the Black Sea] Naukova dumka, Kiev, Ukraine, 248 p. (In Russian).
Mokievsky, V.O., 2002. Morskie rezervaty – sovremennye problemy sozdaniya i funktsionirovaniya [Marine reserves – modern problems of creation and functioning]. Zapovedniki i natsional’nye parki [Reserves and National Parks] 39, 45–46. (In Russian).
Pankeeva, T.V., Mironova, N.V., 2022. Landshaftnaya struktura beregovoi zony pamyatnika prirody “Pribrezhnyi akval’nyi kompleks u mysa Sarych” [Landscape structure of the coastal zone of the natural monument "Coastal aquatic complex at Cape Sarych"]. Trudy Karadagskoi nauchnoi stantsii im. T.I. Vyazemskogo – prirodnogo zapovednika RAN [Proceedings of the Karadag Scientific Station named after T.I. Vyazemsky – Nature Reserve of the RAS] 1 (21), 51–60. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.21072/eco.2022.21.06
Papchenkov, V.G., 2003. Produktsiya makrofitov vod i metody izucheniya [Macrophyte production of waters and methods of its study]. Materialy shkoly po gidrobotanike “Gidrobotanika: metodologiya, metody” [Proceedings of the school on hydrobotany "Hydrobotany: Methodology, methods"] .Borok, Russia, 137–145. (In Russian).
Rabotnov, T. A., 1983. Fitotsenologiia [Phytocenology]. Moscow State University, Moscow, USSR, 384 p. (In Russian).
Rosenberg, G.S., 2010. Informatsionnyiindeks i raznoobrazie: Bol’tsman, Kotel’nikov, Shennon, Uiver...
[Information index and diversity: Boltzmann, Kotelnikov, Shannon, Weaver...]. Samarskaya Luka: problemy regional’noi i global’noi ekologii [Samarskaya Luka: Problems of Regional and Global Ecology] 19 (2), 4–25. (In Russian).
Sadogurskiy, S.E., Belich, T.V., Sadogurskaya, S.A., 2019. Makrofity pribrezhno-morskikh akvatorii prirodnykh zapovednikov Krymskogo poluostrova (Chyornoe i Azovskoe morya) [Macrophytes of coastal and marine aquatic areas of natural reserves of the Crimean Peninsula (Black and Azov seas)] Al’gologiya [Algology] 29 (3), 322–351. (In Russian).
Zaitsev, G.N., 1990. Matematika v eksperimental’noi botanike [Mathematics in experimental botany]. Nauka, Moscow, USSR, 296 p. (In Russian).
Zaskokov, G.D., 2017. Laspi, Koktebel’ i Bol’shaya Yаlta lidiruyut po slivu neochishchennykh kanalizacionnykh stokov v more [Laspi, Koktebel and Bolshaya Yalta lead in the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea]. Novyi den’ [New Day]. Web page. URL: https://newdaynews.ru/crimea/615881.html (accessed: 20.05.2023). (In Russian).
Zhukova, A.A., Minets, M.L., 2019. Biometriya. Opisatel’naya statistika: uchebnoe posobie. Chast 1 [Biometrics. Descriptive statistics: a training manual. Part 1]. Belarus State University, Minsk, Belarus’, 100 p. (In Russian).
Zinova, A.D., 1967. Opredelitel’ zelenykh, burykh i krasnykh vodoroslei iuzhnykh morei SSSR. [Identifier of green, brown and red algae of the southern seas of the USSR]. Nauka, Moscow – Leningrad, USSR, 397 p. (In Russian).