Zooplankton in the temporary recreational pond in microdistrict 13 of Samara

Rotifers make a significant contribution to the self-purification of the water bodies. Full self-purification is especially important for water bodies of recreational zones of settlements. These water bodies are constantly visited by local residents and conditions in these water bodies must comply with sanitary standards and they shouldn’t be dangerous to human health. At the same time, the rest of residents on the banks of urban ponds leads to a deterioration in their ecological and sanitary conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the ecosystems of urban ponds located in recreational areas and among resident buildings. The Rotifera and Crustacea community in the small temporary urban recreational pond in microdistrict 13 of Samara was studied in 2012 and 2018. The pond is situated in the middle of the plot among Kirov avenue, Georgy Dimitrov street, Stara-Zagora street, Moskovskoe highway. 23 Rotifera (13 familia) and 24 Crustacea species (8 familia) have been identified. All species are common for water bodies in the Samara Region. Most of the species live in other ponds of Samara. Brachionidae dominated in the Rotifera community, Cyclopoidae и Daphniidae dominated in the Crustacea. The seasonal dynamics of the population size from May till November was studied. The Rotifers largest abundance in both years was observed in spring and autumn. The crustaceans largest abundance was in 2012 in October, in 2018 in July. The indicator species of Rotifera and Crustacea correspond to the β-mesosaprobic zone. While resting people trample grass on the banks, the soil washout causes eutrophication and shallowing of the pond. It is necessary to remove bottom sediments and strengthen the pond banks to improve the state of the pond.