Chironomid fauna of the lakes from the Pechora River basin (Bolshezemelskaia tundra, Northern Russia): distribution and reconstruction of recent ecological changes in the region.

Abstract

We investigated surface sediments from the lakes and a short sediment core (lake Bolshoy Kharbey) from the River Pechora basin, East European Russian Arctic. The twenty three investigated lakes have thermokarst, glacial or floodplain origin and are characterised by low mineralization, mostly hydrocarbonat-calcium type of water and low concentration of biogenic elements. The lakes have close to neutral pH, but in 14 lakes pH is less than or equal to 7 and in 2 lakes less than or equal to 6. These two lakes are classified as acidothrophic.