Abstract
The special traits of zooperiphyton and zoobenthos structures in a small river were studied. Under conditions of maximal proximity of niches, these groups of invertebrates retain taxonomic and ecological heterogeneity. Differences in zooperiphyton and zoobenthos taxonomic structures are most pronounced in terms of presence of dipterans, oligochetes, and mollusks. In the periphyton, the dominant groups are chironomid (orthocladines, chironomines, and tanitarsines) larvae, oligochetes of fam. Naididae and mollusks of fam. Limnaeidae. In the benthos chironomid (chironomines and tanirodines), oligochetes of fam. Tubificidae, and mollusks of fam. Pisidiidae are dominant. On average, the bottom invertebrates are considerably larger than fouling organisms. At similar abundance values, the biomass of benthos is by an order of magnitude higher compared to zooperiphyton. Ranging of average biomasses of zooperiphyton and zoobenthos revealed that the leader common for both communities is the large and mobile predatory leech, Erpobdella octoculata (Linnaeus). The anthropogenic impact and zoogenic (beavers) impact upon the river biota are comparable to each other.
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