Lake Beloye Research Articles

Pottery Assemblages from Vodoba II Settlement in the Light of Ideas about the Early Iron Age in Lake Beloye Region

The paper deals with the analysis of materials from the Vodoba II settlement that demonstrates a complicated process of development of Late Kargopol antiquities nearby Lake Beloye. The discovered pottery assemblages are syncretic. Several types of ceramics are distinguished: textile, brushed, smoothed with impressions of a comb stamp, ceramics of the Vyatka-Vetluga culture of the Ananyino cultural and historical area (ACHA) and hybrid. It is this combination in ceramic sets from ancient settlements that determines the specificity of Late Kargopol antiquities. Two major stages in the development of settlements in this region are identified: the first one corresponds to the first half of the I millennium BC, the second one is accompanied by the spread of the bearers of cultural traditions of the VyatkaVetluga culture ACHA and the development of hybrid shapes of pottery in the settlements (up to the 3rd century BC) in these areas in the middle of the I millennium BC. At the second stage Lake Beloye area settlements are included in a large "hybrid world" with ceramics of close types, having a certain originality in different regions, which is primarily associated with the traditions of pottery assemblages formation in the previous periods.

Озера Турано-Уюкской котловины: эколого-гидрохимическое состояние и перспективы их бальнеологического использования

Abstract. Relevance. Currently, the creation of new institutions for the health improvement of the population within the Republic of Tuva on the basis of natural objects is a very urgent issue. Objectives. In this regard, we considered the hydrochemical composition of the lakes of the Turano-Uyuk depression, their ecological state and prospects for balneological use. Materials and methods. During field studies, employees of the TuvIKOPR SB RAS examined the largest natural lakes of the Turano-Uyuk depression and tested them to determine the chemical composition of natural waters. Chemical analysis was carried out in the Problem Research Laboratory of the National Tomsk Polytechnic University. In addition to field studies, a comparative literary method was used. Publications on this topic were studied and a retrospective analysis of the chemical composition of the waters of the lakes of the Turano-Uyuk depression and mud deposits as a therapeutic factor was carried out. Results. The greatest prospects for balneological development are Lake Beloye (White Lakes), the waters of which, according to the "Classification of mineral waters and therapeutic muds..." (MU No. 2000/34), belong to group 7, the therapeutic effect of which is determined by the amount of mineralization and ion-salt composition. Conclusions. The climatic conditions of the Turano-Uyuk basin, the presence of brackish (mineral) water and mineral mud (subject to the study of their balneological properties) open up prospects for organizing a resort, a health resort, a health resort on the shores of the lake, subject to the coordination of economic (balneological) activities with the Ministry of Forestry and Nature Management of the Republic of Tyva.

Влияние гуминовых препаратов из сапропеля на овощные культуры

The effect of humic preparations from sapropel on the growth and development of vegetable crops zucchini and tomatoes was studied. The experiment was carried out in the Aksay district of the Rostov region in the village Starocherkasskaya. The results of the study pointed that humic preparations are quite effective independently of the reagent used for extraction. However, the vegetable crops responsiveness to preparations distinguishes. The best results were shown by a humic preparation obtained using sodium hydroxide. The second place was taken by a preparation extracted using EDTA. Lower results were shown by sodium carbonate and hot water. Keywords: HUMIC PREPARATIONS, SAPROPEL OF LAKE BELOYE, MEADOW-CHERNOZEM SOIL

DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN ROTIFER <i>KELLICOTTIA BOSTONIENSIS </i>(ROUSSELET, 1908) (ROTIFERA: BRACHIONIDAE) IN WATER BODIES OF THE VOLOGDA REGION

The North American rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) was found in 14 water bodies (Sheksna reservoir, 10 lakes and 3 streams) of the Vologda Region. In the reservoir, K. bostoniensis was recorded only in the lake part (Lake Beloye), where its number did not exceed 0.1 thousand individuals/m. The species was found in small lakes differing in genesis, morphology, transparency, color, water activity. The anthropogenic impact on all water bodies is insignificant. In most water bodies, K. bostoniensis and native species Kellicottia longispina (Kellicott, 1879) are living together. As distinct from K. longispina , the alien species is often included in the composition of dominants, accounting for more than 40% of the total abundance of zooplankton in some lakes. K. longispina prevailed over K. bostoniensis only in lakes with a water transparency of more than 1.0 m. The abundance of rotifers in the coastal area was higher in all lakes. The dispersal of K. bostoniensis in the water bodies of the region is obviously associated with bird migration. New finds of rotifers in the Sheksna reservoir indicates its possible spread along the route of the Volga-Baltic waterway.

Распространение и морфометрические особенности обыкновенной жабы Bufo bufo L. (Bufonidae, Amphibia) на Северо-Востоке европейской части России

The distribution and morphometric features of the common toad (Bufo bufo) in the North-East of European Russia are discussed. The northern boundary of the species' range in the region has a complex configuration. In the west and central part of the region, the toad is found up to latitude 65º42'N and 63º01'N, respectively, the eastern border of its habitat moves northwards up to 64º13' and then drops to the south along the Ural Mountain Ridge. The formation of the modern range of the species in the region was influenced by an extensive network of watercourses and global climate changes. For the last 70 years, toads have distributed along the Pechora River at a distance of more than 600 km. The morphometric variability of the common toad was estimated by 13 linear criteria and 7 indices on the example of four localities in the Komi Republic (Pechora, Beloye Lake, Lokchim Lake, and Sysola Lake). Significant sexual differences were found by most criteria: their values in females are higher than in males. Toads of both sexes inhabiting the eastern and northern localities (Pechora, Lake Beloye) are smaller in size than animals from the southwestern parts of the region (Lokchim Lake, Sysola Lake). Discriminant analysis showed that maximal differences between samples were registered on the body length L., femur length F., tibia length T., head length L.c., and head latitude Lt.c.

СЕЗОННАЯ ДИНАМИКА ЗООПЛАНКТОНА ШЕКСНИНСКОГО ВОДОХРАНИЛИЩА (ВОЛОГОДСКАЯ ОБЛАСТЬ)

The paper analyzes the seasonal dynamics of the composition, structure, and abundance of zooplankton in different parts of the Sheksna Reservoir in 2016–2020. The zooplankton in the reservoir includes 107 species (Rotifera – 41, Cladocera – 41, Copepoda – 25). The authors have found 88 species in Lake Beloye and 90 species in the river part of the reservoir. 7 species in the lake and 17 in the river part of the reservoir have been found for the first time. The communities of different parts of the reservoir are similar in terms of zooplankton composition (76%). The highest level of dominance (0.32–0.38) of zooplankton is observed during the ice period. In Lake Beloye, this figure is higher than in the river part of the reservoir. A small set of species (Kellicottia longispina, Keratella cochlearis, Eudiaptomus gracilis) is characterized by high density in all seasons of the year. Some species are dominant only in certain periods. In summer, rotifers of the genus Polyarthra and Mesocyclops leuckarti dominate the entire water area of the reservoir. Lake Beloye is dominated by Daphnia galeata and Chydorus sphaericus in summer. The composition of the dominant zooplankton complex in different parts of the reservoir is similar in certain seasons. Only in May, the structure of the dominant complex of the lake and river sections of the reservoir differs. The ratio of dominants in Lake Beloye in May is similar to the ice period. The maximum abundance of zooplankton in the reservoir is recorded in summer. From May to November the largest number of copepods is observed. In March, rotifers dominate. Cladocera were noted as dominants only in the lake part of the reservoir. The seasonal dynamics of the structure and abundance of zooplankton generally corresponds to those in the 1970s and early 2000s.

Description of a peasant abode in the patois of the hamlet of Borbushino

The article focuses on the description of the rustic dwelling as the basis of material culture in the world view of the inhabitants of Lake Beloye (White Lake) surroundings. Recordings of speech of residents of the hamlet of Borbushino of Kirillov district of Vologda Region serves as research material, Those were obtained by this paper's author in the course of conversations on the programme "Lexical Atlas of the Russian Folkish Patois" in the dialectological expeditions of 1988 – 2021. The subject of the analysis of this paper includes the common names of the space where household outbuildings and crops of one peasant family were located; as well as the living quarters and their parts, fixtures and fittings, stove heating, household outbuildings, religious buildings in the settlement itself and in its surroundings; all mentioned in folkish stories scrupulously precise and yet with elements of self-analysis; that can also give an idea of the features of spiritual world, identification "friend or foe" of the north Russian peasants. Information on the peasant dwelling vocabulary obtained through conversations with the inhabitants of the study area, is systematised on the basis of a similar theme in modern regional linguistics of the consolidated system of Russian dialects, as well as patois of separate territories. The conclusion was made that the change of the character of the villagers' labour activity had inevitably entailed the restructuring of the space of both rural Russia as a whole and an individual peasant homestead.

Zooplankton of the Brackish Lakes in Turan-Uyuk Basin (Republic of Tyva)

The study addresses the species composition of zooplankton in five mineralized water bodies located in the Turan-Uyuk basin (Tyva). Lake Beloye is a regional natural landmark. In total, 36 species of 22 genera, 9 families, 4 orders were identified. Cladocera constitute 67 % of the species. The major species are Daphnia magna, Brachionus plicatilis, Daphnia pulex, Daphnia longispina, Megacyclops viridis, Ceriodaphnia reticulata, Chydorus cf. sphaericus, Simocephalus expinosus, Acanthodiaptomus denticornis, Arctodiaptomus baсillifer, Moina macrocopa, Keratella quadrata, Brachionus quadridentatus brevispinus, and Daphnia hyalina. The main abundant species in two lakes, Beloye and Arzhaan, is D. magna, which has been the dominant species in Lake Beloye for decades. The zooplankton of Lakes Beloye and Arzhaan include Macrotrix tabrizensis, a rare species, which is known to occur only in one Russian region – Tyva. Tretocephala ambigua lives in Lake Beloye. In the study period, we observed an increase in the abundance of zooplankton: by a factor of 6 in Lake Beloye and by a factor of 2 in Lakes Kisloe and Arzhaan. We believe that this is a consequence of an increase in organic load on water bodies, resulting from shallowing of the lakes and human impact. The occurrence of the species such as Moina macrocopa and Brachionus quadridentatus brevispinus, which inhabit water bodies rich in organic matter and have not been previously detected in the study lakes, confirms this assumption. Cladocerans, which have a high filtration capacity, remain dominant in Lakes Beloye and Arzhaan, and this is beneficial for the lakes. The increasing abundance of Brachionus plicatilis in Lake Kisloye performs a compensatory function in the processes of natural self-purification. At the same time, the fact that species rare for the fauna of Russia have been constantly found in the study lakes indicates the presence of favorable conditions for their development and life, which further increases the value of these unique natural environments

Late Glacial and Early Holocene lacustrine sedimentation history of the northern Mologa-Sheksna Lowland derived from Lake Beloye sediments (NW Russia)

Few detailed case studies have been devoted so far to the Late Pleistocene palaeogeography of the northern Mologa-Sheksna Lowland (MSL), compared to adjacent regions covering the Valdai glaciation marginal zone. Lake Beloye (Russia, Vologda region, Babaevo district) bottom sediments were studied using ground penetrating radar (GPR) and subsequently were cored in order to build a palaeoclimatic reconstruction for the northern MSL, because lacustrine deposits are considered to be valuable and representative palaeoarchive of the area. Chronology of regional palaeoclimatic and palaeohydrological changes from the Bølling — Allerød warming to the Early Holocene was traced on the basis of inorganic and organic geochemistry, mineralogical proxies, grain-size, magnetic susceptibility, accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating and optical microanalysis. During the Late Glacial and the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in the northern MSL interstadial climatic conditions were determined at ~ 14.0 cal. ka BP (Bølling, stage GI-1e of the GICC05 timescale) and ~ 13.0 cal. ka BP (Allerød, stages GI-1c3 — GI-1a). A pronounced cold period associated with Younger Dryas (stage GS- 1) was registered in the multiproxy record at 12.8–11.7 cal. ka BP. High-resolution x-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning helped to reveal short-term “cold” events at ~ 13.7, ~ 13.1 and ~11.5 cal. ka BP, which were associated with Older Dryas (stage GI-1d), Gerzensee-Killarney oscillation (stage GI-1b) and Preboreal oscillation respectively, and “warm” episodes at ~ 13.2 and ~ 11.8 cal. ka BP, which presumably correspond to the end of the stage GI-1c1 and Greenlandian Stage/Age respectively. Ultimate interglacial (Holocene) climate onset within the MSL was attributed to ~ 11,7 cal. ka BP, which is marked by the sharp rise of total organic carbon content in the sediments and lithological changes to muddy fraction. Numerous water level oscillations occurred in the large proglacial lakeduring the last glacial termination, ending with Its final drainage in the northern MSL by ~ 10.9 cal. ka BP. The reconstructed palaeoclimatic dynamics is in overall agreements with the global reconstructions for the North Atlantic and Fennoscandia regions.

Hydrocarbon-Oxidizing Bacteria from Urban Lake Beloye (Moscow): Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis

Cultured hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria have been isolated for the first time from bacterioplankton in urban Lake Beloye (Moscow). The taxonomic positions of two bacterial strains (2012B and 2012C) isolated from this lake have been determined. Lipids of the strain 2012B comprise C14:0–C19:0 fatty acids, the most abundant of them being C15:0 (54%), C16:0 (17%), C17:0 (10%), and 10-methyl С18:0 (3.5%). Lipids of the strain 2012C comprise C14:0–C19:0 fatty acids, the most abundant of them being C15:0 (45%), C16:0 (32%), and C17:0 (9%). A phylogenetic analysis of strain 2012B is performed using the nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA (KP779654.1) and alkB (KR422620.1) genes and the strain is identified as a typical member of the genus Rhodococcus spp. (Actinobacteria, Nocardiaceae). The combination of molecular identification and analysis of biochemical and physiological properties makes it possible to identify strain 2012B as Rhodococcusqingshengii 2012B. A phylogenetic analysis of strain 2012C is performed using the nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA (MG966152) and shows the highest identity (99.57%) of strain 2012С with Pseudomonas psychrotolerans and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans

About Studying the Traditional Singing Tradition of the Vepsians in the Context of Cognitive Ethnomusicology

The article presents an attempt of studying the singing tradition of the Vepsians from the standpoint of cognitive ethnomusicology. This direction, represented in our days by publications in Russian ethnomusicology amounting in the single digits, is analyzed from the standpoint of the development of Boris Asafiev’s theory of intonation. In relation to ethnomusicology, in light of the cognitive paradigm, an artistic text is comprehended as a complex symbol which expresses the ethnophor’s knowledge of reality, embodied in traditional art works as an individual worldview represented by means of sound. The Vepsian folk music tradition is remarkable and authentic. It is represented by works of various genres: lyrical songs; wedding, funereal and recruit lamentations, calendar chants, lullabies, spells, ditties, fairy tales, etc. Upon acquaintance with the tradition, researchers have their interest aroused primarily by the unusual character of the sound of the Vepsian songs. The ethnic music of the Vepsian people, which is an extremely interesting but an under-investigated phenomenon, is based on the peculiarities of the ethnogenesis, geographical location and historical and cultural specificity. The Vepsians are one of the most ancient peoples of the European North. Scientists link their origin to the Vesi and Chudi tribes, which were first mentioned in historical records as far back as the middle of the 6th century. Thereby, already in the 1st half of the 1st millennium, these tribes have inhabited the Mezhozerye [Region between the Lakes] – the area between the three largest northern lakes – Lake Ladoga, Lake Onega and Lake Beloye. Currently, the territory of the traditional settlement of the Vepsians occupies a narrow strip along Lake Onega and the central part of the Mezhozerye. Application of a cognitive approach to the Vepsian ethnic musical material has made it possible to identify the semantically important correlation between timbre and intonation in the process of the formation of the artistic chronotope. Keywords: cognitive ethnomusicology, studies of Finno-Ugric music, ethnic music, Vepsians, traditional singing, intonation, acoustic analysis, pitch, timbre, articulation.

Химический состав воды пресного озера Белое (НП «Мещера») по данным метода атомно-эмиссионной спектрометрии с индуктивно-связанной плазмой

The paper presents new data on the chemical composition of the water of Lake Beloye (FSFI «NP «Meshera», Ryazan region) for 2018, which supplement those obtained earlier – in 2013, 2014 and 2016. The choice of the method of analysis is justified – AES (OES) -ISP, as express and highly sensitive. The obtained data characterize the elemental composition of the Lake water, and are also ecological information for the state of the natural object. According to the available observations, it can be said that at present the waters of Lake Beloe are completely defined as «clean» by quality.

VALUABLE BOTANICAL OBJECTS OF THE KURGALSKY NATURE RESERVE (LENINGRAD REGION). 3. COASTAL, AQUATIC AND SEMIAQUATIC BIOTOPES OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE. THE KURGALSKY RESERVE AS AN IMPORTANT PLANT AREA

Based on the research carried out by the authors in the 2000's in the Kurgalsky Nature Reserve and analysis of all previously published information on the plant cover of the protected area, the most valuable coastal, aquatic and semiaquatic biotopes were revealed. To identify the biotopes of high conservation value floristic, geobotanical, geographical and ecotopic criteria were taken into account. The biotopes were characterized based on the occurrence of rare plant communities and rare vascular plant species, including those of European importance. Recommendations for conservation of vulnerable biotopes are given. Noteworthy are coastal habitats - seashores, represented here by meadows, psammophytic grass communities and littoral marshes, as well as underwater biotopes of the Gulf of Finland. Of particular interest are the brackish Lake Lipovskoe and Sileme Canal, as well as the oligotrophic Lake Beloye, with their rare aquatic and semiaquatic plant species and communities. Many threatened plant species very rare in the Leningrad Region are abundant in the Kurgalsky Reserve, and sometimes they are typical components of plant communities. The territory of the Kurgalsky Reserve meets all the criteria of an Important Plant Area (IPA) at the international level. The Kurgalsky Reserve is an area of outstanding conservation value for the Eastern Baltic Sea Region, and it is extremely important to conserve this area.

МНОГОЛЕТНЯЯ ДИНАМИКА УЛОВОВ, ЧИСЛЕННОСТИ И БИОМАССЫ ПОПУЛЯЦИИ СУДАКА (SANDERLUCIOPERCA L.) БЕЛОГО ОЗЕРА

Until the end of the 20th century fish community in Beloye Lake had been mainly presented by smelt and zander, which resulted in the high volumes of the species catches, yearly variations changed synchronously. Dynamics of zander and smelt fishing in Lake Beloye in the period from 1940 to 2017 has been described. Since 1970s the volumes of their catch and the share in total catches have become gradually decreasing. The average catch made by the research trawl during 1 hour is taken as the main indicator of long-term fluctuations of abundance and biomass of zander population in Beloye Lake within 1970-2017. The main reason for the long-term decline of abundance of smelt and zander populations is the global warming. Smelt biomass rapidly declines in hot years, which results in a sharp decrease of the zander feed supply. The 6-7-year periods of massive reduction of abundance, biomass and catches of zander and smelt in Beloye Lake were recorded in the 1970s and 2000s. Against a background of a sharp decrease of smelt abundance, in 2001-2003 in Beloye Lake there were registered the most numerous zander generations, which caused a strong population imbalance. Thus, the abundance of small-sized fish increased in the 2000s and the commercial biomass of the population decreased rapidly, which led to a significant reduction of zander catches. Generally, against the outlined trend of climate warming, there grows the risk to lose the commercial status of reservation of the commercial status of smelt and zander populations in Beloye Lake in the future.

On the Mapping of Local Ethnic Groups in Belozerye with Reference to Onomastic Data

In this study, Belozerye is considered within the borders of the Principality of Beloozero in the 14 th century. These borders were mostly natural and generally coincided with the internal micro-regional division of Belozerye, connected with the history of its colonisation and ethnic features. From the point of view of modern administrative and territorial division, the districts of Vologda Oblast, surrounding Lake Beloye, Kargopolsky and Konoshsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast, and Poshekhonsky District of Yaroslavl Oblast all make part of the territory under study. The material for the research is mostly taken from the database of the Ural University Toponymic Expedition (Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg). The subdatabase on Belozerye involves several thousands of place names. This article provides the results of the mapping of onomastic data. First and foremost, they are ethnotoponyms and collective nicknames, originating from ethnonyms ( Zyr’ , Kaybany , Finns , Swedes , Chud’ , Chuhari and others), and toponymic legends connected with the aforementioned ethnonyms. The areas of all ethnonymic formations look similar: they stretch from the southwest to the northeast of Belozerye, pass along the banks of the large rivers (the Suda, the Andoga, the Kema) and large lakes (Beloye, Lache, Vozhe), which corresponds to the main direction of Russian expansion into Belozerye. An exception to this general trend is the onomastic facts associated with the Veps and the Lapps, which, apparently, give the most accurate information on the settlement of the respective ethnic groups.

An abrupt ecosystem change in Lake Beloye, southern Western Siberia: Palaeoclimate versus local environment

Sediment structure, rock-magnetic and bio-geochemical records obtained from sapropel core samples in Lake Beloye, southern Western Siberia, indicate an abrupt ecosystem change at 3.4 calibrated ka BP. The lake changed from eutrophic to oligotrophic, its vegetation — from carbon-fixing macrophytic angiosperms to calcium-fixing macrophytic algae and angiosperms, and, as a result, the type of sedimentation shifted from peaty sapropel to carbonate-rich sapropel. Those changes could be induced by climate, which was warmer and wetter before 3.4ka BP and cooler and drier after this. Nevertheless, our data show that those ecosystem changes occurred when the lake became shallower to get about 1m depth and started to freeze to the bottom in winter time. The full freezing of the lake led to the deposition of carbonates, which resulted in: i) death of carbon-utilizing macrophytic angiosperms; and ii) winter precipitation of calcium carbonate. In summer, additional portions of Ca2+ and HCO3− ions come into the lake from the surrounding CaCO3 rich loess sediments with ground water. The Beloye Lake thus represents an example of interrelated regional climatic and local ecological factors, which combination resulted in the 3.4cal. ka BP dramatic change of its ecosystem.

Regional to local environmental changes in southern Western Siberia: Evidence from biotic records of mid to late Holocene sediments of Lake Beloye

The paper presents the first paleontological data (pollen, plant macrofossil, diatom and ostracod) on the sediments of Lake Beloye, which is situated in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia. Our study contributes to better understanding of the Middle–Late Holocene regional to local environmental changes. Regionally, we recognized a cold stage of 3.4–2.3 calibrated ka BP and a dry stage of 2.8–1.7ka BP. The dry stage coincides with the climate-driven lowered level of the lake at 2.6–1.5ka BP. Later, the climate changed to warmer and wetter, which resulted in a highest stand of the lake at 1.3–0.2ka BP and was followed by the lowering of the lake. Forest-steppe persisted in this area during the whole period under consideration, but probably shifted southward. Such a shift is reflected in the environment around Lake Beloye similar to that of modern taiga, which existed at 3.2–1.3ka BP, however, compared to the colder and wetter climate of taiga, the conditions were colder and drier. The local plant associations and the lake ecosystem were affected by those events of climate and lake level changes. The initial eutrophic sedge-reed swamp evolved to the oligo-mesotrophic sphagnum bog, which existed around the lake at 3.2–1.3ka BP. Later, the bogging process was interrupted by the lake transgression, after which the dried bog around the lake was occupied by the birch forest. The lake ecosystem was strongly affected by the 3.4ka BP climate change: the low-alkaline eutrophic lake with abundant water higher plants and diatoms changed to the alkaline oligotrophic lake with calcium-fixing macrophytic algae and angiosperms. This resulted in total change of lake's bio-geochemical and sedimentation patterns.

Seasonal changes in hydrochemical and microbiological indices of Soda Lake Beloye (Western Transbaikalia)

We report results from a hydrochemical and microbiological investigation of Soda Lake Beloye characterized by high pH values (8.30–9.21). It is shown that the water of the lake under investigation is dominated by magnesium, chlorine and hydrocarbonate ions. A study is made of the numbers of different physiological groups of destructive bacteria, the most numerous of which are saprophytic bacteria (up to 10 mil. cells/mm).

Geographical patterns in range extension of Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrate species in Europe

Range extensions of aquatic Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrate species in Europe have mainly been facilitated by the interconnection of river basins through man-made canals and intentional introductions. Three inland migration corridors can be distinguished: (i) a northern corridor: Volga [Formula: see text] Lake Beloye [Formula: see text] Lake Onega [Formula: see text] Lake Ladoga [Formula: see text] Neva [Formula: see text] Baltic Sea, (ii) a central corridor connecting the rivers Dnieper [Formula: see text] Vistula [Formula: see text] Oder [Formula: see text] Elbe [Formula: see text] Rhine, and (iii) a southern corridor connecting the Danube and Rhine rivers. Important trade harbours in Europe were connected via these corridors allowing further range extensions of macroinvertebrate species attached to a vessel's hull or in ballast water. The central corridor was the main migration route before 1992, after which the southern corridor became the most important migration route for the range expansions to the west because of the reopening of the Main-Danube Canal, connecting the Rhine and Danube basins. Especially the water level maintenance in the upper part of the canal, with water supply from the Danube basin, facilitated migration of mobile animals (e.g., crustaceans) from the Danube basin towards the Rhine basin; however, contribution of other transport mechanisms (e.g., shipping) is expected in the near future.

Moitessier's pea clam Pisidium moitessierianum (Bivalvia, Sphaeriidae): a cryptogenic mollusc in the Great Lakes

Pisidium moitessierianum Paladilhe, 1866, a small pea clam native to Europe, was identified for the first time from the lower Great Lakes basin based on an examination of historical collections of Pisidium performed by V. Sterki in 1894 and 1903 and new material collected during 1997 and 1998. During recent surveys, P. moitessierianum individuals were found in the St. Clair River delta, Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie, but were not detected in the Detroit River or western Lake Ontario. Pisidium moitessierianum was collected on sand, silty sand and mud substrata from water depths ranging between 0.6 and 5.4 m. Populations occurred at an average density of 51 ind. m−2 and included juveniles and adults. All individuals were less than 2.0 mm in length. We examined the structure of the umbos and hinge, surface sculpture and shape of the shell, and the anatomy of gills, mantle and nephridia in populations from the lower Great Lakes and Ukrainian inland basins (Dnieper River and Lake Beloye). The results indicated that the Great Lakes' pea clams match European specimens of P. moitessierianum in these conchological and anatomical characteristics. As with other nonindigenous sphaeriids in the Great Lakes, P. moitessierianum was likely introduced through shipping activities into the Great Lakes, possibly as early as the 1890s.