Invertebrate Assemblages in Some Saline and Soda Lakes of the Kulunda Steppe: First Regional Assessment and Ecological Implications
Journal: Water
Year: 2025

The taxonomic composition and structure of invertebrate assemblages in five lakes from the Kulunda steppe, located in an arid region of southwestern Siberia (Russia), were studied. The lakes varied greatly in their total salinity (5 to 304 g L−1) and carbonate alkalinity (0.03 to 4.03 mol-eq L−1). The invertebrate fauna was characterized by low diversity. Only five taxa of macrozoobenthos and two taxa of planktonic invertebrates were identified. As water salinity increased, the taxonomic diversi