Biotopic distribution of Molluscan fauna in the Sura and Moksha river basins
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17390640Keywords:
Aquatic ecosystems, Species composition, Molluscan fauna, RussiaAbstract
Rivers and lakes are complex ecosystems that, in recent years, have faced increasing habitat degradation. Aquatic mollusks serve as important indicators in hydrobiological monitoring. This study investigated mollusk communities in the basins of the Sura and Moksha Rivers (Republic of Mordovia). Sampling was conducted at 21 localities. A total of 34 species belonging to 9 families of mollusks were recorded. In the Insar River, Oxyloma elegans was found at half of the surveyed sites, as well as in the Chermelei and Alatyr Rivers, indicating shoreline overgrowth with riparian vegetation. In two oxbow water bodies in the Bolshie Berezniki District, mollusks with corroded shells were discovered, suggesting a specific ionic composition of the water that promotes shell degradation. A rare shell form of the pond snail Ampullaceana ampla, which is otherwise widely distributed at other river sites, was found in the Alatyr River and warrants further study into the environmental conditions contributing to its formation. Unio crassus, found in the Moksha River, is listed in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Mordovia. The Raup-Crick index revealed similarity among mollusk communities inhabiting the headwaters of the Insar River and the tributaries of the Sura River.
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