Benthic Cyanoprokaryota from waterbodies of the National Park «Valdaisky» (Novgorod Region)

So far, the systematic study of benthic Cyanoprokaryota of Novgorod Region was not performed. During the summer period 2012–2013, benthic cyanoprokaryotеs from waterbodies of the National Park «Valdaisky» were studied for the first time. An annotated list of 147 species and 4 intraspecific taxa of Cyanoprokaryota belonging to 40 genera, 25 families, 6 orders, 3 subclasses is provided. These species were collected in the benthos of 155 waterbodies (57 lakes, 4 ponds, 33 pools, 13 eutrophic mires, 26 Sphagnum mires, 11 rivers, 7 streams, 4 springs). Most widespread taxa are Geitlerinema splendidum, Phormidium formosum, Oscillatoria tenuis. Also Hapalosiphon pumilus, Tolypothrix tenuis, Leibleinia epiphytica, Nostoc punctiforme, N. paludosum, and representatives of genus Gloeotrichia (G. natans, G. intermedia, G. pisum) are frequent. The list is annotated by data on typical habitats, water salinity and pH preferences, and distribution. Taxonomic comments are provided for selected species. In total 14 species (marked with two asterisks — **) are recorded for the first time in Russia, 112 — in the Novgorod Region (marked with one asterisk — *). Apart from strictly benthic species (69 %), the plankto-benthic (20 %), epiphytic (7 %), and endophytic (4 %) species have been recorded. Freshwater and indifferent to pH cyanoprokaryotes dominate in the studied waterbodies, and comprise 86 % and 60 % of recorded species respectively. Significant part is composed by cosmopolitan and boreal species (28 % each), accounted for a considerable portion of Holarctic species (18 %). The name of a taxon in the list is followed by Arabic numerals referring to the lake, and indications of its abundance by Cyrillic abbreviations: м. — in mass, оч. ч. — very often, ч. — often, н. — not rare, р. — rare, ед. — single. The other used abbreviations are as follows: кл. — cells, кол. — colonies, трих. — trichomes, гет. — heterocyts, акин. — akinets; дл. — length, шир. — width, диам. — diameter; б. — benthic, пл.-б. — plankto-benthic, эп. — epiphytic, энд. — endophytic; пр. — freshwater, пр.-сол. — in fresh and brackish waters, эвр. — euryhaline; алк. — alkaliphilic, ац. — acidophilic, инд. — indifferent to pH, широк. — in wide range of pH; к. — cosmopolitan, бор. — boreal, аркт.-бор. — arctic-boreal, бор.-троп. — borealtropical, бор.-неотроп. — boreal-neotropical, бор.-новозел. — boreal-New Zealand, гол. — holarctic, гол.-неотроп. — holarctic-neotropical, гол.-палеотроп. — holarctic-paleotropical, неясн. распр. — distribution unclear

Evaluation of blue-green algal inoculation on specific soil parameters

The impact of nitrogen-fixing blue-green algal (BGA) strains, namely Anabaena variabilis, Aulosira fertilissima, Nostoc muscorum and Tolypothrix tenuis , was studied at different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on specific soil parameters such as microbial populations, pH, EC, redox potential, chlorophyll, dehydrogenase and nitrogenase activity under a rice crop. The inoculation of the soil with BGA strains resulted in higher microbial populations (BGA, bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes) and had a significant influence on redox potential. A significant increase in soil chlorophyll, dehydrogenase and nitrogenase activity was observed during crop growth due to BGA application.