The Laboratory of Lake Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in 1956 undertook this complicated study of Lake Ladoga. The plan of the laboratory made allowance for the detailed investigation of the phytoplankton of the lake during a series of years. In the present article are given the preliminary results of observations on the phytoplankton of the Yakimvarskii Bay from 1956 to 1957. Details are also given on the concentration of dissolved gases and biogenic substances of the bay

Petrova, N.A.

Aquatic Commons

PETROVA N.A. 1959 
On the character of the phytoplankton 
of the Yakimvarskii Gulf (Lake Ladoga) 
(K kharakteriskike fitoplanktona yakimvarakogo 
zaliva ladozhakogo ozera.) 
Botanicheskii Zhurnal, T. 44, No. 9. 1311-1314. 
Translated by J. W. G. LUND. 
Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside. 
February, 1961. 
There is no information in the literature about the algae of the 
Yakimvarskii Bay of Lake Ladoga. The phytoplankton of Lake Ladoga was 
studied during 1905-1906 by E. W. Balachontsev (1911), who however in his 
own investigations did not touch the North West skerry portion of the lake, 
which differs in the peculiar ecological conditions. Later investigations 
of the algal flora of Lake Ladoga also only touched on its central and southern 
parts (Sokolova 1935 etc.) 
The Laboratory of Lake Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the 
USSR in 1956 undertook the complicated study of Lake Ladoga. The plan of the 
laboratory made allowance for the detailed investigation of the phytoplankton 
of the lake during a series of years. In the present article are given the 
preliminary results of observations on the phytoplankton of the Yakimvarskii 
Bay from 1956 to 1957. 
The Yakimvarskii Bay is situated in the north-west part of Lake Ladoga 
and it consists of a main reach of about 12 km long and a system of skerries 
and channels. The main reach stretches from the S.E. to the N.W.; the 
direction of its long axis coincides with the direction of the wind dominating 
in this region. The part joining the bay to the lake is wide. Both these 
conditions favour intensive wind mixing and good water exchange between the bay 
and the lake. The depth in the middle parts of the main reach fluctuates 
between 40 and 80 meters and at the exit into the open lake it reached 100 meters. 
The shores are built up of ancient crystalline formations, for the most part 
they are high, rocky and precipitous, therefore there are very few littoral 
aquatic higher plants; in places these are completely absent. 
The climate in the region of the bay is fairly severe by comparison with 
the more southerly parts of the lake. The beginning of complete ice cover is 
from the end of December to the beginning of Januarys and the ice breaks up 
from the end of April to the beginning of May. During the period of ice cover 
the temperature of the upper layers of the water immediately under the ice 
fluctuated * between 0.03° and 1.01°C. In this same period the temperature 
near the bottom (at a depth of 45 meters) was about 2°C. In summer the 
temperature of the water reached a maximum at the end of July (up to 22.9°C. 
at the surface near the shore). Afterwards it sharply decreased in connection 
with the generally deteriorating weather conditions and at the end of August 
did not get higher than 17.9°C.*1 
*[Translators note. The author uses the present tense here and elsewhere. 
This has been changed to the past since the account refers to conditions 
between 1956 and 1957]. 
*
1
 The hydrological data are extracted from the reports of M.P. Smirnova 
and A.I. Tichomirov, co-workers of the expedition of the laboratory of 
Lake Studies. 
1. 
The transparency of the water of the bay (measured with a Secci disk) 
varied during the period of the investigation from 1.8 to 6.1 meters. 
The pH fluctuated within the limits of 7.05 to 7.95 reaching a maximum 
in the period of the highest water temperature. 
The concentration of a series of chemical components in the period 
1926 to 1927 is given in Table 1.* 
[ T A B L E 1. Here ] 
As is seen from this table the water of the bay is rich in oxygen 
and extremely poor in biogenic substances. The course of the seasonal 
fluctuations of the chemical components is closely connected with the fluctua-
tions in the composition of the phytoplankton which will be considered below. 
The samples of phytoplankton for qualitative analysis were collected with 
an Apstein plankton net (diameter of the ring 24 cms, gauze with 6,500 mesh as 
per square cm). For quantitative estimation samples of phytoplankton were 
taken at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 50 meters and near to the bottom using a big bathometer 
of international type. The collection of samples was carried out at permanent 
stations distributed along a longitudinal profile of the main reach. 
[ TABLE 2. Here ] 
Quantitative determination of the phytoplankton was carried out in 
the counting chamber of Nazhott.*1 The number of cells of all species was 
counted, with the exception of species of the following genera of blue-green 
algae: Microcystis, Gomphosphaeria, Gloeothece, Aphanizomenon; for the first 
of these latter, colonies were counted and for the last one of them the threads. 
In the net samples the estimation was carried out visually according to a seven 
point scale. 
During the period of the investigation a total of 260 species and 
varieties of algae were found in the phytoplankton. The relationships of the 
various systematic groups were as follows: Bacillariophyta 129 (49.6%) 
Chlorophyta 73 (28.0%), Cyanophyta 41 (15.8%), Chrysophyta 12 (4.7%), 
Xanthophyta 4 (1.6%) Euglenophyta 1 (0.3%). 
Diatoms belonging mainly to the class of the Pennatae, sharply predominated 
over other groups. Green algae were represented mainly by species belonging 
to the class of the Protococcales. Among the blue-green algae were met with 
* The data about the chemistry of the water are obtained from the reports 
of N. F. Solov'eba, a co-worker of the expedition). 
*
1
 [I do not know what this chamber is or who Nazhott was. Translator.] 
2. 
predominately forms belonging to the classes of the Chroccoccales and Hormogoneales. 
In the course of the year the species content of the phytoplankton and 
the quantitative development of the species fluctuated according to the seasons. 
The biological seasons did not coincide with the seasons of the calendar. The 
biological winter was observed from December to March, spring was from April 
to the middle of July, summer was from the end of July to the end of August, 
and autumn from September to November. 
The winter season (from December to March) is characterised by a poverty 
of the species content and of the quantitative development of the phytoplankton 
in which were found 44 forms, belonging predominantly to the diatoms. The 
maximum content of the phytoplankton consisted of 2,400 cells per litre and the 
mean content of 600 to 800 cells per litre. In the winter the predominating 
species in the phytoplankton were Tabellaria fenestrata (Lyngb.) Kutz., 
Fragilaria capuoina v. mesolepta Rabenh., Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica O. 
Mull., Asterionella formosa Hass., Stephanodiscus astraea (Ehr.) Grun., 
Gomphosphaeria lacustris Chod., Coelastrum microporum Naeg., Tribonema depauperatum 
(Wille) Woronich. 
In the middle of April, despite the very low temperatures of the water 
(from 0.15° to 2.3°C) a sharp increase was observed in the quantity of algae 
in the plankton. Their number reached 40,000 cells per litre chiefly from 
the beginning of the mass development of Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica. 
At the end of the biological spring (the end of June to the beginning of July), 
at water temperature of 6-10°C, the quantity of diatoms, predominantly Melosira 
islandica ssp. helvetica reached maximal numbers namely 244,600 cells per litre 
(for the period of our observations). In the same period the number of the 
representatives of the genus Dinobryon sharply increased, reaching at times up 
to 52,000 cells per litre. The average number of the total of the phytoplankton 
at the end of the biological spring is 100,000 - 150,000 cells per litre. 
Characteristic species of the spring season are Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica, 
Dinobryon divergens Imhof., D. cylindricum Iwanoff, Asterionella formosa Hass., 
Tabellaria fenestrata (Lyngb.) Kutz., Ankistrodesmus gracilis (Reinsch) Korschik. 
In the beginning of the biological summer season from the end of July 
when the temperature of the water reached a maximum (17.7 to 22.9°C) the 
content of the phytoplankton changed sharply. Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica 
almost completely disappeared in its place was taken by Asterionella formosa 
(35,000 to 75,000 cells per litre) and Tabellaria fenestrata (14,000 to 35,000 
cells per litre.) In the mass these simultaneously appeared certain green algae; 
their total quantity of phytoplankters on the average was equal to 70,000 to 
100,000 cells per litre but at times it reached 200,000 cells per litre. 
3 
In the first half of the summer the phytoplankton is characterised by 
the following species, Asterionella formosa Hass., Tabellaria fenestrata (Lyngb.) 
Kutz., Pseudosphaerocystis plactonica Woronich., Ceratium hirundinella (O.F.M.) 
Berg, Eudorina elegans Ehrenb., Pandorina morum Bory., Gomphosphaeria lacustris 
Chod., Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs., Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum Naeg., 
Peridinium sp. sp., Microcystis sp. sp. 
At the end of the summer season, when there began the cooling of the 
water mass (13.6 to 17.9°C) there was observed a decrease of the development 
of Asterionella formosa (15,000 to 30,000 cells per litre) and an increase in 
the number of Tabellaria fenestrata (18,000 to 38,000 cells per litre.), which 
in the second half of the summer became the dominating form. Melosira islandica 
spp. helvetica was met with anew in considerable numbers (6,000 to 14,000 cells 
per litre), the highest total number of diatoms was 40,000 to 101,000 cells 
per litre. In this same period was reached the maximal development of the blue-
green algae especially species of Anabaena (20,000 to 41,000 cells per litre). 
The difference of the second half of the summer from the first half consists 
in this, that the mass development of green algae is changed into a flowering 
of blue-green algae. The average quantity of phytoplankton at the end of the 
biological summer fluctuated between 50,000 and 80,000 per litre. The 
predominating species are, Tabellaria fenestrates (Lyngb.) Kutz., Asterionella 
formosa Hass., Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica O. Mull., Anabaena spiroides 
f. woronichiniana Elenk., A. spiroides f. Meyeriana (Meyer) Elenk., A. spiroides 
f. degenerative (Woronich.) Elenk., A. ellipsoides Boloch. emend. Woronich., 
Coelosphaerium kuetzinianum Naeg., Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs., 
Pseudophaerocystis planctonica Woronich. 
In the course of the Autumn season (September to November). the quantity 
of species of the phytoplankton and their number rapidly decreased. In the 
autumn months the average number of plankton algae was 6,000 to 8,000 calls 
per litre and the maximal number 29,600 cells per litre. The dominating 
species were Tabellaria fenestrate to which in noticeable quantity are added 
of Melosira islandica, ssp. helvetica, Asterionella formosa and Gomphosphaeria 
lacustris. 
We succeeded most fully to follow through the effects of the thermal 
factor on the seasonal fluctuations of the systematic content and quantitative 
development of the phytoplankton. The appearance in the plankton of represen-
tatives of the separate groups of algae and their maximum number are related 
to climate temperature conditions ( s e e fig.). The spring flare-up of the 
developments of Melosira islandica ssp. helvetica. (the end of June to the 
beginning of July) coincides with the period of temperatures in the surface 
layer of the water of from 6-10°C. The second increase of the numbers of diatoms, 
connected with the predominance of Tabellaria fenestrata. takes place at a 
temperature of the water of from 14-17°C (the end of August). Synchronous 
4. 
with this same period is the flowering of the blue-green algae. The maximum 
development of green algae coincides with the time of the greatest warming up 
of the water mass from the end of July to the beginning of August, temperature 
of the upper layers from l8-22°C. 
Comparison of the seasonal course of the development of the phytoplankton 
with the fluctuation in the contents of the biogenic matters in the water of the 
bay, (see the figure) shows that the flaring up of the development of the 
diatoms each time was accompanied by a decrease in the quantity of silica and 
the mass developments of any group of algae lead to complete or almost complete 
disappearance of phosphorus and of total nitrogen.* 
In the course of the summer of 1957 phosphorus was utilized twice - on 
the 27th of June and on the 27th of July which coincided with the periods of 
the greatest number of plankton algae. Poverty of the water of Yakimvarskii 
Bay in biological substances necessary for the development of algae is one of 
the causes limiting the quantity of phytoplankton. 
It as not possible to establish a direct relationship between the change 
of the quantity of oxygen and the degree of development of the phytoplankton 
(see figure) possibly because the quantity of oxygen in the water of the bay 
was constantly very high (the degree of saturation was 95-117%). The 
comparatively poor phytoplankton of Yakimvarskii Bay does not influence noticeably 
its oxygen regime, which distinguishes this bay from lakes of the eutrophic type 
rich in plankton algae. 
Analysing the data obtained we come to the following conclusions: 
(1) In the phytoplankton of Yakimvarskii Bay the diatom algae always 
predominate both quantitatively and qualitatively. 
(2) In the yearly cycle of the development of the phytoplankton are 
distinguished three maxima, at the end of the biological spring, 
at the beginning of the summer, and at the end of the summer. 
(3) The data about the numbers of plankton algae characterise Yakimvarskii 
Bay as a water of the oligotrophic type. 
5. 
*[Translators Notes: This last phrase namely of 'total nitrogen' is unclear 
since in the figure total nitrogen never disappears, but I am not sure 
whether any other translation is possible.] 
CONCENTRATION OF DISSOLVED GASES, BIOGENIC SUBSTANCES 
AND SILICON IN THE WATER OF THE YAKIMVARSKII BAY DURING 
THE PERIOD 1956 TO 1957. 
TABLE 2. 
SAMPLES OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON OF THE YAKIMVARSKII BAY 
TABLE 1. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notice 
 
 
Please note that these translations were produced to assist the scientific staff of the 
FBA (Freshwater Biological Association) in their research. These translations were 
done by scientific staff with relevant language skills and not by professional 
translators. 
 
 
 


On the character of the phytoplankton of the Yakimvarskii Gulf (Lake Ladoga) [Translation from: Botanicheskii Zhurnal, T. 44, No. 9, 1311-1314, 1959]

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On the character of the phytoplankton of the Yakimvarskii Gulf (Lake Ladoga) [Translation from: Botanicheskii Zhurnal, T. 44, No. 9, 1311-1314, 1959]

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