KFU offers universal limno-ecological classification of lake ecosystems
This unique achievement in Russian environmental science allows to comprehensively characterize the state of water bodies and assess their biological resource potential for different territories.
Asiya Galeeva, Assistant Lecturer of the Department of Environmental Management and Water Use of the Institute of Management, Economics and Finance, has been working on it for 15 years, from 2008 to 2023, under the guidance of the Department Chair, Professor Nafisa Mingazova.
Her outstanding work resulted in her PhD thesis Classification of lake ecosystems for typification and assessment of biological resources, which she defended in May 2024.
During her wor, the data of inventory studies of 175 lakes of Kazan on the totality of limnological and biological resource indicators obtained by the department’s staff were analyzed.
“This analysis showed the justification of including 12 main indicators of lake systems in the classification: genesis (origin) of the lake basin; area; depth; water balance; temperature regime; mixing regime; transparency; mineralization; ionic composition; trophic status; flora composition (phytoplacton, macrophytes, character and degree of overgrowth); fauna composition (zooplankton, zoobenthos and ichthyofauna),” she informs.
These 12 indicators formed the basis of the universal limno-ecological classification.
“We have for the first time proposed a way of recording the type of lake ecosystem in the form of a single formula with the possibility of its graphical interpretation. We denote limno-ecological features in the formula by letters, and their indicators by numerical indices,” says Galeeva. “Universal limno-ecological classification (ULEC) is very convenient for typification and complex assessment of biological resource potential of lake ecosystems. It is distinguished from other lake classifications by parameters, complex approach to the description of water bodies, as well as universality – the classification can be used to characterize lakes of different regions.”
ULEC is are already actively used to assess the state of lake ecosystems in Kazan, Republic of Mari El, and Republic of Abkhazia.
“Typification of lake ecosystems is important both for correct assessment of productivity and determination of fishery efficiency of water bodies, and for solving problems of rational use and problems of management of biological resources of lakes,“ adds Galeeva.
According to the young scientist, the ULEC is already introduced to students whose major is Environmental Management and Water Use.