Environmental drivers of community composition in small boreal forest lakes

: Turunen, Aatu; Huuskonen, Hannu; Nummi, Petri; Arzel, Celine; Olin, Mikko; Ruuhijarvi, Jukka; Kahilainen, Kimmo K.; Vainikka, Anssi

Publisher: FINNISH ENVIRONMENT INST

: HELSINKI

: 2025

: Boreal Environment Research

: BOREAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH

: BOREAL ENVIRON RES

: 30

: 1-6

: 133

: 147

: 15

: 1239-6095

: 1797-2469

: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/597147

Faunal communities in small boreal lakes face large-scale stresses including eutrophication and browning. Here, we studied the community composition of macroinvertebrates, fish, and water birds in relation to lake morphometry and water quality in 25 small (< 40 ha) lakes in eastern and southern Finland to predict community-level responses to environmental drivers. Results indicated that phosphorus concentration, pH, and lake surface area are the main faunal drivers of community composition. While dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration did not explain faunal community composition, relative taxa composition was statistically significantly different when lakes were dissimilar in colour. Invertebrate orders Trichoptera and Isopoda were characteristic of high DOC lakes whereas Acari (water mites) and whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus, were characteristics of low DOC lakes. The results are generally consistent with previous studies but extend knowledge of community-level variation in boreal lakes.

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This study was funded by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland (201/03.02.03.00/2020 and VN/2330/2021-MMM-2) and by Societas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica. CA is supported by the grant number 333400 from Academy of Finland.