Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

International Journal of Oceanography and Hydrobiology

Vol. XXXVIII, No.2
Institute of Oceanography (83-89) University of Gdańsk
ISSN 1730-413X 2009 eISSN 1897-3191

DOI 10.2478/v10009-009-0024-6 Received: July 03, 2008

Accepted: February 23, 2009
Original research paper

Chironomidae (Diptera) community response to improved

oxygen conditions in a naturally recovering lake
(Łękuk Wielki, northeast Poland)

Jacek Koszałka1

Chair of Applied Ecology

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
ul. Oczapowskiego 5, 10-957 Olsztyn, Poland

Key words: Chironomidae, eutrophication, recovering, Łękuk Wielki Lake

Abstract

A study of the chironomid community was undertaken in Lake Łękuk Wielki during the
1997-1999 period. Twenty six taxon belonging to the subfamilies Tanypodinae and Chironomini
were identified. Taxonomic diversity decreased with increasing depth in the lake, but the
occurrence of Chironomidae larvae was noted even in the deepest part of the lake. Chironomidae
clearly indicated that Lake Łękuk Wielki is recovering.

1
e-mail: jacko@uwm.edu.pl
Copyright© by Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland www.oandhs.org
84 J. Koszałka

INTRODUCTION

Lake Łękuk Wielki is located in northeast Poland (22°02’ E, 54°08’ N) in

the Mazurian Lake District. It covers 21.5 ha with a maximum depth of 12.2 m
and a mean depth of 5.2 m. This dimictic lake is located on the border of the
Borecka Primeval Forest, and its watershed is distant from the larger industrial
centers of the country. This is one of the conditions required of an area where
comprehensive observations of environmental background pollution are
preformed. The Puszcza Borecka Integrated Monitoring Station was founded in
1984 in the Lake Łękuk watershed area, and it was first such station in Poland.
In the late 1980s, the Institute of Environmental Protection took responsibility
for water management, and a farm located near the shoreline of the lake was
liquidated (Smoleński 1997). This meant that fishery management in the lake
was stopped as well as all agricultural activity in the lake's watershed. Since this
time, all fishery management, including stocking, net fishing, and angling have
been prohibited. Nowadays, Lake Łękuk is submitted to slight anthropogenic
stress. Only an insignificant area of fallow ground in the vicinity of the lake is
used as pastures.
Lake Łękuk Wielki is recovering spontaneously from eutrophication, at
least in terms of the oxygen content. The results of this process are the visible
improvements in the natural condition of the reservoir in recent years. Oxygen
conditions are particularly important for bottom fauna. During 1983-1989 in the
summer stagnation period, about 70% of the bottom area of the lake was in a
state of anoxia. In 1993 this figure had decreased to 35%, and during the
1994-1995 period further improvement ensued with anoxia present in about
20% of the bottom area (Smoleński and Sieklucki 1997). A summary of
physicochemical data characterizing the waters of the lake are presented in
Koszałka (2004), and the oxygen content is given in Table 1.

Table 1

Range of dissolved oxygen concentrations (mg dm-3) in Lake Łękuk Wielki.

a b
Depth (m) 1998 1999
2 6.3 – 10.0 9.0 – 16.0
4 2.0 – 7.2 2.8 – 10.2
6 0.6 – 7.1 1.8 – 11.0
9 0.6 – 6.4 1.4 – 7.0
12 0.7 – 1.2 0.9 – 5.5
a
) after Śnieżek et al. (1999), modified
b
) after Śnieżek et al. (2000), modified

Copyright© by Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

 Chironomidae of Łękuk Wielki Lake 85

Chironomidae larvae possess, by reason of their wide distribution,

ecological differentiation, highly specific environmental tolerance, relatively
long life cycles, and suitability for simple collection methods, all the attributes
necessary for bioindicators (Frank 1983). Along with oligochaetes, they are
reliable indicators of trophic status in lakes (Saether 1979, Wiederholm 1980) as
they are fairly tolerant to temporary oxygen deficits.
The primary goal of the present study was to assess the present taxonomic
structure and distribution of Chironomidae communities inhabiting Lake Łękuk
Wielki. Seasonal variation in midge abundance and biomass was also examined.
Additionally, it was assumed that changes in the character of Chironomidae
communities can be used as an indicator of improving conditions in the
profundal zone of the lake.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Zoobenthic samples were collected in December 1997, from April to

December 1998, and from May to September 1999 at monthly intervals. Five
sampling sites were selected along a transect from the western shore to the
deepest part of the lake. Sampling sites were located in the littoral (2 m),
sublittoral (4 m), upper profundal (6 m), and deep profundal (9 and 12 m) zones
(Fig. 1). At each station, five samples were collected on each sampling date
with a Kajak tubular bottom sampler covering 40.07 cm2. The material was

Fig. 1. Location of sampling sites (1-5) in Lake Łękuk Wielki.

www.oandhs.org
86 J. Koszałka

sieved through 0.25 mm mesh. The specimens collected were preserved in 4%

formalin. After placing them on filter paper, the “formalin” wet weight of single
individuals was determined to the nearest 0.1 mg. The lack of taxonomic
knowledge of the larval forms of these species permits identification of this
family at the level of genus only. The genera Chironomus, Endochironomus,
Glyptotendipes, Micropsectra, Polypedilum, and Tanypus were identified to
species but are referred to with Arabic numerals only. The species names
according to old chironomid identification keys are reported in parentheses
(Romaniszyn 1958, Pankratova 1977).

RESULTS

The chironomid community of Lake Łękuk consisted of 26 taxa (genera and

species): 4 Tanypodinae, 22 Chironominae (Table 2).

Table 2

Mean density (D, ind. m-2 ±standard deviation) and frequency (F, (%), percent
of samples in which each taxa was present) of Chironomidae at sampling sites
in Lake Łękuk Wielki during the study.
Sampling site
Taxon 1 2 3 4 5
D F D F D F D F D F
Tanypodinae
Larsia sp. 3 ±13 7
Procladius sp. 75 ±106 47 13 ±39 13 3 ±13 7 3 ±13 7
Tanypus sp. 1 (T. kraatzi (Kieff.)) 3 ±13 7 42 ±48 53
Tanypus sp. 2 (T. vilipenis Kieff.) 16 ±36 20

Chironominae
Chironomus sp. 1 (Ch. f.l plumosus L.) 13 ±35 13 26 ±52 33
Cladopelma gr. lateralis 10 ±28 13
Cladotanytarsus gr. mancus 454 ±658 93 7 ±23 7
Cryptochironomus sp. 81 ±66 87
Dicrotendipes notatus (Meigen) 7 ±17 13
Einfeldia dissidens Walker 5 ±21 7 5 ±21 7
Endochironomus sp. 1 (E. tendens (Fabricius)) 3 ±13 7 3 ±13 7
Endochironomus sp. 2 33 ±63 27
Glyptotendipes sp. 1 (G. gripekoveni Kieff. ) 13 ±22 27
Glyptotendipes gr. B (G. severini Goetgh.) 3 ±28 7 7 ±25 7
Microtendipes sp. (M. eg chloris) 49 ±100 27 3 ±39 7
Micropsectra sp. 79 ±128 67 10 ±13 13
Parachironomus gr. arcuatus 36 ±68 33 3 ±13 7
Paratendipens albimanus Meigen 10 ±28 13 3 ±13 7
Paratendipes nudisquama Edwards 3 ±13 7
Polypedilum sp. 1 (P. nubifer (Skuse)) 7 ±25 7
Polypedilum sp. 2 (P.(T.) scalaenum (Schrank)) 46 ±94 33
Polypedilum sp. 3 (P. nubeculosum (Meigen)) 343 ±461 80 16 ±52 20 3 ±13 7
Polypedilum sp. 4 (P. convictum Walk.) 3 ±17 7
Polypedilum sp. 5 36 ±84 33
Stempelina sp. 10 ±22 20
Zavrelia sp. 3 ±13 7 7 ±35 7

Copyright© by Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

 Chironomidae of Łękuk Wielki Lake 87

Among the taxa found in the lake, larvae of the genus Cladotanytarsus gr.
mancus represented 31% of the fauna, followed by Polypedilum sp. 3 (24%),
Procladius sp. (6%), and Micropsectra sp. (6%).
Total midge abundance decreased according to increasing depth (Fig. 2).
The value of biomass distribution followed the pattern observed for density
values except at the station located in the upper part of the profundal zone.
Seasonal variation of chironomid abundance peaked with maximum values
in December 1997 and June 1998 (Fig. 3), while density was significantly lower
in the summer period.

Fig. 2. Mean density (ind. m-2) and biomass (g m-2) of Chironomidae at

sampling sites in Lake Łękuk Wielki.

Fig. 3. Monthly variation of chironomid density at sampling sites (1-5) in Lake

Łękuk Wielki in 1997-1999.

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88 J. Koszałka

DISCUSSION

Over the last fifty years, distinct differences have been observed in the
chironomid fauna on the bottom of Lake Łękuk Wielki. The first estimates by
Pieczyńska et al. (1963) indicated the decreasing biomass of chironomids in the
middle part of the lake (1.22 to about 0.01 g m-2 currently), and this was no
doubt brought about by several years of anoxia covering up to 70% of the
bottom area during the summer stagnation period (Smoleński and Sieklucki
1997). In 1988, Soszka et. al. (1991) found only one species of Chironomidae
(Tanypus punctipennis) at sampling sites located only in the shallow parts of the
lake. The increase of the taxa number to 26 and the occurrence of midge larvae
in the deepest part of the lake may suggest that after ten years they are
responding to significantly improved conditions. The distribution of midge
larvae in the lake is mainly determined by the dispersion of first stadium
plankton and the migration of older larvae (Davies 1976). However, larvae of
three taxa were noted each once at the deeper profundal stations only during the
spring (Procladius sp., Parachironomus gr. arcuatus) and fall (Polypedilum
sp. 3) mixing of lake waters. This confirms their ability to colonization rapidly
if conditions improve (Bazzanti and Seminara 1985).
While several taxa represents important groups of this family for Lake
Łękuk Wielki, the density of Chironomus larvae which are the most
characteristic form for eutrophic lakes and are especially abundant in such water
bodies (Kajak and Dusoge 1976, Giziński and Żbikowski 1992), was relative
low. This was probably related to the high abundance of the invertebrate
Chaoborus flavicans, which feeds on larvae, and the lack of oxygen for long
periods during summer stagnation in the profundal zone. In the shallow parts of
the range of occurrence of Chironomus larvae, the lower densities were perhaps
the result of fish predation since they prefer large larvae as food (Kajak and
Dusoge 1975). However, their occurrence influenced increased biomass values
at the station in the upper profundal.
The response of chironomid communities to the abatement of
eutrophication is similar to that observed in phytoplankton and zooplankton
(Koszałka et al. 2005) as well as in oligochaete communities (Koszałka 2004)
and indicates the improvement of water conditions in the lake.

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Copyright© by Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

 Chironomidae of Łękuk Wielki Lake 89

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