Origin and Development of Zooplankton and Macrozoobenthos Communities in the Primary Succession of a Temporarily Anthropogenically Regulated Artificial Lake

This study aims to observe the emergence and development of zooplankton and macrozoobenthos communities in an artificial water basin under an anthropogenically controlled hydrological regime. The lake, located in the center of Sofia, Bulgaria, is a free-flowing water body with a concrete bottom and walls. It undergoes annual cleaning before refilling each spring, effectively resetting biological colonization. Zooplankton and macrozoobenthos samples were taxonomically identified and statistically analyzed. The absence of predatory pressure and the stable environmental conditions provided by the flowing nature of the lake facilitates the formation of a viable zooplankton community, which plays a crucial role in ecosystem productivity. However, macrozoobenthos does not establish a stable community and is primarily represented by chironomids. Different filling conditions each year influence the structure of the zooplankton community.