Two pocket sandy beaches, Eastern Cape, South Africa, were investigated, to determine whether these beaches were subsidised by an adjacent mangrove estuary, by using stable light isotope (δ 13C and δ 15N) analyses. The trophodynamics and macrofaunal food webs of these two beaches, situated between the Mgazi and Mgazana estuaries (in a warm-temperate/subtropical transition zone,), were described. Two to 2.5 trophic levels were identified for the macrobenthic community, with suspension feeders and omnivorous scavengers as the primary consumers, and carnivores as the secondary consumers. Mangrove material and terrigenous inputs were not driving the sandy beach food webs. Instead, marine allochthonous inputs (carrion, macroalgae), possibly phytoplankton, sediment organic matter, and resident macroinfauna were the dominant food sources. Cattle dung could have been the only important terrigenous food source utilised by the beach benthos. The macroinfauna displayed generalist/omnivorous feeding strategies, but within the limits of predominantly marine food sources. There was evidence that carnivores actively preyed on resident beach fauna. Omnivory and intraguild feeding might also be important biological processes in these communities. Seasonal and spatial variability in stable isotope composition of the fauna was observed, but few patterns were evident. There was a general trend of more enriched δ 15N and δ 13C composition of animal tissues in summer as opposed to winter. This was accompanied by a general decrease in C:N ratios in summer. It was hypothesised that these isotopic and biochemical changes were in response to increased food availability during summer. Although mangrove material appeared not to play an important role in the nutrition of these sandy beach communities, it was suggested that a high retention time of particles in the bay could enhance bacterial decay of particulate mangrove material, which could then act as fine, bacterial-enriched particulate food to the macrobenthos. This remains to be tested.

Examination of an important new 319m core of lake sediment recovered from Ioannina in NW Greece has attempted to relate changes in the lake to variations in the regional climate of south-central Europe over the last 600,000 years. The site is known to have been extremely sensitive to past climatic change for three reasons: (i) temperate vegetation persisted throughout glacial stages (albeit at low frequencies), so the vegetational response to climatic change would therefore have been almost immediate; (ii) the extreme thickness of the sediments suggests that accumulation rates were high (at times, > 1m per thousand years), which has enabled high-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstructions; and (iii) precipitation of authigenic carbonate has preserved a remarkably sensitive proxy record of productivity variations for most of the lake's history. Well-defined shifts from glacial - interglacial mode have been correlated with vegetational changes identified in a core previously analysed from the same basin (using magnetic susceptibility profiles), enabling tentative correlations to be suggested with other European terrestrial sequences and with the marine oxygen isotope record, back to marine isotope stage 16. Twelve AMS radiocarbon determinations from the upper part of the core, together with the identification of a series of reversed palaeomagnetic events within the Brunhes chron, support the proposed age model for the sequence. The sediments at Ioannina, unlike most of the other long terrestrial European sequences, are calcareous and contain mollusc and ostracod assemblages. Part of this project has involved a comprehensive review of Quaternary and modem aquatic faunas from the lake, as well as the description, illustration and critical assessment of several poorly-known endemic taxa. Faunal assemblage data have been used to provide valuable information concerning the variable response of lake-level to climatic change over time. Convincing new mollusc an evidence indicates low lake-levels at the Last Glacial Maximum, agreeing with regional pollen data, but conflicting with geomorphological evidence derived from Kastritsa, a well-documented nearby Palaeolithic cave site. It is suggested that this discrepancy may be a result of subsequent tectonic uplift of the rockshelter. In addition, stable isotopic analyses of both the ostracods and the bulk carbonate within the sediments have contributed towards deriving a comprehensive palaeoenvironmental history for the site. Although the study analysed physical, biological and geochemical aspects of the entire core, two distinct parts of the record were selected for more detailed investigation. High-resolution analysis over the last interglacial (the Eemian) has revealed evidence for a clear, two-step deglaciation at the beginning of the period, known from elsewhere as the Zeifen-Kattegat Oscillation. Climatic instability has also been detected within the full interglacial. Comparisons are drawn with a range of other Eemian records from across Europe, as well as the Greenland ice cores. High-resolution analysis of the period from the end of the last glacial to the present day has also revealed evidence for climatic instability. A cool and arid oscillation is demonstrated by several climatic proxies that may constitute the first recognition of the Younger Dryas stadial from Greece. A shorter, but more subdued cooling event has also been detected during the first half of the Holocene, which may correspond with a widespread climatic oscillation from high-resolution terrestrial, marine and ice core records that has been dated to between 7,500 and 8,000 years BP.

First Nations peoples experience many benefits from eating locally-harvested wild foods, but these benefits must be considered along with the potential risks associated with exposure to environmental contaminants. Unlike store-bought foods, wild foods are an important traditional resource and a significant source of dietary protein, essential minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids, believed to help in the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases such as type-2 diabetes mellitus. Wild foods continue to be an important and healthy food choice for First Nations peoples; however, they are also a primary source of dietary mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). To assess the effects of wild food consumption on dietary markers and contaminant accumulation, we grouped individuals from two remote Oji-Cree First Nations communities of north-western Ontario (n=71) according to their level of wild food consumption. In this study, I observed significantly higher organic contaminants in blood and higher mercury concentrations in hair for individuals consuming greater amounts of wild food. Age-adjusted contaminant concentrations were on average 3.5-times higher among high-frequency wild food consumers, with many exceeding federal and international health guidelines for mercury and PCB exposures. Contaminants in these populations approach, and in some cases exceed, threshold levels for adverse effects with potential consequences especially for prenatal development. Here, I also investigated the potential for stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) to serve as dietary markers and found strong positive correlations between stable isotopes and frequency of wild food and fish consumption. Frequency of fish consumption and δ15N was also shown to be positively correlated with mercury concentrations in hair and PCB concentrations in plasma. The results of this thesis demonstrate that known differences in dietary behaviour are clearly reflected in stable isotope ratios and contaminant concentrations. The data also show that contaminant exposures to those consuming wild foods in remote Boreal ecosystems is comparable to those associated with serious health effects in industrialized areas, and the problem of contaminants in wild foods is more widespread than the available literature would have led us to believe. These results affect our appreciation of contaminant exposures to First Nations peoples and will have implications for dietary choices, particularly if individuals are encouraged to consume greater amounts of wild foods for their proposed health benefits. We recommend further attention be given to the risks of contaminants in locally-harvested wild foods when promoting the benefits of their consumption to First Nations people as the problem of contaminants in remote communities practicing traditional lifestyles is often underreported and underplayed.

Body size is a fundamental structural characteristic of organisms, determining critical life history and physiological traits, and influencing population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem function. For my dissertation, I focused on effects of body size on habitat use and diet of important coastal fish predators, as well as their influence on faunal communities in Bahamian wetlands. First, using acoustic telemetry and stable isotope analysis, I identified high variability in movement patterns and habitat use among individuals within a gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) and schoolmaster snapper (L. apodus) population. This intrapopulation variation was not explained by body size, but by individual behavior in habitat use. Isotope values differed between individuals that moved further distances and individuals that stayed close to their home sites, suggesting movement differences were related to specific patterns of foraging behavior. Subsequently, while investigating diet of schoolmaster snapper over a two-year period using stomach content and stable isotope analyses, I also found intrapopulation diet variation, mostly explained by differences in size class, individual behavior and temporal variability. I then developed a hypothesis-testing framework examining intrapopulation niche variation between size classes using stable isotopes. This framework can serve as baseline to categorize taxonomic or functional groupings into specific niche shift scenarios, as well as to help elucidate underlying mechanisms causing niche shifts in certain size classes. Finally, I examined the effect of different-sized fish predators on epifaunal community structure in shallow seagrass beds using exclusion experiments at two spatial scales. Overall, I found that predator effects were rather weak, with predator size and spatial scale having no impact on the community. Yet, I also found some evidence of strong interactions on particular common snapper prey. As Bahamian wetlands are increasingly threatened by human activities (e.g., overexploitation, habitat degradation), an enhanced knowledge of the ecology of organisms inhabiting these systems is crucial for developing appropriate conservation and management strategies. My dissertation research contributed to this effort by providing critical information about the resource use of important Bahamian fish predators, as well as their effect on faunal seagrass communities.

No Brasil, 90% dos 26 mil acidentes ofídicos são ocasionados pelo gênero Bothrops, sendo a espécie Bothrops atrox a predominante na região amazônica brasileira. A região de Santarém (PA) está relacionada com 92% dos acidentes ofídicos, dos quais 20% foram considerados graves. Essa alta incidência pode estar relacionada à diversidade dos cenários florísticos da região, possibilitando a existência de uma amplitude deste gênero. Através do uso da metodologia dos isótopos estáveis do carbono (13C) e do nitrogênio (15N), verificou-se se as variações dos hábitos e fontes alimentares existentes nos diferentes ambientes e usos de solo na Amazônia, neste caso, ambientes de floresta, savana e pastagem, influenciaram na composição isotópica dos tecidos coletados das B. atrox encontradas nestes ambientes. Para a captura das B. atrox e de suas presas em potencial, utilizou-se três métodos de coleta, como encontro ocasional, busca ativa e armadilhas de interceptação e queda (Pit fall traps). Após as capturas, essas serpentes foram mantidas no biotério da FIT e retiradas amostras de tecidos periodicamente. Os tecidos das B. atrox e suas fontes alimentares foram analisados isotopicamente por espectrometria de massas para ?13C e ?15N. As diferentes fontes alimentares das B. atrox, foram isotopicamente distintas nos três ambientes, assim como a incorporação em seus tecidos analisados. Para as B. atrox mantidas no biotério, assim como o alimento de biotério oferecido, obteve-se o turnover de alguns tecidos independentemente do ambiente em que foram coletadas inicialmente. Após algum tempo no biotério, esses animais passaram a ter o sinal isotópico da nova alimentação oferecida, sendo que em alguns tecidos, essa troca refletia rapidamente e em outros tecidos mais lentamente. Este estudo contribuiu para o conhecimento da ecologia da serpente e seu uso dos ambientes, ainda pouco relatados e para o entendimento de turnover em tecidos animais / In Brazil, 90% of 26,000 snakebites are caused by the genus Bothrops, and the Bothrops atrox the predominant species in the Brazilian Amazon. The region of Santarém (PA) is related to 92% of snake bites, of which 20% were considered severe. This high incidence may be related to floristic diversity of scenarios in the region, enabling the existence of an amplitude of this genus. By using the methodology of carbon stable isotope (13 C) and nitrogen (15N), it was found that the changes in eating habits and sources existing in different environments and land use in the Amazon, in this case, forest environments, savannah and pasture, influenced the isotopic composition of the collected tissues of B. atrox found in these environments. To catch the B. atrox and its potential prey, we used three methods of collection, as chance meeting, active surveillance and interception traps and falling (Pit fall traps). After capture, these snakes were kept in the vivarium of the FIT and tissue samples taken periodically. The tissues of B. atrox and their food sources were analyzed isotopically by mass spectrometry for ?13C and ?15N. The different food sources of B. atrox were isotopically different in the three environments as well as its incorporation into tissues analyzed. For B. atrox kept in a vivarium, as well as the vivarium food offered was obtained turnover of some tissues regardless of the environment in which they were originally collected. After some time in the vivarium, these animals now have the isotopic signal of the new offered food, and in some tissues, this change reflected quickly and others more slowly tissues. This study contributed to the knowledge of the ecology of the snake and its use environments, poorly reported and for understanding turnover in animal tissues

Für die Durchführung von Tracerversuchen in der hydrogeologischen Praxis werden spezielle Markierungsmittel benötigt, die verschiedenen Anforderungen gerecht werden müssen. Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt die auf den ersten Blick ungewöhnlich erscheinende Möglichkeit, Niederschlag als Tracer zu verwenden, welche sich auf die dem Wasser innewohnenden Signale δ2H- und δ18O-Isotopensignatur, elektrische Leitfähigkeit und Temperatur stützt. Diese Signale können sich zwischen Niederschlag und zu untersuchendem Grundwasser deutlich unterscheiden. Diese Unterschiede liefern das Potential für Markierungsversuche. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird auf die natürliche Variabilität dieser Signale in den möglicherweise relevanten Systemkomponenten Niederschlag, Grundwasser und Oberflächenwasser eingegangen. Hierfürwerden Ergebnisse einer Literaturrecherche, verwendete Probenahmemethoden und die Auswertung mehrerer gewonnener Zeitreihen an Standorten in Sachsen vorgestellt. Unterschiedliche Methoden zur isotopentreuen Niederschlagssammlung werden einem eingehenden Vergleich unterzogen und bewertet. Aus den präsentierten Daten können schließlich Empfehlungen für geeignete Sammelzeiträume des Niederschlags abgeleitet werden. Der häufig verwendete Summenparameter elektrische Leitfähigkeit ist bei der Anwendung von Niederschlag als Grundwassertracer ein inverses Tracersignal. Anders als bei Salzungsversuchen liegt er deutlich unterhalb des Hintergrundwertes im Grundwasser. Welchen Einfluss diese Eigenschaft im Vergleich mit herkömmlichen Salztracern auf hydrogeochemische und Transport-Prozesse hat, wird in einer zweiteiligen Laborversuchsserie, bestehend aus Batch- und Säulenversuchen, diskutiert. Bei letzteren werden Durchbruchskurven hinsichtlich ihrer zeitlichen Momente und anderen Statistiken begutachtet. Die Anwendung von Transport- und geochemischen Modellen versucht, die stattfindenden Prozesse besser zu erfassen. Abschließend wird die Methode mithilfe eines Feldversuchs auf dem Lehr- und Forschungsfeld Grundwasser der TU Dresden in Pirna auf ihre Machbarkeit begutachtet. Zu diesem Zweck werden die Konstruktion eines großskaligen Regensammlers, das Sammeln von Regen mit diesem und ein Einbohrloch-Tracerversuch mit diesem Regen beschrieben.:Danksagung -- iv Kurzdarstellung -- v Abstract -- vi Abkürzungsverzeichnis -- xvi Thesen -- xx 1 Motivation -- 1 2 Grundlagen von Tracerversuchen im Grundwasser -- 5 3 Charakterisierung von Regen als Grundwassertracer -- 20 4 Laborversuche zur Verwendung der EC als Grundwassertracer -- 57 5 Geländemethodik und deren Machbarkeit am Beispiel des Testfelds in Pirna -- 95 6 Schlussfolgerungen und Ausblick -- 110 Literaturverzeichnis -- 113 Anhang -- A1

South African southern right whales (SRWs; Eubalaena australis) have been studied intensively since 1969, and annual aerial surveys between 1971 and 2006 indicate a predominant 6.9% annual population growth rate – a conservation success story after the species’ legal protection from commercial whaling in 1935. However, the prevalence of South African SRW unaccompanied adults (non-calving adults) and cow-calf pairs dropped sharply after 2009 and 2015, respectively. Additionally, the calving interval of many female South African SRWs has shifted from a three-year cycle to a four- or five-year cycle, since 2010, suggesting calving failure. This has resulted in a decrease in the population growth rate from 6.9% between 1971 and 2006, to 6.5% in 2017. SRWs are capital breeders that meet migratory and reproductive costs through seasonal energy intake, leading to strong links between their calving and foraging success. The anomalous trends in the South African SRW population have therefore raised concern about the ecological status of its broad feeding range in the Southern Ocean and ultimately about its continued population recovery. This necessitated investigation firstly into the influence of large-scale global climate drivers, Antarctic winter sea-ice extent and summer ocean productivity on the calving output of the South African SRW population. Auto-regressive integrated moving average models revealed significant model performance improvement through the inclusion of the Oceanic Niño Index (a key measure of El Niño events), the Antarctic Oscillation (the leading mode of atmospheric variability in the Southern Ocean) and chlorophyll a concentrations. The findings indicate that the South African SRW calving output appears closely influenced by not only the species’ life cycle, but also by foraging ground productivity and global climate. Secondly, the foraging strategies of South African SRWs during the 1990s (i.e. a period of high calving rates) and the late 2010s (i.e. a period of low calving rates), were assessed, through the analyses of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values in SRW skin biopsy samples (n = 122). Results show that South African SRWs underwent a dramatic northward shift in foraging location, as well as a diversification in foraging strategy, between the 1990s and 2010s. Bayesian mixing models suggest that during the 1990s, the population foraged on prey with isotopic values similar to krill from around South Georgia. By contrast, in the 2010s, it is inferred that the population foraged on prey with isotopic values consistent with prey found in the waters of the Subtropical Convergence, Polar Front, and Marion Island. This shift could represent a new strategy to cope with changes in the availability of preferred prey or changes in habitat productivity. However, the co-occurring reproductive declines show that altering foraging strategies may not be sufficient to successfully adapt to a changing ocean. Overall, the results of this dissertation advocate that South African SRWs have recently been affected by environmental change at their foraging grounds, in turn affecting their reproductive success. Their predictive coastal presence and the existing long-term monitoring suggest that the species should be regarded as an indicator species – illustrative of climate change impacts in Southern Ocean ecosystems. / Dissertation (MSc ((Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Zoology and Entomology / MSc (Zoology) / Restricted

La composition isotopique (¹³C/¹²C) du CO₂ respiré par les feuilles et les racines dans l'obscurité et celle des substrats respiratoires putatifs, y compris les sucres solubles et les acides organiques (malate et citrate), l'activité de la PEPc ainsi que les échanges gazeux des feuilles ont été déterminés sur le haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) et l’épinards (Spinacia oleracea L.) cultivés dans du sable avec différents rapports NH₄⁺: NO₃⁻ dans N fourni. Le CO₂ respiré par les feuilles était enrichi en ¹³C sous NO₃⁻ s’appauvrissant progressivement avec l’augmentation de la fraction de NH₄⁺ dans le N fourni, tandis que la composition isotopique du CO₂ issu de la respiration des racines restait inchangée quel que soit le rapport NH₄⁺: NO₃⁻. Nous avons suggéré qu'une plus grande quantité de pools enrichis en ¹³C fixés par la PEPc via la voie anaplérotique contribuait à la respiration foliaire sous NO₃⁻. Cependant, un effet similaire dans les racines attendu sous NH₄⁺ a été masqué en raison d'une refixation (par la PEPc) du CO₂ respiré (appauvrie en ¹³C). De manière inattendue, les modifications de la composition isotopique du C des métabolites individuels, leurs quantités, ainsi que l'activité de l’enzyme PEPc, présentaient des profils différents entre les deux espèces étudiées. Des expériences de double marquage (¹³C et ¹⁵N) sont nécessaires pour mieux comprendre l’impact de la plasticité métabolique du TCA sur l’écart isotopique entre le malate et le citrate et sur la composition isotopique du CO₂ respiré chez différentes espèces sous différentes formes d’azote. / C-isotope composition of leaf- and root-respired CO₂ in the dark and that of putative respiratory substrates including soluble sugars and organic acids (malate and citrate), PEPc activity, as well as leaf gas exchanges were determined on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants grown in sand with varying ratios of NH₄⁺: NO₃⁻ in supplied N. Leaf-respired CO₂ was ¹³C enriched under NO₃⁻ nutrition and became progressively ¹³C depleted with increasing amount of NH₄⁺ in supplied N, while C-isotope composition of root-respired CO₂ remained unchanged across N-type gradient. We suggested that a higher amount of ¹³C enriched C-pools fixed by PEPc through anaplerotic pathway contributed to respired CO₂ in leaves under NO₃⁻ nutrition. However, a similar effect in roots expected under NH4+ nutrition was masked because of a rather ¹³C depleted C source (respired CO₂) refixation by PEPc. Unexpectedly, the changes in C-isotope composition of individual metabolites and their amounts as well as PEPc activity exhibited different patterns between the two species. Double labelling experiments (¹³C and ¹⁵N) are needed for better understanding the impact of metabolic plasticity of TCA on isotopic gap between malate and citrate and on C-isotope composition of respired CO₂ in different species under varying N-type nutrition.

La crépidule (Crepidula fornicata) est une espèce invasive des côtes européennes. Hermaphrodite protandre, cette espèce grégaire forme des chaines d’individus qui s’accumulent en forte densité sur les fonds. Longtemps considérée comme un envahisseur néfaste, la crépidule est aussi un ingénieur de l’écosystème, modifiant physiquement et biologiquement son habitat. Elle constitue un modèle biologique pour étudier comment les espèces invasives et ingénieurs peuvent structurer et modifier l’écosystème qu’elles colonisent. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, ces effets ont été examinés à travers le fonctionnement trophique des habitats à crépidules, en lien notamment avec la production primaire benthique. Il a été mis en évidence expérimentalement une stimulation du microphytobenthos (MPB) subtidal grâce à l’activité biologique de la crépidule. La niche trophique de C. fornicata a été redéfinie suite à la découverte de la présence de sphérules de carbonates dans ses tissus, surestimant la contribution du MPB dans son régime alimentaire. L’utilisation de différents marqueurs trophiques (pigments, acides gras, isotopes) a révélé que les jeunes individus mobiles étaient susceptibles de brouter le MPB associé au biofilm présent sur les coquilles. Les adultes sessiles, sont des filtreurs opportunistes, où la matière détritique mais aussi du MPB contribuent à leur régime alimentaire. L’analyse de différents suspensivores inféodés à cet habitat, a démontré que la crépidule n’était pas un compétiteur trophique pour des espèces commercialement importantes (pétoncle noir et huître plate) dû à leurs mécanismes de sélection trophique. À l’échelle du réseau trophique, la crépidule en très forte densité peut conduire à une homogénéisation du réseau trophique global dû à l’enrichissement en matière organique. Au contraire, un banc mort de crépidules montre une complexité trophique similaire à celle d’un banc de maërl, écosystème à forte biodiversité. Cette thèse, en plus d’avoir caractérisé le fonctionnement trophique des bancs de crépidules, montre qu’une espèce invasive, en facilitant certains compartiments biologiques (MPB, suspensivores), peut contribuer à la richesse d’un écosystème comme celui la rade de Brest. / The slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata) is an invasive species of European coasts. Protandric hermaphrodite, this gregarious species forms individuals' stacks which accumulate in high density on bottom. For a long time considered as a detrimental invader, the slipper limpet is also an ecosystem engineer, modifying its habitat both physically and biologically. It is model to study how invasive and engineer species can structure and modify the ecosystem that they colonize. In this Ph.D. thesis, these effects have been examined through the trophic functioning of habitats colonized by the slipper limpet, with a special reference to the primary benthic production. Experimental stimulation of subtidal microphytobenthos (MPB) has been demonstrated by the biological activity of the slipper limpet.The trophic niche of C. fornicata has been redefined following the discovery of the presence of carbonate spherules in its tissues, overestimating the contribution of MPB in its diet. Several trophic markers use (pigments, fatty acids, isotopes)revealed that young motile individuals were likely to graze the MPB associated to shell biofilm. Sessile adults, were likely opportunistic filter-feeders, where detritus but also MPB contribute to their trophic diet. The analysis of several filter-feeders inhabiting Crepidula beds has demonstrated that the slipper limpet was not a trophic competitor for commercially important species (black scallop and flat oyster) due to their trophic sorting mechanisms. At the food web scale, the high density of slipper limpet can lead to a homogenization of the global food web due to organic matter enrichment. Dead Crepidula bed showed trophic complexity similar to maerl bed, which is a high biodiverse ecosystem. This thesis, in addition to characterize the trophic functioning of Crepidula beds, shows that an invasive species, in facilitating different biological compartments (MPB, filter-feeders), can contribute to the ecosystem richness such as the Bay of Brest.

For years considered pristine, glacial ecosystems are attracting more attention of biologists from various branches in last decades. Moreover, they are currently considered to be ecosystems forming the coldest biome on the Earth. The life on glaciers ranges from viruses and bacteria to highest consumers such as few groups of microinvertebrates. The most common are tardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) and rotifers (phylum Rotifera) which inhabit cryoconite holes on the glacial surface. Several studies highlight the importance of the role of these consumers. However, due to the dominance of prokaryotes on the glacial surface, these microinvertebrates are usually out of the major scope of most studies aiming at biological processes. The present study shows pioneering results on the isotopic composition of tardigrades and rotifers, which are the top consumers in cryoconite ecosystems, and is a foundation for the exploration of trophic pathways and interactions within cryoconite holes using elemental and stable isotopic analyses. It also presents information about the species composition of tardigrades and rotifers on different glaciers and in different parts of the ablation zone. We identified 5 species of tardigrades (Hypsibius sp., Hypsibius cf. dujardini, Pilatobius sp., Isohypsibius sp. and Cryoconicus...