Inter-annual variation in macroinvertebrate communities in a shallow forest lake in eastern Finland during 1990–2001

As a part of the Integrated Monitoring (IM) Programme of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems, the macroinvertebrate community of a pristine forest lake was monitored from 1990 up to the present. Lake Iso Hietajarvi is a small and shallow, weakly stratified oligotrophic headwater lake situated in Patvinsuo National Park, eastern Finland. Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled annually, once in autumn at depths of 3 - 4 m (sublittoral zone) and at 7 m (profundal zone). The water quality of the lake and meteorological characteristics in the area were monitored during the same period. The inter-annual variation in macroinvertebrate abundance and taxonomic composition in the lake unaffected by …