The Transbaikalia (Russia) hosts a number of shallow endorheic saline alkaline lakes. The outcome of our studies demonstrated changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton in selected lakes covering a wide salinity gradient (from 0.69 to 128.33 g/L) over a number of years. Our main goal is to assess the variability of structural and functional indicators of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities at the various salinity levels. The gradient of abiotic factors significantly determines the dynamics of planktonic community diversity, abundance, biomass, and production. High values of secondary production was ensured by nonpredators (bacteriovorous, herbivorous, and detrivorus). We found that species and functional diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton decrease with increasing salinity, whereas their abundance, biomass, and daily secondary production did not. In phytoplankton, a shift occurred from the small-medium cell size unicellular and colonial non-flagellated forms to the large-extra large filamentous cyanobacteria and colonial algae. A shift from selective raptorial and microphagous carnivores to herbivorous copepods and cladocerans and further to more generalist filter-feeder of rotifers and anostracans was observed in zooplankton. These findings are important because they provide a meaningful view of phytoplankton-zooplankton trophic interactions and contribute to an improved understanding their functional effects on aquatic ecosystems. Our results also complement existing knowledge and provides new information about the diversity and functioning of planktonic communities in soda lakes.

外贝加尔湖（俄罗斯）拥有许多浅内流盐碱湖。我们的研究结果表明，多年来选定的湖泊中浮游植物和浮游动物的变化，覆盖了广泛的盐度梯度（从 0.69 到 128.33 g/L）。我们的主要目标是评估不同盐度水平下浮游植物和浮游动物群落结构和功能指标的变异性。非生物因子的梯度显着决定了浮游生物群落多样性、丰度、生物量和产量的动态。非捕食动物（食细菌、食草动物和碎食动物）确保了二次生产的高价值。我们发现浮游植物和浮游动物的物种和功能多样性随着盐度的增加而减少，但它们的丰度、生物量和每日次生产量却没有减少。在浮游植物中，从中小细胞大小的单细胞和群体无鞭毛形式转变为大型丝状蓝藻和群体藻类。在浮游动物中观察到从选择性猛禽和微食性食肉动物向草食性桡足类和枝角类动物的转变，并进一步向更通用的轮虫和无背甲类的滤食性动物转变。这些发现很重要，因为它们提供了浮游植物-浮游动物营养相互作用的有意义的观点，并有助于更好地了解它们对水生生态系统的功能影响。我们的结果还补充了现有知识，并提供了有关苏打湖中浮游生物群落多样性和功能的新信息。