Reservoir as a Habitat for Hydrobionts

General concepts of reservoirs as artificial water bodies with slow water exchange and a complex hydrodynamic structure are considered based on the published data. Reservoirs combine the features of a natural system powered by the sun and subsidized system and are characterized by highly dynamic development. Eight large plain reservoirs of the Volga cascade are characterized in detail. They extend from southern taiga to semidesert and differ in the morphometry, flow rate, and trophic status.