Published Online: Jun 17, 2014
Page range: 160 - 170
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2014-0016
Keywords
© by Wojciech Ejankowski
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Ejankowski W., Iglińska A.M.: Vegetation of humic lakes in relation to their trophic state. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 33, No. 2, p. 160-170, 2014.
The vegetation of selected 24 humic lakes in Poland was studied to establish whether there was a link between the lakes’ vegetation and their trophic state. Based on literature data and field studies, the lakes were distinguished into two groups with regard to plant communities in the lakes and catchment basins. They were identified as dystrophic (DL) and humoeutrophic (HL) lakes according to their chemical and biological parameters. The two lake groups differed in terms of macrophyte structure: nymphaeids were common in DL, whereas helophytes in HL. The massive development of elodeids was also observed in HL. Vegetation in the catchment basins was mesotrophic in HL (Caricion lasiocarpae Vanden Bergh. ap. Lebrun et al., 1949), whereas in case of extremely nutrient-poor habitats in DL oligotrophic vegetation was found (Rhynchosporion albae Koch 1926 and Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl. et. R .Tx. 1943). The regionally determined variability of humic lakes in Poland was verified positively. Potential dystrophy indicators are discussed in this paper.