Algal Bio-Indication in Assessment of Hydrological Impact on Ecosystem in Wetlands of “Slavyansky Resort”

Algal bio-indication is commonly used in water quality assessment but can also help in assessing the impact of hydrology on freshwater wetland ecosystems.We identified 350 species and infraspecific taxa of algae from nine taxonomic divisions (Cyanoprokaryota, Chrysophyta, Euglenophyta,Dinophyta,Xanthophyta,Cryptophyta,Bacillariophyta,Chlorophyta,Charophyta) in 121 phytoplankton samples collected between 2007-2013 from seven lakes in the wetlands of the Regional Landscape Park “Slavyansky Resort”, Ukraine. The algal species richness and phytoplankton biomass decreased as water salinity increased. In turn the water salinity was influenced by the inflow of groundwater, karst fracture and by the alluvial water tributaries of a paleoriver that affects the formation processes of lake-spring sulphide mud from the resort, which is often used for therapeutic purposes.