Abstract
The composition of charophyte taxa and their habitat preferences in water bodies of the Artabel Lakes Nature Park were investigated on 15 August 2013 and 13 August 2016. A total of 73 taxa belonging to Conjugatophyceae (Zygnematophyceae) and Klebsormidiophyceae were recorded. The genera Cosmarium (37), Staurastrum (10) and Closterium (7) were most abundant. The partly unexpected presence of certain desmid taxa, i.e., taxa characteristic of eutrophic water, was recorded. Filamentous charophytes were represented by three taxa. The Willis curve for the distribution of species to genera had a trend line of R2 = 0.9123. Bioindication, statistical methods and comparative floristic results show that water in all of the studied lakes was fresh, of low-conductivity, circum-neutral and with little organic pollution. Four groups of lakes were identified as a result of statistical comparison of their environmental and biological variables. Bioindication results can be used as references for future monitoring of the lakes in protection of the species found in the Artabel Lakes Nature Park and can also be included in the National Water Quality Standard System of Turkey.
Highlights
Algae are one of the parameters of aquatic ecosystems used in ecological evaluation of water quality (Bellinger & Sigee 2010; Stevenson 2014), and many algal species are used as environmental indicators
Desmid communities were used for the ecological evaluation of aquatic ecosystems in the Artabel Lakes Nature Park, and this is a first for Turkey
There are 23 lakes, which belong to the following groups: Artabel Lakes, Acembol Lakes, Beş Lakes, Kara Lakes and Yıldız Lakes
Summary
Algae are one of the parameters of aquatic ecosystems used in ecological evaluation of water quality (Bellinger & Sigee 2010; Stevenson 2014), and many algal species are used as environmental indicators. According to the literature (Coesel 1984; Borics et al 1998; Feher 2003), several species of desmids are closely tied to certain types of aquatic habitats and can be used as indicators of changes in pH values or nutrient supply. Coesel (1998) maintained that desmids are excellent bio-indicators of the stability of ecosystems. Diatom communities were generally used in bio-indication studies performed in Turkey (Solak et al 2012; Sivaci et al 2013). Desmid communities were used for the ecological evaluation of aquatic ecosystems in the Artabel Lakes Nature Park, and this is a first for Turkey
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