Floristic changes in shallow soft waters i n relation to underlying environmental factors

Abstract

SUMMARY 1. Historical and recent data on the occurrence of macrophytes in twenty‐eight lentic soft waters in The Netherlands are summarized. These waters were, and a few still are, characterized by a submerged vegetation of isoetid plants. Changes in the species composition of macrophytes are visualized by means of multivariate analysis and by shifts in species‐spectra.2. Ordination of the available data shows that the pH, alkalinity, acidity, contents of heavy metals, dissolved organic matter and some important salts and nutrients in water and interstitial water are strongly related to the recent distribution of aquatic plants in waters, which were originally of low alkalinity. In addition, the available inorganic carbon and the redox potential in the sediment are also important environmental parameters in explaining differences in aquatic vegetation.3. The recorded changes in the macrophyte species composition can be attributed to the effects of acidification and eutrophication. The most important, overall change is a reduction of the number of species.4. Hydrology proves to be important in controlling the sensitivity of a body of water for acidifying deposition.