Presence Of Indicator Species Research Articles

Species Composition and Diversity of Zooplankton in Chackferi Stream, Tarai Region, Uttarakhand, India

Present study deals with the analysis of species composition and diversity of zooplankton in Chackferi stream. For this investigation samples were collected by monthly intervals for a period of September 2020 to August 2022. A total of 28 species of zooplankton, belonging to 25 genera across 5 groups were identified such as Protozoa (6 species of 6 genera), Rotifera (10 species of 9 genera), Copepoda (7 species of 5 genera), Cladocera (3 species of 3 genera) and Ostracoda (2 species of 2 genera). Rotifera was the dominant group, comprising (36%) of the zooplankton community in Chackferi stream, followed by Copepoda (25%), Protozoa (21%), Cladocera (11%) and Ostracoda (7%). It was noticed that seasonal composition of zooplankton was highest during summer, moderate in winter and autumn and least in monsoon season. Zooplankton are also considered as a good bio-indicator to assess the pollution status of a stream. Presence of indicator species like Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus falcatus and Mesocyclops leuckarti reveals that the stream gets organically polluted and rapidly moving toward a eutrophic condition. Therefore, frequent monitoring and proper treatment should be applied for conservation of the stream and its ecosystem.

Monitoring of dynamic state of pasture plant cover in Kashkadarya Basin

This article gives information about the ecological situation in the areas where scientific research has been conducted in recent times. In particular, the state of desertification of the foothill pastures of the Kashkadarya region of Southern Uzbekistan is highlighted. Also, information about the cases of ephemeris and ephemeroids not completing the vegetation process as a result of grazing cattle in the pasture, and the representatives of the weeds spread in the pastures were shown. The wide spread of weed seeds, the presence of indicator species in the territories where they appear, and their levels of occurrence are also highlighted in the work. The dependence of germination levels on the pastures of the Kashkadarya basin on climatic factors and the long duration of drought was analyzed. From this point of view, it is very important to determine the rules, norms and standards for the use of pastures, their reproduction and restoration. Restrictions and bans on the use of pastures, arbitrary use of pastures, prevention and eradication of vegetation are relevant today. The main goal is to conduct an inventory of pastures, carry out geobotanical inspection of pastures, monitor pastures, use pastures, and conduct scientific and financial activities for their reproduction.

Squamate reptiles as indicators in fragments of Brazilian cerrado

ABSTRACT The data on the reptilian fauna of the state of Goiás are one-off and reveal a lack of information about this group. The aim of the research was to know the composition of the reptile fauna within the area of the Anglo American mining company, evaluating the relationship of the species with the years, the types of environments and the presence of indicator species. Fieldwork was carried out during seven years, from 2007 to 2013. Sampling was performed through active search, pitfall traps, occasional encounters, and third-party records. We recorded 36 reptile species: 15 lizards and 21 snakes. The most common lizards were Anolis meridionalis, Cnemidophorus sp, and the most abundant snakes were Apostolepis cerradoensis and Bothrops moojeni. There was no relationship between the species and the years. On the other hand, there was relationship between the species and the environments or between the species and the types of habitats. The lizard Ameivula ocellifera was found as an indicator species of Cerrado areas, as well as the snake Leptotyphlops dulcis We have seen that lizards are specific to their habitat, making it essential to preserve open and forested areas for the conservation of the species that live there.

The diatom analysis of the reservoirs located on the Kalmius River

The paper examines biodiversity of diatoms in artificial reservoirs of the Kalmius river basin, as well as the degree of impact of industrial enterprises on water resources by bioindication. The author has established the current state of the water balance of rivers, and the use of water resources in the industry of Donbass. Thus, the water balance is formed due to a part of the inflow of water from the Seversky Donetsk river basin and the waters of the main Kalmius River basin. Agriculture and industrial enterprises in total consume 77% of the water resources of the entire region, which is an extremely high degree of involvement in the overall balance of water resources. To assess the condition of reservoirs, the method of determining the species diversity and biological analysis of diatoms DAIpo was chosen. As part of the study, it was found that the flora of diatoms according to the ShannonWeaver index varied from 1,98 to 4,65 bps, while only 11 species of diatoms were massively distributed in reservoirs. The coefficient of growth of species diversity (r) varies (from 0,2135 to 0,9522 bps) depending on the season of the year and the place of selection. It was found that the increase in the DAIpo index occurred during the transition from the Nizhnekalmius reservoir to the Starobeshevsky reservoir, due to the presence of a larger number of saproxene species Achnanthes andicola, Fragilaria virescens, Navicula viridula var. viridula. Nitzschia sigmoidea var. sigmoidea, Navicula radiosa var. radiosa. Consequently, the paper traces the level of pollution by the presence of indicator species and the degree of tolerance of diatoms to environmental conditions.

Tree line shifts, changing vegetation assemblages and permafrost dynamics on Galdhøpiggen (Jotunheimen, Norway) over the past ~4400 years

An environmental reconstruction based on palynological evidence preserved in peat was carried out to examine late-Holocene alpine tree line dynamics in the context of past climatic changes on Galdhøpiggen (Jotunheimen, southern Norway). We analysed a peat core taken from a mire at the present-day tree line (1000 m a.s.l.), c. 450 m downslope from the lower limit of sporadic permafrost. We adopted a combination of commonly used indicators of species’ local presence to reconstruct past vegetation assemblages, such as the relative pollen abundance (%), pollen accumulation rate (PAR), and presence of indicator species. Additionally, fossil pollen from the peat sequence was compared to modern pollen from a surface moss polster to establish a modern analogue. The results were compared with studies covering the late-Holocene climatic changes in the area. The reconstruction demonstrates that a pine-dominated woodland reached above the present-day tree line at c. 4300 cal. yr BP, suggesting a warmer climate suitable for Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) growth at this altitude. Scots pine retreated to lower altitudes between c. 3400 and 1700 cal. yr BP, accompanied by the descent of the low-alpine shrub-dominated belt, in response to cooling climatic conditions. The colder period covered c. 1700–170 cal. yr BP, and an open downy birch ( Betula pubescens) woodland became widespread at 1000 m a.s.l., whilst pine remained sparse at this altitude. From c. 170 cal. yr BP onwards, warming allowed pine to re-establish its local presence alongside downy birch at 1000 m a.s.l.

Composition and structure of the bryophyte community of Park Savanna in Marajó Island, Pará, Brazil

Aiming to enrich the knowledge about the flora of savannas, this paper studied the composition and structure of the bryophyte community of Park Savanna areas in Marajó Island - PA. Biological material was collected within 60 100-m2 plots equally distributed in the dry season of 2016 and the rainy season of 2017 in five Park Savanna areas (SP-I to SP-V). The composition, density, richness and diversity of species and presence of indicator species were compared between the sampled areas and seasons. The species were classified according to the substrates colonized and ecological groups of light tolerance. Significant differences in SP-V indicated that the area was the main factor influencing the composition of bryophytes (p: 0.0001), with five indicator species. There were also significant differences in density (p = 0.0001168) and richness (p = 0.0001317) of bryophytes between seasons (p-value = 0.3393; p-value = 0.04065; p: 0.1081). There was a predominance of generalist (25 spp.) and corticolous (728 individuals) species, which were widely distributed in the sampled areas. Therefore, the structure of the bryophyte communities was not influenced by seasonality, and this indicates that these plants are adapted to the environmental conditions.

Impacts of hydrological restoration on lowland river floodplain plant communities

Many lowland floodplain habitats have been disconnected from their rivers by flood defence banks. Removing or lowering these banks can reinstate regular flooding and thus restore these important wetland plant communities. In this study we analyse changes in wetland hydrology and plant community composition following the lowering of flood defence banks at a floodplain of the River Don in the United Kingdom (UK). The aim of the restoration project was to improve the quality of “floodplain grazing marsh” habitat, which is a group of wetland communities that are of conservation interest in the UK. We analyse changes in species richness and community composition over a period of 6 years, and compare the presence of indicator species from the target floodplain grazing marsh plant communities. The lowering of the flood banks increased the frequency of flood events, from an estimated average of 1.7 floods per year to 571 floods per year. The increased flooding significantly increased the proportion of time that the wetland was submerged, and the heterogeneity in hydrological conditions within the floodplain. There were significant differences in composition between the pre-restoration and restored plant communities. Plants with traits for moisture tolerance became more abundant, although the communities did not contain significantly more ‘target’ floodplain grazing marsh species at the end of the study period than prior to restoration. Colonisation by floodplain grazing marsh species may have been limited because environmental conditions were not yet suitable, or because of a shortage of colonising propagules. While the desired target plant community has not been achieved after 5 years, it is encouraging that the community has changed dynamically as a result of hydrological changes, and that moisture-tolerant species have increased in occurrence. Over the next few decades, the restored flood regime may cause further environmental change or colonisation events, thus helping increase the occurrence of desired floodplain grazing marsh indicator species.

Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) Assemblages Features Formation in Large and Medium Industrial Cities of Russia (The Case Study in Kazan, Kemerovo and Grozny)

The article presents the results of the analysis of the Carabid fauna of three cities: Grozny, Kemerovo, Kazan. It was established that communities of ground beetles clearly respond to varying degrees of recreation by changing the biotopic distribution and ecological structure: the emergence of super dominant species, a decrease in the abundance of zoophages, an increase in the share of stratobionts, and the presence of indicator species.

Zooplankton as Water Quality Indicator in Shallow Lakes

Long-term studies (1998–2018) of shallow lakes Krugloe and Krutoe (Russia) were carried out. The trophic status of the lakes was estimated using physicochemical parameters of water and the indicators of zooplankton. Physicochemical studies of Krugloe and Krutoe lake water make it possible to classify these reservoirs as eutrophic according to their trophic status. The lakes are characterized by low water transparency, a high content of organic substances in water, the “blooming” of water is observed periodically, accompanied by the increase of pH to 8–9 units. The zooplankton communities of Krugloe and Krutoe lakes are characterized by relatively low species richness, the dominance of a small number of species, and the predominance of species that are indicators of eutrophic waters. Quantitative indicators of zooplankton are characterized by significant fluctuations in values over the years, the prevalence of rotifers. They showed that zooplankton community is a good indicator of the trophic state of lakes. Such indicators of zooplankton communities as the composition of dominant species, their number, the presence of indicator species, the quantitative indicators of zooplankton and individual taxonomic groups, and the average individual mass of the zooplankton can be used to characterize the trophic status of lakes. They can be recommended for use during monitoring of the lake condition in the Volga-Kama State Natural Biosphere Reserve.

Comparative evaluation of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in plankton and water from Elechi Creek, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (cadmium, Cd; chromium,Cr; lead, Pb; copper, Cu) in plankton and water from Elechi creek were studied for twelve months. Plankton and water samples collected using plankton net and bottles were analysed for heavy metals following standard method of APHA and the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. Results showed that plankton accumulated more heavy metals than water with the orders of magnitude, Cu> Cd > Cr >Pb and Cu > Cr> Pb> Cd for plankton and water respectively. The mean values of heavy metals in water were lower than the EPA, USEPA and WHO permissible limits for human consumption. Pb concentration in plankton differed significantly in station 4 while Cu differed seasonally with dry season values higher than wet season values unlike the heavy metal concentration in water. The higher bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the order, Cd>Pb>Cr> Cu observed showed that plankton has high potential to concentrate heavy metals. The dominance by Bacillariophyceae followed by Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae in species and abundance and the presence of indicator species, Cyclotella species, Melosira monoliformis and Navicula distans indicates pollution. This calls for awareness and constant assessment to avoid further contamination of the resources meant for human consumption.Keywords: Heavy metals, plankton, bioaccumulation, pollution, Elechi Creek

Distribution of fishes in the Río Guayalejo-Río Tamesí system and relationships with environmental factors in northeastern Mexico

A priority issue in ecology and biogeography is understanding the patterns in species diversity and the causal factors of their distribution, which allows the generation of information for conservation strategies. The longitudinal distribution of fishes and their relationships with environmental variables were studied in the Guayalejo-Rio Tamesi system (northeastern Mexico) from February 2000 to July 2001. A total of 5918 fish were caught in 27 collections along an altitudinal gradient in the main river course, from high mountain (1500 masl) to coastal plain near Tampico. Forty-three native and five exotic species, belonging to 35 genera in 23 families, were identified. Cluster analyses identified four major fish habitats in the river system. A distinctive euryhaline marine fish habitat (1) occurs near the mouth with native and two exotic species. Two other habitats consist essentially of freshwater fish species that are distributed along the longitudinal gradient. One of these habitats (habitat 4) shows greater diversity, as per the Shannon index value, and also includes amphidromous fish, in addition to two exotic freshwater fish; the other (habitat 2) includes freshwater, euryhaline and three exotic species. The changes in the frequency of occurrence and the abundance of Gambusia vittata, Astyanax mexicanus, and Xiphophorus variatus contribute to explaining differences between these habitats. Another habitat (3) is represented by two sampling sites located near the mouth and consist of freshwater and euryhaline fish and three exotic cyprinids with broad salinity tolerance. The low abundance and richness of exotic species suggest little impact on native fish fauna in this river. The fish assemblage of the Guayalejo-Tamesi river system species changes along a longitudinal gradient with the addition, replacement and presence of indicator species. Upstream fish fauna is mostly composed of freshwater species, some of them generalists that inhabit the entire longitudinal gradient, others that are restricted to certain sites, and the remainder of species is an assemblage composed of a mixture of euryhaline freshwater and marine species near the mouth.

Análise de agrupamento de espécies lenhosas da Caatinga no Estado do Pernambuco

Este trabalho buscou analisar a formação de grupos ecológicos de espécies florestais lenhosas na caatinga, através da análise de agrupamento. Os dados são oriundos de duas áreas de estudo localizadas no Município de Floresta, PE, ambas com histórico de perturbação, onde os indivíduos com circunferência a 1,30 m do solo (CAP) igual ou superior a 6,0 cm foram georreferenciados, identificados, e tiveram o CAP e altura mensurados. A análise de agrupamento foi realizada através do programa Twinspan no software PC-ORD. Os resultados demonstram a formação de grupos ecológicos nas duas áreas, com a presença de espécies indicadoras.

Small-scale pattern of bryoflora in Mediterranean temporary ponds: hints for monitoring

In the Mediterranean region temporary ponds are classified among the most biologically and biogeographically interesting ecosystems. Despite their important ecological functions in those environments, bryophytes are neglected or undervalued in most monitoring and conservation actions. We analyzed the data to understand if (i) environmental variables had an influence on the composition of bryophytes in temporary ponds (dbRDA); (ii) there are differences among sites and ponds, in terms of species composition (PERMANOVA); (iii) bryophytes respond to the water table fluctuation, showing a typical small-scale spatial zonation and comprehend if there are species or life form/strategies typical of those belts (PCoA). Bryophytes are distributed in concentric belts (outer, central, inner) according to their tolerance to floods: we observed a gradient from the outer belt, mainly composed by colonist and perennial such as Pottiaceae and Brachytheciaceae, to the more humid inner one where annual shuttle such as Ricciaceae dominates. We found significant species associated with belts, such as Tortella squarrosa in the outer belt, Fossombronia caespitiformis in the central belt, and Riccia canaliculata in the inner belt. The presence of indicator species and the distribution of dominant life form/strategies in the belts allow to monitor over time the changes in the flood level.

Plant distribution in freshwater wetlands of the Brazilian subtropical highland grasslands

Wetlands are heterogeneous environments that harbor several species. In spite of playing a key role in aquatic ecosystems, macrophytes are the most neglected group in limnological studies. In the Brazilian subtropical highland grasslands, freshwater wetlands occur intermingled with native grasslands. Our objective was to assess species richness and variation in floristic composition along transects. We sampled 324 units to compare floristic similarity between and within areas based on non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We recorded plants of 40 families, 88 genera, and 133 species, out of which 17 are endangered. The richest families were Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Asteraceae. The life forms found included amphibious, emergent, and fixed submerged types. The NMDS pointed to dissimilarity between and within areas. We observed the formation of two zones. In the outer zone, we detected seven indicator species and 17 exclusive species. In the inner zone, we detected five indicator species and 29 exclusive species. Our study suggests that wetlands are species-rich, heterogeneous environments characterized by different zones. The knowledge of biodiversity and presence of indicator species is key to the elaboration of strategies for the restoration and conservation of freshwater wetlands.

Relative Roles of Soil Moisture, Nutrient Supply, Depth, and Mechanical Impedance in Determining Composition and Structure of Wisconsin Prairies.

Ecologists have long classified Midwestern prairies based on compositional variation assumed to reflect local gradients in moisture availability. The best known classification is based on Curtis’ continuum index (CI), calculated using the presence of indicator species thought centered on different portions of an underlying moisture gradient. Direct evidence of the extent to which CI reflects differences in moisture availability has been lacking, however. Many factors that increase moisture availability (e.g., soil depth, silt content) also increase nutrient supply and decrease soil mechanical impedance; the ecological effects of the last have rarely been considered in any ecosystem. Decreased soil mechanical impedance should increase the availability of soil moisture and nutrients by reducing the root costs of retrieving both. Here we assess the relative importance of soil moisture, nutrient supply, and mechanical impedance in determining prairie composition and structure. We used leaf δ13C of C3 plants as a measure of growing-season moisture availability, cation exchange capacity (CEC) x soil depth as a measure of mineral nutrient availability, and penetrometer data as a measure of soil mechanical impedance. Community composition and structure were assessed in 17 remnant prairies in Wisconsin which vary little in annual precipitation. Ordination and regression analyses showed that δ13C increased with CI toward “drier” sites, and decreased with soil depth and % silt content. Variation in δ13C among remnants was 2.0‰, comparable to that along continental gradients from ca. 500–1500 mm annual rainfall. As predicted, LAI and average leaf height increased significantly toward “wetter” sites. CI accounted for 54% of compositional variance but δ13C accounted for only 6.2%, despite the strong relationships of δ13C to CI and CI to composition. Compositional variation reflects soil fertility and mechanical impedance more than moisture availability. This study is the first to quantify the effects of soil mechanical impedance on community ecology.

Diversidad de mamíferos y sus preferencias por los tipos de hábitats en la cuenca del río Alto Itaya, Amazonía peruana

This report contains information about the diversity of mammals and preferences for habitat types in the upper Itaya river basin. For this purpose, censuses by transect were conducted and supplemented out censuses observations and with hunters interviews information. As a result of the study 48 species were recorded. Greater diversity was recorded in forest of heavily dissected low hill (Bcbfd). On the other hand, 20 species were shared among the three habitat types, while the highest similarity occurred between the forest of heavily dissected low hill (Bcbfd) and the forest of moderately dissected low hill (Bcbmd). Finally, the presence of indicator species as the primary community as Tapirus terrestris, Priodontes maximus, Lagothrix poeppigii and Tayassu pecari, indicate that the conservation status of wildlife in general is intermediate to high level.

High Benthic Foraminiferal Diversity in Polluted Busan North Port (Korea)

Surface sediments were collected from Busan North Port (southern coast of Korea) and the outer port area (OPA) in February and August 2009 to ascertain the distribution of benthic foraminifera and assess controlling environmental factors. Ninety-eight species (81 calcareous and 17 agglutinated), 40 of which had live representatives, were identified. Busan North Port can be divided into distinctive regions according to different depositional environments and to the degree of influence from pollution sources, such as nearby streams and industrial facilities around the inside north port (INP) and outside north port (ONP). The OPA is characterized by inner continental-shelf environments. These areal distinctions corresponded well to cluster- and principal component-analysis results based on foraminiferal-assemblage and heavy-metal data. The degree of organic enrichment and heavy-metal concentration in the sediments were major factors explaining the distributions of the foraminiferal assemblage. The low abundance of benthic foraminifera in the INP compared to the OPA seems to be directly related to heavymetal toxicity caused by high Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations. The dominant occurrence of pioneer species Cribroelphidium excavatum and Trochammina hadai appears to indicate the adverse effects of heavy metals and high levels of organic matter on benthic foraminiferal distribution in the INP. Species diversity, however, was unusually high in Busan North Port across all pollution levels, and can possibly be explained in two ways. Short water-residence time in the inner port and maintenance of high salinity through active seawater exchange may reduce the effects of heavy metals and possibly make the area hospitable to a variety of species. High diversity may also be attributed to “rare short-lived” species that favor unstable conditions. The response of the benthic foraminiferal community to the unstable environment seems to be a succession of these “rare short-lived” species rather than a predominance of a few opportunistic ones. The uncoupling of species diversity and pollution level observed in Busan North Port might not be uncommon, and caution should be exercised when benthic foraminiferal diversity is used as an index of relative environmental health. Presence of indicator species and/or size distribution in the foraminiferal assemblage should be considered as well as species diversity to correlate the community structure with environmental change and pollution level.

Impervious Surface, Summer Dissolved Oxygen, and Fish Distribution in Chesapeake Bay Subestuaries: Linking Watershed Development, Habitat Conditions, and Fisheries Management

AbstractWe estimated target and limit impervious surface reference points (ISRPs) based on Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen (DO) criteria, and we examined associations and relationships among the percentage of watershed in impervious surface (IS), summer DO, and the presence of indicator species (blue crab Callinectes sapidus, white perch Morone americana, striped bass M. saxatilis, and spot Leiostomus xanthurus) in bottom waters of nine brackish subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay. Ideally, a target ISRP represented a level of development that maintained mean bottom DO at 5 mg/L or greater, while an ISRP threshold represented development that degraded mean bottom DO to less than 3 mg/L. The proportion of bottom trawls containing each indicator species rapidly declined from about 0.40 to 0.10 when DO fell below 3 mg/L, whereas the proportion remained at about 0.50 when DO was above 5 mg/L. The IS percentage had a significant negative influence on mean bottom DO and the odds that indicator species were present in midchannel bottom waters (0.8–7.0 m deep). Watersheds at or below a target IS of 5.5% (rural watershed) maintained mean bottom DO above 3 mg/L, but mean DO was only occasionally at or above 5 mg/L. Mean DO seldom exceeded 3 mg/L in watersheds with an IS value above 10% (suburban threshold). Comprehensive watershed management will be needed to offset significant degradation of bottom‐water fish habitat in brackish subestuaries if rural lands are converted to suburban areas.Received July 6, 2010; accepted March 23, 2011

Submerged macrophytes as indicators of the ecological quality of lakes

Summary1. We analysed submerged macrophyte communities from 300 Danish lakes to determine the efficacy of different species, maximum colonisation depth (Cmax) of plants as well as coverage and plant volume inhabited (PVI) as indicators of eutrophication.2. Most species occurred at a wide range of phosphorus and chlorophyll a (Chla) concentrations, but some species of isoetids (Lobelia, Isoëtes) and Potamogeton (Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton alpinus and Potamogeton filiformis) were mainly found at low nutrient concentrations and hence may be considered as indicators of nutrient poor conditions. However, species typically found in nutrient‐rich conditions, such as Elodea canadensis and Potamogeton pectinatus, were also found at total phosphorus (TP) <0.02 mg P L−1 and Chla <5 μg L−1 and therefore cannot be considered as reliable indicators of eutrophic conditions.3. Submerged macrophyte coverage, PVI and the Cmax were negatively correlated with TP and Chla. However, variability among lakes was high and no clear thresholds were observed. At TP between 0.03 and 0.07 mg P L−1 plant coverage in shallow lakes ranged from nearly 0 to 100%, whilst at concentrations between 0.10 and 0.20 mg P L−1 only 29% of the lakes had coverage >10%. Cmax was found to be a useful indicator only in deep lakes with unvegetated areas in the deeper part, whereas the use of coverage was restricted to shallow lakes or shallow areas of deep lakes.4. Overall, submerged macrophytes responded clearly to eutrophication, but the metrics investigated here showed no well‐defined thresholds. We developed a simple index based on species richness, presence of indicator species, coverage and Cmax, which might be used to track major changes in macrophyte communities and for lake classification.

Fish‐based assessment of ecological status of Finnish lakes loaded by diffuse nutrient pollution from agriculture

Abstract The European Union Water Framework Directive stipulates that pressures on surface waters due to diffuse loading of nutrients have to be taken into account in determination of their ecological status. A Finnish data set of fish communities in 178 lakes was used to assess the effects of agriculture‐induced nutrient loads on the ecological status of lakes. The lakes were divided to reference (n = 100) and impacted sites (n = 78) based on water quality, land use and nutrient load data. Fish sampling was conducted by standardised gill net test fishing. A fish‐based classification tool of the four parameters (EQR4) was applied to assess the ecological status of lakes. The parameters included were: mean total biomass of fish per gill net night, number of fish individuals per gill net night, biomass proportion of cyprinid fishes and the presence of indicator species. The analysis resulted in a median EQR4 value of 0.78 (good status) for reference lakes and 0.56 (moderate status) for affected lakes. Thus, the classification tool gave an acceptable output for different nutrient‐loaded lakes.