Macrophyte communities as indicators of the ecological status of drainage canals and regulated rivers (Eastern Poland).

Macrophytes are one of the biological elements for assessing the ecological status. Macrophyte communities were studied in six artificial (drainage canal and ditches) or modified watercourses (regulated rivers). In order to assess the ecological status of the watercourses, studies were carried out with the use of the Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) proposed in the Water Framework Directive.

Long-term responses of epiphytic midges (Diptera, Chironomidae) to emergent macrophytes removal and P concentrations in a shallow hypertrophic lake ecosystem.

Chironomid larvae are used as indicators of environmental changes in neolimnological and paleolimnological research. In the present study, we evaluated the responses of epiphytic chironomids to changes in environmental conditions over a long time scale. We intended to decipher whether changes in the trophic status of a lake (hypertrophic-eutrophic) would affect the taxonomic structure of epiphytic chironomids by influencing their food availability (structure of periphytic algae) and whether the responses of chironomids are taxa specific.

Effects of experimental addition of nitrogen and phosphorus on microbial and metazoan communities in a peatbog.

Interactions between microbial communities and the classical grazing food chain are essential for understanding the functioning of peatbog ecosystems. However, little is known of how short-term intensification of eutrophication processes may influence microbial and metazoan communities in transitional peatbog. We addressed the hypothesis that an increase in the concentration of nutrients will affect the species richness and abundance of microorganisms and small metazoans and cause changes in the food web structure in a peatbog.

Microbial Communities as Environmental Indicators of Ecological Disturbance in Restored Carbonate Fen-Results of 10 Years of Studies.

Interactions between bacteria and protists are essential to the ecosystem ecology of fens. Until now, however, there has been almost no information on how restoration procedures in carbonate fens affect the functioning of microbial food webs. Changes in vegetation patterns resulting from restoration may take years to be observed, whereas microbial processes display effects even after short-term exposure to changes in environmental conditions caused by restoration.

Effects of rotifers, copepods and chironomid larvae on microbial communities in peatlands.

Interactions between the microbial loop and the classical grazing food chain are essential to ecosystem ecology. The goal of the present study was to examine the impact of chironomid larvae, rotifers and copepods on the major components of the microbial food web (algae, bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates, testate amoebae and ciliates) in peatlands. Two enclosure experiments were carried out in a Sphagnum peatland.