Interdisciplinary investigations of 39 lakes of the Lubuskie Lakeland (mid-Western Poland) were undertaken in the vegetation seasons 2002–2009. The aim of presented study was to characterize the significance of charophytes as indicators of habitat differentiation of lakes using the number of species, number of communities and the percentage share in the phytolittoral area. Each lake was characterized based on the results of macrophyte vegetation, vegetation depth extent, pelagic phytoplankton biomass, lakes area, max. depth, SD visibility, pH, conductivity, O₂, total hardness, Ca, Mg, PO₄, TP, NH₄, NO₃, NO₂, N org., TN. The statistical analyses (PCA), revealed that the investigated lakes were differentiated according to the basic morphometrical and physicochemical parameters and that the differentiation was reflected in the percentage share of charophytes in phytolittoral (in general – the bigger, deeper and more clear water were the lakes, the greater part of phytolittoral was covered by charophytes). Using simple cluster analysis based on the number of different types of macrophyte communities (helophytes, elodeids, nymphaeids and charophytes) two distinct groups of lakes were distinguished. Charophyte communities were at most responsible for obtained differentiation (one group with 0 or 1 and second with 1–6 charophyte communities). The distinguished groups of lakes differed significantly as regards 12, out of all 18 considered parameters. The greatest differences were evidenced for area, max. depth, SD visibility, Ca, Mg, NH₄, NO₃, phytoplankton biomass and vegetation depth extent. Similar analyses were made for the number of charophyte species, for which the lakes were divided into four groups (0– 1, 2–3, 4–5 and 6–7 charophyte species per lake). In this case 11 parameters significantly differed between distinguished groups of lakes, showing, that better habitat conditions were in the lakes where more charophyte species were stated. The obtained results revealed that all analyzed charophyte indicators (the number of species, number of communities as well as the percentage share in the phytolittoral area) very clearly reflect habitat variation and water quality of lakes and thus may be used as valuable bioindicators of lakes condition.
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