Macrophytic Distribution and Trophic State of Some Natural and Impacted Watercourses - Belgium Wallonia
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: In the present paper we investigated macrophyte community structure in 60 natural and impacted stream and river sites distributed throughout the Walloon river network.\nThe objectives were to describe the distribution of macrophyte assemblages in relation to physico‐chemical parameters of their environment and to assess the variability in ecological metrics within these watercourses. Two‐way clustering allowed us to simultaneously assign sample units and species to groups by performing two separate cluster analyses. Indicator species analysis allowed us to assess the degree to which a species indicated a group, based on its constancy and distribution of abundance.\nSix end‐groups were identified as a result of using two‐ way clustering and indicator species analysis techniques. Hygroamblystegium fluviatile, Chiloscyphus polyanthos and Lemanea fluviatilis were found to characterize acidic and low impacted streams and rivers (G1), while Ranunculus fluitans was found in all low impacted large streams (G2). Potamogeton pectinatus, proved to be more common in eutrophicated waters in the calcareous areas particularly in the ʺLoess low plateauxʺ region (G6).\nCinclidotus riparius, Fissidens crassipes and Pellia endiviifolia, appeared in rivers situated in the Condroz region (G4), which was characterized by a high concentration of nitrogen.
DOI: 10.5772/56609
Authors: Khadija Sossey-Alaoui, Francis Rosillo
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2581925574