Ciliates on the Macrophytes in Industrially Heated Lakes (Kujawy Lakeland, Poland)
Ciliates on the Macrophytes in Industrially Heated Lakes (Kujawy Lakeland, Poland)The ciliate assemblage on the macrophytes was examined in 2005 during the vegetation period in the Konińskie Lakes which are heating by post-cooling waters from thermal electric plants. As a result of changed temperature regimen the alien thermophilic macrophyteVallisneria spiralisis becoming increasingly common in the littoral zone. A total of 150 ciliate taxa belonging to 27 orders were found. Greater ciliate species diversity was found on architecturally complex, submerged forms such asCeratophyllum demersumandMyriophyllum spicatum. By contrast the ciliate compositions on emergent macrophytes with simple architecture in their submerged parts, such asTypha, Sparganium, orAcorus, were less species rich. Despite the simple architecture ofVallisnerialeaves, the ciliate diversity on them was high. The results show that replacement of native macrophytes by the alien formV. spiralisin heated lakes did not impoverish the ciliate diversity.