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Spatial and temporal diversity of small shallow waters in river Lužnice floodplain

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Abstract

To propose a concept of their mutual diversity, twenty-nine permanent shallow floodplain pools and oxbows in the river Lužnice floodplain were analysed for area, depth, shape, flooding, and shading by terrestrial vegetation, and sampled in all seasons for their water chemistry, phytoplankton composition and biomass, and zooplankton composition. The sites are regularly flooded, eutrophic, and often shaded by surrounding vegetation. Cryptophyceae, Chrysophyceae and Euglenophyceae dominated the phytoplankton, while Cyanophytes were rare. Within the rich zooplankton assemblage (63 species), cladocerans and rotifers dominated. Correlation matrices and multivariate analyses indicated that shaded and relatively deeper sites had lower oxygen saturation and higher concentrations of PO4–P and NH4–N. Shade and relative depth correlated negatively with phytoplankton biomass and number of phytoplankton taxa, and positively with Cryptophytes and large cladocerans—thus indicating poor mixing, poor light availability and low fish pressure on herbivores. Decomposition of leaf litter increased oxygen consumption, while shade from terrestrial vegetation restricted photosynthesis and decreased oxygen production. Larger sites were more species-rich in phytoplankton and supported Euglenophyceae, green algae and rotifers.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by Research Projects AV0Z60870520 and MSM 6007665806 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and projects of the Czech Grant agency GAČR 206/01/1113 and Ministry of Environment VaV - SL/1/6/04. We are obliged to Martina Kylbergerova for help with phytoplankton counting and Steve Ridgill for language corrections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dukelská 145, 379 01, Třeboň, Czech Republic

    David Pithart & Libor Pechar

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Applied Ecology Laboratory, University of South Bohemia, Studentská 13, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Kateřina Novotná & Libor Pechar

  3. Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research, University of Michigan, 2205 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA

    Radka Pichlová

  4. T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Podbabská 30, 160 62, Praha 6, Czech Republic

    Michal Bílý

  5. Hekrova 820, Praha 4, Czech Republic

    Jaroslav Hrbáček

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  1. David Pithart
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  2. Radka Pichlová
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  3. Michal Bílý
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  4. Jaroslav Hrbáček
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  5. Kateřina Novotná
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  6. Libor Pechar
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Correspondence to David Pithart.

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Pithart, D., Pichlová, R., Bílý, M. et al. Spatial and temporal diversity of small shallow waters in river Lužnice floodplain. Hydrobiologia 584, 265–275 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0607-8

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