Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
2018, Vol 18, Num, 4 (Pages: 611-622)
Impact of the Drainage System on Water Vegetation of the Lowland Lakes (Eastern Poland)
Joanna Sender 1
1 University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Landscape Ecology and Nature Protection. B. Dobrzańskiego str. 37, 20–262 Lublin, Poland
DOI :
10.4194/1303-2712-v18_4_13
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The Wieprz–Krzna drainage and irrigation canal was created in the early 1960s highly complicated water relations and
the hydrological systems of the Polesie region of Eastern Poland. The highest level of degradation occurred in the hydrogenic
areas of the Łęczna–Włodawa Lake District. The aim of this study was to complete a qualitative and quantitative analyses of
changes from 1959 to present of vascular plants in lakes influenced by the drainage system. In addition, an evaluation of the
lakes` ecological status was conducted and comparisons between lakes transformed into reservoirs, embanked lakes, and
natural lakes were made. Based on RI values that are used to determine ecological status, in 1959 all of the eight lakes reached
good or high ecological status but in 2015 only two remained in this classification. The extensive changes observed in the
macrophyte plant communities within all lakes in the study, indicates a progressive process of overgrowth in both natural and
transformed lakes. Agricultural water inputs from the WKCS into lakes has lead to their slow but differentiated degradation.
The greatest changes within the studied eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes studied have occurred in lakes converted to retention
reservoirs.
Keywords :
Embankment, macrophyte biomass, phytolittoral