Diversity of vascular hydrophytes in the Zasavica river (Serbia): Changes after thirteen years

Abstract

Zasavica is a 33.1 km-long, slow-flowing river on the southern edge of the Pannonian plain. It has been a protected natural asset since 1997, and has great value as a natural aquatic habitat. In the period between 1998 and 2010, intensive studies of the aquatic vegetation were carried out. The comparisons of results gained at the beginning of that period with those from the end, show significant differences in species composition, spatial distribution, and diversity analyzed through species richness, Shannon’s diversity index, and evenness. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43002

Morphological forms of two macrophytes (yellow water-lily and arrowhead) along velocity gradient

“…Different emerged, floating and submerged morphological forms are adaptation to water movement (Kőrs et al 2012). Such ecomorphological forms -submerged (hydrophytes sensu stricto) and emerged (helophytes) are plant responses to the variety of ecological conditions (Vukov et al 2012). …”

“…Furthermore, morphological adaptations, such as reduction in the leaf number, are the result of aquatic plant response to hydrodynamic stress (Puijalon et al 2007). Growth forms of aquatic plants can be used as tools for the habitat modification assessment and monitoring of ecological status of different rivers types (Gurnell et al 2010;Lorenz et al 2012;Vukov et al 2012).…”