Dominant species, functional assemblages and frequency of equilibrium phases in late summer phytoplankton assemblages in Hungarian small shallow lakes

Abstract

Late summer phytoplankton associations were studied qualitatively and quantitatively in 80 Hungarian lakes altogether (mostly shallow salt lakes, reservoirs, oxbows, gravel pit lakes). Equilibrium phases sensu Sommer et al. (1993) were found only in 17 lakes. Most of them were under some kind (high salt content or very low level of nutrients) of stress factor. It is concluded that environmental stress forces phytoplankton communities towards equilibrium. No relationship between occurrence of equilibria and trophic state was found. Species number of non-equilibrated lakes was almost three times as high as those in equilibrium. Of the 31 recently described (Reynolds et al., 2002) phytoplankton assemblages most of those were recognized that are likely to occur in shallow lakes. Separation of a functional group Ws from W2 forSynura dominated lakes is suggested. It seemed also necessary to raise a group (Y _Ph ) for lakes dominated by Phacotus. Sorting of Dinophyta species into different already described functional groups is desirable.