ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Ecological Classification of Artificial Reservoirs
in Polish Lowlands According to Water Framework
Directive Requirements
Robert Mazur1, Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz2, Agata Nowak1,
Karol Pietruczuk3, Joanna Chmist2
More details
Hide details
1Department of Geoinformation, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing of Environment and Department
of Environmental Management and Protection AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
2Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland
3Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poznań, Poland
Submission date: 2016-05-23
Final revision date: 2016-07-19
Acceptance date: 2016-07-19
Online publication date: 2017-01-31
Publication date: 2017-01-31
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(1):205-210
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
With the adoption of the Water Framework Directive, monitoring of surface waters has undergone
a reform process. It introduced a new approach to the assessment of surface waters based on biological
elements. In the case of water reservoirs, the monitoring is based on phytoplankton, phytobenthos, and
macrozoobenthos, as well as chlorophyll concentrations. The ecological evaluation is supported by physicalchemical
and hydromorphological characteristics. The study was based on national monitoring data coming
from 10 reservoirs in the lowland landscape. Our analysis revealed that the classification of reservoirs was
determined both by physical-chemical and biological factors. It was found that good and better than good
ecological potential was achieved by three reservoirs, while three more were classified as moderate and four
as bad. Principal component analysis showed that the biological elements are strongly associated with the
level of phosphorus in the water. The ecological potential of the reservoirs does not depend on the surface
area or depth of the water body, nor it is related to water retention time.