ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effect of Environmental Factors on Communities
of Bottom Fauna in Littoral Zones of Ten Lakes
in the Wel River Catchment
Jacek Koszałka
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Department of Applied Ecology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Oczapowskiego 5, 10-957 Olsztyn, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2012;21(5):1273-1278
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ABSTRACT
The results of a study of littoral macroinvertebrate communities of lakes in the Wel River catchment
(central Poland) are presented. Semi-quantitative sampling was performed in April and October 2009.
Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to demonstrate relationships between macroinvertebrate assemblages
and environmental variables. There were significant relationships between transparency (Secchi depth), P-PO4
concentration, lake area, and taxa occurrence, which explained 22%, 19%, and 14% of the observed variability,
respectively. The lakes were grouped according to littoral fauna communities in a pattern similar to that
noted with regard to physicochemical variables and other communities inhabiting the lakes.