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Changes in the diatom community in the great lake (Lurë National Park, Albania) from 2005 to 2017 and first steps towards assessment the water quality

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Abstract

Great Lake is the largest of 14 lakes situated in Lurë National Park, in the eastern part of the Lurë Mountains, Albania. To characterize lake ecological status, epiphytic and epilithic diatom samples were collected from the lakeshore in summer 2005, 2013, and 2017. However, in 2017 no macrophytes were present, such that only epilithic diatom samples could be collected. After laboratory analysis, 52 diatom taxa were identified in July 2005, 67 in June 2013, 111 in August 2013, and 126 in August 2017. The genera Diatoma, Epithemia, Fragilaria, and Surirella were not recorded in 2017, contrary to previous years. We applied two diatom indices to asses the ecological status of the Great Lake, IPS (Indice de Polluo–sensibilité), and TDIL (Trophic Diatom Index for lakes). The IPS index indicated very good water quality in all years, while the TDIL indicated moderate water quality in 2005 and 2013 and good water quality in 2017. Because more species have indicator values for calculating the IPS than the TDIL (valve number used to calculate the IPS was above 95%, while for TDIL was below 50% of 400 counted valves), the IPS may be a more promising tool for bioindication of lakes in Albania according to the demands of the Water Framework Directive.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dag Hjermann, NIVA, for help with Fig. 2. The project was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Project title: “Assessment of ecological status according to the Water Framework Directive – intercalibration among W-Balkan countries” (No RER-14/0008).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Njegoševa 12, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia

    Danijela Vidaković

  2. University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden“Jevremovac”, Takovska 43, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia

    Jelena Krizmanić

  3. University of Tirana, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Bulevardi Zogu I 1, 1000, Tirana, Albania

    Eriselda Ndoj & Aleko Miho

  4. University of Tirana, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Bulevardi Zogu I 1, 1000, Tirana, Albania

    Lirika Kupe

  5. Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway

    Susanne C. Schneider

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  1. Danijela Vidaković
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Correspondence to Danijela Vidaković.

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Vidaković, D., Krizmanić, J., Ndoj, E. et al. Changes in the diatom community in the great lake (Lurë National Park, Albania) from 2005 to 2017 and first steps towards assessment the water quality. Biologia 75, 1815–1824 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-020-00538-3

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