PDFDOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10058-010-0032-8
The ciliate assemblage on the macrophytes was examined in 2005 during the vegetation period in the Koninskie Lakes which are heating by post-cooling waters from thermal electric plants. As a result of changed temperature regimen the alien thermophilic macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis is becoming increasingly common in the littoral zone. A total of 150 ciliate taxa belonging to 27 orders were found. Greater ciliate species diversity was found on architecturally complex, submerged forms such as Ceratophyllum demersum and Myriophyllum spicatum. By contrast the ciliate compositions on emergent macrophytes with simple architecture in their submerged parts, such as Typha, Sparganium, or Acorus, were less species rich. Despite the simple architecture of Vallisneria leaves, the ciliate diversity on them was high. The results show that replacement of native macrophytes by the alien form V. spiralis in heated lakes did not impoverish the ciliate diversity.