Diversity and ecology of benthic diatom communities in relation to acidity, acidification and recovery of lakes and rivers. 2007. (Diatom Monographs, 9), 12 photogr. plates. 169 p. gr8vo. Hardcover. (ISBN 978-3-906166-56-8)

Benthic diatom communities in streams and lakes of acid sensitive areas in Central and North Europe(Poland and Finland) experiencing different degrees of anthropogenic stress, were studied. The aim of these studies was to examine the diatom community structure and water chemistry according to water body type (streams, peat bogs, smallpools and lakes), altitude (high mountain,mountain, upland and lowland waters) and to different geographical regions. Diatoms were also used to indicate differences in water quality and diatom methods to infer pH were tested. Optimumas well as tolerance values of different taxa for pH, alkalinity and TOC were calculated and ecological notes about acid water taxa were recorded.Diatoms were also used to evaluate and to indicate restoration and recovery of acidified aquatic ecosystems.Biological recovery of waters in relation to chemical recovery was assessed using periphytic and surface sediment diatoms and the results were compared to those from earlier projects (in mid-1980s and 2001-2002).Finally, the suitability of diatom-based methods for monitoring human impacts and for assessment of waterquality was discussed. -Contents: Abstract/ Introduction/ Aims and Scope/ Natural and anthropogenic acidification and its ecological consequences (The roleof water pH/ Description of natural and anthropogenic acid sources/Anthropogenic acidification and its ecological consequences/ Diatomsas indicators of water acidity and related factors)/ Materials and Methods ( Field samples/ Laboratory methods/ Data analysis)/Description of the study areas/ Results (Diatom community patterns vs.water chemistry in relation to different water types/ Diatom community patterns in relation to altitude/ Diatom community patterns in relationto different geographical regions in Poland and Finland/ Diatoms as indicators of pH, alkalinity and TOC/ Restoration and recovery of acidified aquatic ecosystems/ Diatoms as indicators of restoration:effect of water neutralization/ Diatoms as indicators of lake recovery)/Discussion/ Notes on autoecology of selected diatom taxa/ Summary and conclusions/ References/ Appendix (Code of diatom taxa used in thegraphs and tables)/ Plates (12).