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 lakesof acid sensitive areas in Central and North Europe(Poland and Finland) experiencing different degrees of anthropogenic stress, were studied. The aimof these studies was to examine the diatomcommunity structure and water chemistry accordingto water body type (streams, peat bogs, smallpools and lakes), altitude (high mountain,mountain, upland and lowland waters) and todifferent geographical regions. Diatoms were also used to indicate differences in water quality anddiatom 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 tothose from earlier projects (in mid-1980s and 2001-2002).Finally, the suitability of diatom-based methods formonitoring human impacts and for assessment of waterquality was discussed. -Contents: Abstract/ Introduction/ Aims and Scope/ Natural andanthropogenic 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 andMethods ( 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 communitypatterns in relation to altitude/ Diatom community patterns in relationto different geographical regions in Poland and Finland/ Diatoms asindicators of pH, alkalinity and TOC/ Restoration and recovery ofacidified 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 andconclusions/ References/ Appendix (Code of diatom taxa used in thegraphs and tables)/ Plates (12).