Structure and Environmental Determinants of Benthic Algal Communities in the High-Mountain Lakes and Ponds Ecosystems of Kaçkar Mountains National Park, N.E. Turkey

Bülent Șahin; Sophia Barinova

doi:10.2478/trser-2026-0002

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Structure and Environmental Determinants of Benthic Algal Communities in the High-Mountain Lakes and Ponds Ecosystems of Kaçkar Mountains National Park, N.E. Turkey

Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1 (April 2026)

By: Bülent Șahin and Sophia Barinova

Open Access

|May 2026

Abstract

In August 2023, the composition, diversity, and relationships with environmental factors of benthic algae in the three lakes and two ponds located in the Kaçkar Mountains National Park were investigated. The surveyed flora comprised 139 species across five taxonomic groups: Bacillariophyta (75 species), Charophyta (35), Cyanobacteria (17), Chlorophyta (8), and Euglenozoa (4). The most species-rich genera were Pinnularia (13), followed by Eunotia (10), Cosmarium (10), Staurastrum (7), and Closterium (6). Physico-chemical analyses indicated that the waters were fresh, slightly acidic, low in salinity, and free from organic pollution, which was corroborated by bioindicator species. This study provides baseline data on the composition of benthic algae and highlights the lack of significant anthropogenic impact on these habitats.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/trser-2026-0002 | Journal eISSN: 2344-3219 | Journal ISSN: 1841-7051

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Language: English

Page range: 29 - 70

Published on: May 15, 2026

Published by: Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 3 issues per year

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© 2026 Bülent Șahin, Sophia Barinova, published by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1 (April 2026)