Environmental factors responsible for the gyrogonite formation by an endangered macroalga, Lychnothamnus barbatus, a fertility indicator of past and …

2019

Abstract Gyrogonites (calcified oospores) of charophytes are commonly used in palaeoecology. Although, the study of morphometry and gyrogonite production by extant charophytes is limited. This concerns the genus Lychnothamnus , frequent in the past but contemporarily represented only by L. barbatus , the rare and endangered species applied in assessment of water quality as a bioindicator of oligo-mesotrophic lakes. In this study two hypotheses were verified: (1) the length and width of L. barbatus gyrogonites increase with increasing depth; (2) at the deeper sites, L. barbatus produces more numerous gyrogonites compared to shallower lake areas. Gyrogonites were picked from L. barbatus thall…