Wetland Algal Communities from Balta Mică a Brăilei Nature Park (Romania)

The present paper aims to characterize the algal communities from Balta Mică a Brăilei Nature Park in terms of their species richness and their ability to reflect the water quality of the aquatic ecosystems they live in. Thirteen shallow floodplain lakes, both permanent and temporary, were considered for the present study, with 16 sampling occasions in 2012 and 2013. More than 300 algal taxa were identified, with the green algae (Chlorophyta) being the dominant phyla in almost all the sampling sites. The trophicity and the organic pollution reached high values in 2012, probably due to low water levels caused by drought. Spring floods from 2013 led to lower trophicity and saprobity levels in all sampled water pools.