In the current investigation, 16 samples of six species of the genus Polygonatum were collected from different geographical regions in China. Leaf micromorphological traits were studied in detail using scanning electron microscopy. About five-leaf samples were used for each species collected from different geographical regions. A significant variation was found in the foliar epidermal traits such as stomata types and their distribution, epidermal cell shape, anticlinal wall pattern, and various types of trichomes. Polygonal epidermal cells were observed in P. cyrtonema, P. odoratum, P. sibiricum, and P. filipes, rectangular in P. zanlanscianense and P. odoratum and irregular shape in P. filipes and P. zanlanscianense. Straight anticlinal wall pattern was observed in most of the species, but straight to little undulate was observed in P. cyrtonema, P. filipes, and P. zanlanscianense. Similarly, various shape stomata that are, oval, oblong, and elliptical and types that is, paracytic, anomocytic, and actinocytic have been observed. Based on the foliar traits, the P. odoratum and P. sibiricum were found closely related to one another. On the other hand, P. involucratum and P. zanlanscianense shows a strong association. However, P. filipes showed very less similarity with the other five species. Hence this study adds useful information that may be helpful in the further taxonomic classification of the taxa at subspecies level and was found significant in the correct identification and discrimination of the closely related taxa of the genus Polygonatum.

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We identified 209 species of algae and cyanobacteria at 4 sites in the Kabul River. Green algae, diatoms, and charophytes dominated in the river, which reflects regional features of agricultural activity. Species richness and algal abundance increased down the river. The Water Quality Index characterizes the quality of water down the river as medium to bad. The index of saprobity S reflects Class III water quality. The Water Ecosystem Sustainability Index (WESI) shows contamination with nutrients. According to the River Pollution Index (RPI), waters in the river have low alkalinity and low salinity, and are contaminated with nutrients. Pearson coefficients showed that water temperature plays a major role in the total species richness distribution (0.93*) and in the green algae distribution (0.89*), while cyanobacteria were stimulated also by water salinity (0.91*). Stepwise regression analysis indicated water temperature as the major regional factor that determines riverine algal diversity. Surface plots and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that salinity, nitrates, temperature, and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) can be defined as major factors affecting algal diversity. Dendrites mark the upper site of the Warsak Dam as the source of the community species diversity. Bioindication methods can give relevant and stable results of water quality and self-purification assessment that can be employed to monitor the regional water quality.

Altogether 209 species of algae and cyanobacteria has been revealed in 2014-2015 from four sites in the Kabul River that flow across the Peshawar Valley. Green algae, diatoms, and Charophyta filamentous algae were diverse and characterize regional feature in the river basin with high agricultural activity. Species richness and algal abundance were increase down the river. Index saprobity S varied between 1.55 and 1.59 (Class III of water quality) and reflects decreasing of water quality down the river as a result of pollutants impact, which brings mostly the Swat tributary. Bio-indication results show prevalence of benthic or plankto-benthic species, temperate temperature indicators, slow streaming middle oxygenated waters inhabitants, salinity-indifferents, eurysaprobes, mesotrophes, and autotrophic algae with tolerance to middle concentration of Nitrates that reflects middle polluted waters III-IV Class of Water 152 Sophia Barinova et al. Quality in the Kabul River. Our analysis shows that integral bio-indication in water quality assessment with using of algal communities can give relevant results of self-purification possibility, which can be employed in purpose of monitoring the regional water quality as economy and resultative method.

Freshwater green algal biofouling of boats refers to the accrual of freshwater green algae on boats immersed in water. The current research focused on the morphological characteristics of the isolates, species ecology, and the physicochemical properties of the water at the sampling sites. Two localities, Haji Zai and Sardaryab, were sampled at the Kabul River in the district of Charsadda, Pakistan. Freshwater green algae causing biofouling were isolated from the boats. A total of three genera: Cladophora, Rhizoclonium, and Spirogyra with fifteen species belonging to the families Cladophoraceae and Zygnemataceae were observed. Statistical analysis reveals significant stimulation of green algal species in the boats' fouled communities by increases in water temperature, conductivity, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The algal growth at the Haji Zai site is suppressed by TDS in autumn (Pearson -0.56) and is stimulated by water temperature in spring (Pearson 0.44). At the Sardaryab site, algae were stimulated in spring by pH of water * Corresponding author: barinova@research.haifa.ac.il (Pearson 0.61), and suppressed by Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in autumn (Pearson -0.43). Statistical analysis indicates that pH, conductivity, and temperature are the main factors determining the algal biofouling in the Kabul River.

58 species and infraspecies of Chlorophyta and Charophyta algae were observed in 60 samples collected in September 2017 from the Shah Alam River, Pakistan. The algal species richness and environmental variables increased down the river, except for pH. Bioindication revealed low saline, low alkaline, middle streaming, and middle oxygenated water with low to middle organic pollution with Index saprobity S 1.48-1.73, Class 2-3 of Water Quality. The trophic state was eutrophic and meso-eutrophic with increasing eutrophication down the river. River Pollution Indices RPI demonstrated increasing of pollution in the Shah Alam River in comparison with the parallel part of the Kabul River.

The presented research was conducted in 2018–2019 in the Peshawar Valley, Pakistan, to study for the first time the effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes. A total of six taxa of charophytes were found at 41 sites in the Peshawar Valley along the banks of seven rivers, 16 streams and two wetlands: Chara braunii C.C.Gmelin, C. connivens Salzmann ex A. Braun, C. contraria A. Braun ex Kützing, C. globularis Thuiller, C. vulgaris Linnaeus, and Nitellopsis obtusa (Desvaux) J. Groves. Chara vulgaris was the most abundant species, followed by C. globularis, and C. contraria. Water pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) were within the permissible limits for Pakistan, while water temperature, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and resistivity showed deviations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that DO affected Chara vulgaris, pH and resistivity affected C. braunii, C. connivens and C. globularis, temperature and ORP affected C. contraria and Nitellopsis obtusa. Furthermore, CCA showed that TDS, EC, and salinity had no effect on the spatial distribution of Chara contraria, C. vulgaris and Nitellopsis obtusa. Chara contraria and Nitellopsis obtusa should be protected under VU (Vulnerable) status (IUCN) along with their habitats.

The first investigation of the algal communities from the Jindi River revealed 93 algal species from five taxonomic divisions, identified in 90 samples collected at three sites of the river during the low water season in March-May of 2016. The total species richness increased from the upper sites of Shabqadar (45 species) and Tangi (51) to the lower site of Charsadda (59). Environmental conditions fluctuated insignificantly. The water in the studied water body was estimated as fresh, low saline, mid alkaline with pH increasing to the lower site of Charsadda up to 9.8. The programs CANOCO and Statistica 12.0 as well as Pearson correlation coefficients were applied, revealing two major parameters (ammonia and dissolved oxygen) as factors, influencing algal diversity. The river water was characterized as moderately polluted with increasing of transparency and algal diversity downstream that allows to conclude that the ecosystem of the Jindi R. has high self-purification ability with revealed algal community.