Research ArticleBiodiversity in the Benthic Diatom Community in the Upper River Töss Reflected in Water Quality Indices Biodiversity in benthic diatom communities was determined to assess the ecological state and to evaluate changes in water quality in time and space in the prealpine part of the river Töss (Switzerland). One site upstream and three sites downstream from the inlet of a communal waste water treatment plant (WWTP) were analyzed during 1996/ 97. In total, 67 diatom species were detected and the relative abundance of each taxon determined. The Shannon Diversity Index and the Saprobic Index were calculated and related to the newly developed Swiss Trophic Diatom Index. Dominant species belonged to the genera Achnanthes, Amphora, Cymbella, Diatoma, Gomphonema, Navicula, and Nitzschia. The species composition and the abundance of the diatom species present varied over the seasons, but changes in the chemical parameters or the flow regime had little effect. The Shannon Index gave evidence of biodiversity variations over the seasons and some differences between sampling sites. The Saprobic Index oscillated within a small band, indicative for oligo-mesosaprobic conditions. It could not identify significant changes in water quality between sampling sites and over the seasons. The Swiss Trophic Diatom Index differentiated better between sampling sites and seasons and gave values corresponding to a b-mesosaprobic state. Preliminary data from 2005 and 2006 give no evidence of a change in water quality during the last decade.
This paper aims to present the diversity of endemic plants in the Shutman area and an analysis of chorological groups and life forms. The flora of Shutman comprises 31 endemic plant species. Among them, there are 20 Balkan endemics, 1 stenoendemic and 5 sub-endemic species. They belong to 20 genera and 13 families. The richest among the endemics are families Asteraceae and Caryophyllaceae, both with 4 species. All endemics are herbaceous perennials. Hemicryptophytes dominate among life forms, accounting for 58.06%. Most of the species are Balkan floristic elements (20 species or 64.52%), followed by Southeast European and South European floristic elements, both with 3 taxa (9.68%). A total of 27 species have national or international conservation status. Reporting of Ranunculus degenii Kümmerle & Jav. for the first time in Shutman makes this area the second distribution record of this plant in Kosovo.
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