Charophytes in Velka Fatra (Slovakia)

Andre Hospers

(ahospers@dds.nl)

c/o Klaprooslaan 67a, 9713 SK, Groningen; the Netherlands

Charophytes were found during a summer camp of the Dutch youth organisation for nature and environmental studies (JNM) in 1995 in the surroundings of Blatnica, Slowakia. During this camp the following species were collected : Chara vulgaris var. vulgaris, Chara vulgaris var. longibracteata, C. globularis var. virgata and Chara contraria (Dutch red list category 3, endangered). Alcohol specimens were collected and kept in the Rijksherbarium (National State Herbarium) at Leiden, the Netherlands. In the Rijksherbarium no specimen was present from Slowakia, all observations were new. From the Czech Republic 8 species are known in Rijksherbarium, mainly collected in 1860! Our locations were spread all over the Velka Fatra without a particular accumulation. Often the plants were found in very shallow standing water. Only one record was in fast running water.

 

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Stonewort, a description of collected Chara around Blatnica, Valka Fatra

Introduction

Characeae are well developed green algae which are easily recognised. Often Characeae can be found in clear and oligo- or mesotrophic waters which contain Chara dominated plant communities or Potametea communities. Characeae communities are present all over the world and are sensitive for water pollution. So Characeae can be used for monitoring water quality. Stoneworts are highly developed algae which are commonly known as indicators of clear and nutrient-poor water. Most species are pioneers and occur only in a specific stage of development from a newly formed vegetationless water until a well-balanced and stable ecosystem.

In English Charophytes are called Stonewort because of lime which is on most Characea, especially in calcareous conditions. In Germany the name is chandelier algae (Armleuchteralgen) because the structure is like an chandelier.

In the neighbourhood of Blatnica (Velka Fatra) we found only the genus Chara.

Chara species look like a Hippuris vulgaris, but where as Hippuris vulgaris is built with small cells that can hardly been seen by a loupe, the internodiums of Charas are just one large cell. These large cells are also the reason why Characea are sometimes preferred as a research object : the cells can easily be studied.

During the summer camp, no special attention was paid to Stoneworts. All species were found by accident during an excursion. At four locations samples were collected and taken home to The Netherlands for identification. At two other locations Charas were also seen but no samples were taken and those two were not identified. It became clear that it was not easy to determine Slovakian Characeae. The characteristics used in the Dutch key did not always fit the collected specimen. For this reason, the samples were sent to John Bruinsma, a Dutch Characeae-specialist. Finally the samples were added to the collection of the Rijksherbarium in Leiden.

 

 

 

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Localities

1. The first species was collected at a small pool near the Blatnica Dolina. This valley contains one of the most beautiful streams of the VelKa Fatra. The shallow pool contained a Chara with very short branches, characteristic for Chara globularis var. virgata (Kutz.) R.D. Wood (also known as C. delicatula Agardh).
2. The second sample originated from the pools a few hundreds meters west of Nolcovo, close to the Vah river. The specimen has been determinated as Chara vulgaris var. longibracteata (Kutz.) J. Groves & Bullock-Webster.
3. It was not easy to determine the third collected Chara. The sample was taken from a population growing in very shallow water fed by ground water near the trout nursery of Mosovce. The algae were very variable but were finally considered as Chara contraria A.Braun ex Kuetzing.
4. The last sample was collected 12 July 1995 in the 2 meter wide stream Racksa 2 km east of the village Raksa, a cold and rapid stream with a sandy and stony bottom (Water beetle collection location 12). The plants were growing at the bank of the brook. This locality with Chara vulgaris var. vulgaris was the only location with running water (See Table 1).

In the Netherlands Chara globularis and Chara vulgaris are the most common species. They occur in several varieties. Chara vulgaris prefers a calcareous environment whereas Chara globularis grows in a wider range of acidity. Chara globularis var. virgata often grows at places with some kind of high dynamics.

Chara contraria (Status: on the German Red list, In Holland endangered, In Belgium severely endangered) is a rather rare species that is often common on the places it is present. Usually plants are covered with lime. Chara contraria is present on shallow temporary waters as a pioneer. But also it has been recorded from deep (4 meter) waters. The location at which we found Chara contraria (very shallow water fed by ground water) may be considered as a kind of ‘permanent pioneer situation’. Conditions remain more or less stable as there is a constant flow of minerals from the soil and plant debris an nutrients from decaying plants disappear with the flowing water.

Around Blatnica, Characeae seemed to be rare. The main reason is of course lack of water. In Holland the genus Chara is absent in rapidly running water. It is interesting to discover the occurrence of Chara vulgaris in the Raksa. Dutch brooks are on sandy soils that are poor in minerals. Therefore the brooks are relatively acid and more suitable for Nitella flexilis (L.) Agardh than the genus Chara. In more calcareous parts of Europe Chara-species in current water are not uncommon.

Summarised, the surroundings of Blatnica are not very interesting for Characeae. Probably Characeae are not common in the inland of Europe due to lack of water. But if water is present Charophytes can be found all over Europe. In mainly the 1860s charophytes are collected in the Czech Republic (not Slowakia) and those are shown in Table 2. From that region interesting species are known. Fortunately, Characeae were the only part of nature which was really boring to investigate during the camp. Luckily enough, all other types of nature were overwhelming rich, so in the end I was impressed by Slovak's nature!

All determinations were checked, collected and preserved by John Bruinsma and Joop van Raam of the Dutch ‘Rijksherbarium’ in Leiden.

Table 1 Description of the places the Charophytes were found in the Velka Fatra (running or standing water)

pool

	small stream
Chara contraria
Chara globularis var. virgata1
Chara vulgaris		Raska (1)
Chara vulgaris var. longibracteata

1. Also known as synonym C. delicatula (L.) Agardh

Table 2 Charophytes found in Velka Fatra (1995) compared with literature and collection in the National Rijksherbarium in Leiden (NL)

	JNM 1995 Summer camp	Dutch National ‘Rijksherbarium’	Krause (occurence in SE-Europe/ Balkan)
Chara aspera		Czech Republic (Bohmen)	rare
Chara contraria (contraria)	Moscocvze	Czech Republic (Velenka)	common
Chara globularis var. virgata	Blatnicka Dolina	Czech Republic (Rerabinec)	rare
Chara vulgaris v. gymnophylla			common 1
Chara vulgaris v. longibracteata	Nolcovo		not mentioned
Chara vulgaris (v. vulgaris)	Raksa	Czech Republic (Bohmen)2	common
Nitella opaca		Czech Republic (Bohmen)	no
Chara braunii		Czech Republic (Bohmen)	common
Chara vulgaris var. papillata		Czech Republic (Prag) 3	not mentioned
Nitela gracilis		Czech Republic (Bohmen)4	rare
Nitella capillaris		Czech Republic (Um Pilzen)	rare
Nitella flexilis		Czech Republic (Bohmen)	common

1. In Krause (1998) as Chara gymnophylla

2. In the ‘Rijksherbarium’ collection Chara vulgaris was found on two localities.

3. Two plants with more spines were present. These might be called C. vulgaris var. papillata.

4. Collected on eight locations in Bohmen, mainly in the 1860’s.

Literature

Andre Hospers (1997). Kranswierenverslag. (report on Charophytes) In: Hans Inberg (red.) Slowakije summer camp report, Blatnica 1996; Jeugdbond voor Natuur- en Milieustudie [in Dutch].

J. van Raam (1999), Personal communication, Raw data listing National Rijksherbarium, 12-01-1999

J.Van Raam e.a. (1998) Handboek Kranswieren, Chara Boek, Hilversum

Werner Krause (1998) Charales (Charophycaceae); Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa Band 18. Gustav Fischer, Jena/Stuttgart/Lübeck/Ulm.