15th
 anniversary
 of WNP

WIGRY NATIONAL PARK

Special issue

of "WIGRY"
quarterly
magazine


Webdesign: 
KAJA
 
2004

Lubosza Wesołowska

Algae

Algae are the smallest organisms, numbered among plant life, living in water. Algae can be unicellular or multicellular organisms, they create filaments, colonies or thallus.
They are of various shapes and colours. They have a cytoblast and chloroplasts. They live in all places where there is water, even in vestigial quantities. They can be found in sand, snow or on tree bark. They are an important link in the matter cycle in nature. Many of them are food for animals, e.g. some species of infusorians, turbellarian worms and rotifers feed on algae.

During 100 years of irregular, often random research into algae in the area of the Wigry National Park, over 600 taxa of these organisms have been found. Phytoplankton (algae suspended in water) is researched best. The stoneworts are the biggest algae and highest organized in structure. They grow in clean, mesotrophic waters of the Park forming tufts or underwater meadows. They belong to our biggest freshwater algae. Beautiful stonewort meadows are found e.g. in lakes Dlugie and Biale. Mesotrophic basins with underwater stonewort meadows – Charetea are under special habitat protection (Habitat Directive of the UE).

Apart from stoneworts, Chlorophyceae can be seen most often with the unaided eye. Some fish feed on Spirogyra filaments.

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