Expansion of didymosphenia geminata (Lyngbe) M. Schmidt (Bacillariophyceae) in running Waters in S-E Poland: new records in the Podkarpacie Region

Nowadays Didymosphenia geminata is one of the most frequently studied diatoms in the world, due to its massive development in most continents. In Poland, up to the 1990’s only a small number of specimens were recorded, from streams in the Tatra Mountains and the Dunajec River. D. geminata was found in 2007–2008 in the middle and upper sections of the Wisłok River, while in 2009 and 2011 it was also found in the Wisłoka, Ropa, Bielcza and San. The cells belonged to one morphotype “geminata” and were characterized by high variability of size. It develops in mesotrophic, well-oxygenated, upper parts of flowing waters with rapid currents. It was most abundant below reservoirs on the San, Wisłok and Wisłoka.