Charophytes (Characeae, Charophyta) of the Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park in Poland: response to the protection and state of catchment areas of the water bodies

This paper presents localities of charophytes in the Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park (Wielkopolska, Poland). In this area, 16 species of stoneworts occur, constituting 47% of national species from this group. The following are the most frequent species: Chara intermedia, C. tomentosa, C. virgata and Nitellopsis obtusa. Four critically endangered species in Poland (Nitella tenuissima, N. capillaris, N. gracilis and Chara tenuispina) were also recorded. Our research has demonstrated: (1) considerable diversity of charophytes on a relatively small area situated in the vicinity of a large urban centre of Poznań, (2) major importance of protected areas such as nature reserves, landscape parks, or Natura 2000 areas etc. for the preservation of charophyta lake habitats, and (3) the significance of the forms of land use in the catchment areas, where forest vegetation or less dense presence of trees and shrubs prevents eutrophication of the water bodies and thus contributes to the protection of the stonewort species occurring there.