The influence of biotic and abiotic factors on psammic rotifers in artificial and natural lakes

The effect of sand grain size, porosity and the abundance of algae on the community structure of psammic rotifers was tested in three anthropogenic lakes (Upper Silesia) and compared with three natural ones (West Pomerania). The structure of grain size in the studied beaches of artificial and natural lakes was similar but differences were found in the abundance of algae. The structure of the psammic rotifer community in Upper Silesian lakes was different from natural lakes in West Pomerania. The structure of psammic rotifer communities in anthropogenic reservoirs and lakes (West Pomerania) differed in numbers of species and numbers of psammobiont species, and also diversity index. The most altered structure of rotifer assemblages was observed in the psammon rotifers of the strongly contaminated Dzierno Duze Lake.