Ecological Studies on the Kerkini Reservoir (N Greece) II. Biological Features

The influence of hydrological regime of the artificial lake Kerkini (N Greece) on the qualitative and quantitative distribution of plankton populations, was studied during a 12 months period. Cyanophyceae, chlorophyceae, dinophyceae, diatomeae, crysophyceae and cryptophyceae, in considerable seasonal variation in their abundance, diversity and number comprised the phytoplankton population. The abundance of rotifers and the presence of various copepod stages throughout the year were also characteristic. Lake Kerkini should be considered as eutrophic with a tendecy to become hypertrophic. River inflows affect greatly in reservoir's water volume, nutrients' concentration and water's transparency, which, consequently, affects the plankton growth.