[en] The Balkan Peninsula is a biodiversity hotspot and hosts numerous mountain lakes, which offer a refuge for a multitude of species. However, previous pristine habitats have been deeply affected by anthropogenic change, such as non-native fish introductions, which calls for multi-species considerations in the last remaining unaltered habitats. We carried out abiotic measurements and biodiversity assessments in two neighbouring alpine lakes, Lakes Leqinat and Drelaj in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park in Kosovo, in August 2018. Lake Leqinat is a permanent, stratified water body and exhibits weak oxygen depletion below 3 m. Phytoplankton was dominated by chrysophycean, cryptophycean and chlorophycean algae. Zooplankton consisted of five rotifer species and Daphnia longispina. A mark-recapture experiment yielded a population of alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) of nearly 4 000 adult individuals. In contrast, cold water from the surrounding karst seeps into Lake Drelaj, which is a well-oxygenated temporary lake. Hence phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses were considerably lower than in Lake Leqinat. Phytoplankton was dominated by cryptophycean, chlorophycean, and bacillariophycean algae. Zooplankton consisted of the diaptomid copepod Mixodiaptomus tatricus, the cladoceran Daphnia rosea, and the anostracan Chirocephalus diaphanus. Conservation efforts should ensure that Lake Leqinat remains unstocked as introduced fish would probably destroy the natural community.
Research Center/Unit :
FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
Levkov, Zlatko; Ss. Cyril & Methodius University in Skopje
Jersabek, Christian D.; University of Salzburg
Vorage, Marcel; Salzburg University of Education Stefan Zweig
Denoël, Mathieu ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Laboratoire d'Écologie et de Conservation des Amphibiens
First limnological characterization of Lakes Leqinat and Drelaj in Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park, Kosovo
Publication date :
January 2021
Journal title :
Eco.mont
ISSN :
2073-106X
eISSN :
2073-1558
Publisher :
The Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, Austria
Volume :
13
Issue :
1
Pages :
12-21
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique ADA - Austrian Development Agency
Funding text :
Funding for this study was provided by the Austrian Development Cooperation (HERAS project K-04-2017). Field work was carried out under permit 2566/18/336-DMMU, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (21/05/2018), Kosovo.
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