The structure of the communities of epiphyton algae was studied in the Gorikhovatka ponds of the Golosiyivsky National Nature Park differing in the level of anthropogenic contamination. As a result of the analysis of original and literature data it has been found that the first water body in the cascade of the Gorikhovatka ponds was characterized by essentially higher level of complex anthropogenic contamination by inorganic compounds of nitrogen, organic matter, petroleum products, anionic synthetic surfactants, and some heavy metals compared to other ponds of the cascade. The types of algal communities (syntaxa) described in water bodies differing in the level of contamination also significantly differed. The algal communities found in the first pond belong to the association Gomphonemo parvuli-Naviculetum capitatoradiatae, while phytoepiphyton communities registered in three other ponds - to the association Cocconeo placentulae-Naviculetum viridulae. It has been found that long-term contamination of water bodies results in significant transformations of the structure of epiphyton algae communities occurring on higher aquatic plants. As a consequence, algal species sensitive to contamination gave way to more resistant organisms. The formation of algal communites, in which Gomphonema parvulum Kütz. and Nitzschia palea (Kütz.) W. Sm. (atypical to epiphyton and resistant to contamination) frequently occur, and a decrease of the frequency of occurrence of the most distributed species such as Cocconeis placentula Ehrenb., which frequently occurs and dominates in many water bodies with a low level of contamination and sensitive to pollution, can be indicative of long-term (chronic) contamination of water bodies. The obtained results can be used for synbioindication of the state of water bodies differing in the level of contamination, and also in performing ecological monitoring.
Shevchenko et al. (Thu,) studied this question.