Impact of Nitellopsis obtusa (Desv.) J. Groves, a regionally alien and invasive charophyte, on macrophyte diversity in the species native range

Abstract This study aimed to determine the relationships between abundance of Nitellopsis obtusa, a controversial charophyte, locally red-listed in its native Eurasian range but invasive North America, and species diversity macrophyte stands dominated by N. obtusa . Three lakes different morphology, productivity catchment were surveyed range. In each lake, composition cover three -dominated determined monthly from spring autumn illustrated Shannon–Wiener index. Water chemistry supplemented vegetation study. The turned out be lake-specific declined with increasing share , which developed mass occurrence less mineralised fertile waters, leaving no space limiting light nutrient availability for large branchy macrophytes. We postulate that this mechanism makes superior competitor waters seems common both invaded territories, as is pool most frequently co-occurring