Macrophyte zones in Jankovac stream boost plankton biodiversity and production.
Plankton communities in artificial lakes along Jankovac stream were studied to see how water flow and plant cover affect them. The researchers found that lotic sites had more inorganic particles, while lentic sites had more organic particles. Benthic organisms were more common in lotic sites, while euplanktonic and semiplanktonic organisms were more common in lentic sites. The biggest organisms in the plankton community were Cladocera, Copepoda, and Oligochaeta, while Rotifers were smaller. Lentic habitats with more water retention had more diverse plankton communities. Macrophyte zones in the water were very productive and provided food for benthic organisms downstream.