Effect of aquatic plants on the abundance of aquatic zoosporic fungus species

The authors investigated the influence of 9 species of aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum demersum, Elodea canadensis, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, Lemna minor, Nuphar luteum, Potamogeton natans, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Sparganium ramosum, Stratiotes aloides) on the occurrence of aquatic zoosporic fungus species in the water of three water bodies of different trophy. The fewest fungi were noted in the containers with Potamogeton natans (9), Elodea canadensis (15) and Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (16), the most in containers with Sparganium ramosum (23), Lemna minor (24) and Nuphar luteum (25). More fungi were found to grow in the containers with 7 plants than in the controls (the mean ratio of Co/Pl ranged from 1.7/3.7 to 6.7/8.7). However, for Potamogeton natans and Sparganium ramosum, control samples contained more fungus species. The mean ratio for the samples with Potamogeton natans was 5.7/2.7 and with Sparganium ramosum – 6.3/5.4.