A SURVEY OF THE ACID WATER DIATOM ASSEMBLAGES OF TWO HEATHLAND RELICS IN THE BELGIAN NORTHERN CAMPINE (GROOT & KLEIN SCHIETVELD, BRASSCHAAT) WITH AN ASSESSMENT OF THEIR CONSERVATIONAL VALUE

Abstract

The diatom assemblages of 47 lentic heathland waters, mostly moorland pools, on two military range and training grounds in the Belgian northern Campine were surveyed. In many of the pools a marked dominance of Eunotia exigua and a very low species diversity was observed. In most of them only a trivial diatom flora remains. A few waters on the border of the terrains are clearly polluted by agricultural waste. Assemblages and taxa indicating meso-oligotrophic, less extremely acid conditions are restricted to deeper waters, slightly influenced by ground water, and sites apparently affected by more mineral-rich seepage from lowland streamlets. These observations are discussed in the light of acidification and possible management of heathland waters.