THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACIDIFICATION ON THE HYDROFAUNA OF THE LAKES OF THE WEST TATRA MOUNTAINS (SLOVAKIA)

Fourteen West Tatra lakes were studied, of which one could be consider ed to be recently anthropogenically acidified and eight others classif ied as acidification-endangered. In the anthropogenically acidified la ke, the zooplankton assemblage has been substantially altered (three m ountain-lake crustacean species have been eliminated). Several littora l macrobenthic species sensitive to acidification have either been eli minated from the acidified and acidification-endangered lakes or occur only sporadically. The effect of acidification has so far not been ob served on the benthic fauna of the lakes medial which is probably due to the higher pH below the surface of sediment. In comparison with the High Tatra, acid depositions have had a less pronounced effect on the lakes of the West Tatra.