Acid deposition :: Slender naiad

Submitted by Eleanor Campbell on Tue, 09/08/2011 - 15:35
Latin name: 
Najas flexilis

Impact Type: Deposition of pollutant

Key Concerns:

The slender naiad (Najas flexilis) is an aquatic plant occurring in clear, mesotrophic lowland lakes in Scotland and Ireland. It is vulnerable to eutrophication and has disappeared from a number of sites that have become enriched (e.g. Esthwaite Water - its only English record) (Preston & Croft 1997). Experimental studies have shown N. flexilis is highly sensitive to acidification (Titus & Hoover 1993), however, it usually occurs at sites which have some base-enrichment from calcareous rocks or in machair lochs with calcareous dune sand (Preston & Croft 1997). It is, therefore, unlikely to be threatened by acid deposition.

Critical Load/level: 
Critical Load/ Level

No estimate available
References: 
Group, Biodiversity Steering 1995 Biodiversity: the UK Steering Group report Action Plans 2
Preston, C.D.; Croft, J.M. 1997 Aquatic Plants in Britain and Ireland 365
Titus, J.E.; Hoover, D.T. 1993 Reproduction in two submersed macrophytes declines progressively at low pH. Freshwater Biology 30 63-72
Species group: 
Vascular Plants
Pollutant: 
Acid Deposition