ABSTRACT
When assessing the hazard of pollutants to freshwater ecosystems zooperiphyton may be used to characterize the type of anthropogenic stress (industrial and municipal sewage, thermal pollution, acidification). To study zooperiphyton artificial substrates were used, to provide similar initial conditions for community development. As suitable endpoints are proposed:
zooperiphyton species diversity and its quantitative characteristics;
community structural and taxonomic types (6 types);
feeding modes of the main components of zooperiphyton;
ecological and biotopic analysis. General assessment of anthropogenic impact on freshwater ecosystems is made on the basis of above-listed endpoints.
