Charophyte colonization in shallow lakes : process, ecological effects and implications for lake management

The return of charophytes is considered desirable from a management perspective. Charophytes cause less nuisance for recreation, have a strong positive impact on the water transparency, and are an important chain in the food web. This thesis describes investigations of the factors determining the colonization of charophytes, and the effects that charophytes may have on water transparency and on organisms, in particular macroinvertebrates.