Charophytes of the Baltic Sea

This book is the results of several workshops held by the Baltic Marine Biologists. Compared to other submerged macrophytes, charophytes are affected already by moderate eutrophication. Therefore they are often used as bioindicators for good water quality. Considering their sensitivity and the fact that charophyte species are severely threatened by eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, it is surprising that these plants have not been included in international monitoring programmes. Poor knowledge about this group and determination problems may be some reasons for this. This book aims at filling these gaps by presenting information about the distribution, morphology, ecology, physiology and molecular biology of both the group and individual species.