First Record of Water Chestnut (Trapa natans L., Trapaceae, Myrtales) in Central Serbia

Abstract

Water chestnut (Trapa natans L.) is a floating macrophyte that generates differing views on its role and importance in aquatic ecosystems. It is protected as a rare species in a number of European countries and is an invasive species in some regions of the world. T. natans inhabits stagnant and slow flowing waters that exhibit large fluctuations in water level. Occurrence records are frequently reported from the north of the Republic of Serbia (Vojvodina Province), while there are no relevant data about its habitats in southern parts of the country. The first record of T. natans in Central Serbia was from the Međuvršje Reservoir on the Zapadna Morava River (the Danube River Basin) in 2011. A marked increase in species abundance in certain sections of the reservoir was observed in 2012. High water temperatures and continuous inflow of nutrients reported in recent years will most likely induce further propagation of this species, potentially leading to further eutrophication of the system and upsetting the ecological balance of the new habitat.