Nitella confervacea en andere kranswieren (Charophyta) in de Langdonken en het Goor-Asbroek (Aarschot, Herselt, Hulshout; prov. Antwerpen)

Shortly following large-scale nature restoration efforts, five charophyte species are found in the 'Longdonken', in the southern part of the Kempen ecoregion. Nitella confervacea - a species previously observed in Belgium only once in the mid 1920s - and N. gracilis occur exclusively at temporarily inundated or very shallow sites where the topsoil or sod were recently removed. Chara globularis and N. translucens establish more permanent populations as well, the latter being the only charophyte occurring also in the nearby nature reserve 'Goor-Asbroek' . Finally, N. mucronata is observed from a single enriched pond that was dredged some years ago. Growing conditions are documented for each species with environmental and vegetation data. Occasional flooding with polluted water from nearby brooks poses a threat to the charophyte richness of these reserves, but the rapid vegetation succession at marhsy sites may lead to the disappearance of the most noteworthy species even more quickly if pro-active management is not timely applied.