Contribution to the Macrophytic Typology of Belgian Reference Watercourses

Abstract

The objective of the study is to create a typology of macrophytes for the reference watercourses of the Meuse River catchment basin in Wallonia as a step towards the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. The 50 sites studied are the object of a physicochemical and environmental characterization followed by a floristic survey (phanerogams, mosses, liverworts, and macroalgae). Six clusters of watercourses with their characteristic species are highlighted by two-way clustering and indicator species. The abundance of phanerogams in some watercourses of the Arden region is not only linked to light intensity but also depends on the degree of slope and the nature of the geological substrate.