Belarusian scientists will study the lakes of the "Narochansky" National Park

March 12, Minsk / Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA /. Belarusian scientists will study the condition of water bodies in the unique natural complex "Blue Lakes", located on the territory of the "Narochansky" National Park, told BELTA correspondent Valery Lyushtyk, Deputy Director General for Scientific Work of the National Park. The project is designed for two years. This year, specialists will study the condition of four lakes - Glubly, Glubelka, Mërtvoye, and Yachmenka. Employees of the scientific department of the National Park, as well as the laboratory of hydroecology and the educational and scientific center of the Naroch biological station of Belarusian State University, will take part in the project. Scientists have already begun their research. In the near future, they will assess the water transparency in the lakes, pay attention to the oxygen regime and electrical conductivity, study the species composition and abundance of phyto- and zooplankton, and determine the content of suspended organic matter and biogenic elements in the water. In addition, an express assessment of the hydroecological state of some other small lakes of the natural complex will be carried out. "All this will make it possible to compile an ecological characteristic for each lake," the source said. In the future, such information should form the basis for additional environmental protection measures in the "Narochansky" National Park, in particular, aimed at preserving its water bodies. Research will continue next year. "The organization of such a project is due to the need to clarify data on the quality of water in the National Park's water bodies," added Valery Lyushtyk. "A serious study of the condition of the lakes has not been carried out for 20 years." The "Narochansky" National Park is located on the territory of the Minsk, Vitebsk, and Grodno regions. Its total area is 97.3 thousand hectares. The flora of the region includes 30 rare and endangered plant species listed in the Red Book of Belarus. Many corners of nature have been preserved here in their natural state. One of them is the "Blue Lakes" natural complex, where common feather grass grows - a rare, endangered species of plant of the first category of protection. Wild gladiolus, orchids, and European globeflowers also grow on the territory of the National Park. These plants are extremely rare in the European continent. -0-