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limit and throw away what we feel is not needed.
Jacques–Yves Cousteau, the famous oceanographer,
has discovered that diatoms are warning us
against our inappropriate attitude towards nature.
On his oceanic expeditions he has noted a diminishing
pattern of diatom species biodiversity and
for this reason, we should be concerned about the
future of our planet.
A similar situation can be observed in rivers and
lakes. The diatom species abundance is a clear
indicator of pollution level. In polluted freshwater
bodies, the diversity of forms is smaller and
more tolerant species, particularly Cyanobacteria,
are becoming common and abundant. Sadly,
technicistic view to the aquatic environment
is still prevailing today. Many people only see
the river as a source of power driving turbines
providing electricity and regard it as useless if not
dammed and applied to our advantage. Others
are blinded by the profit of bottled water and
strive to privatize it in countries where it is still
in public use. However, the awareness that water
is a natural resource is growing. Without water,
even a technologically superior society will not
be able to survive and develop. With today’s state
of technique we are able to change a lot in nature;
however, it is not a question of knowledge, but of
our right. Now, it is about ethics and not about
techniques.
Luckily, the Ljubljanica river is still a more or
less favourable habitat to many plant and animal
species, including numerous diatoms, although
more could thrive in this river type. It is our duty
to improve the living conditions in the river to
welcome back the species, which have vanished
in the past because of inappropriate attitude. To
allow this to happen we should remove all illegal
dumps in the river catchment area, solve the
problem of leaching from agricultural land burdened
with dangerous biocides, and prevent the
input of nutritional and toxic substances as well
as more and more discussed “endocrine disruptors”
to the water. The latter also have unpredictable
impact on humans, particularly on the
male population. Therefore, it is not wise to think
about the Ljubljanica river only as a potential
bathing water, provider of ecosystem services and
as a source of drinking water. The long–lasting
pollution of the river cannot be solved quickly.
After every illness a recovery is prescribed; and
if the illness is serious also the recovery is long–
lasting. The condition of the Ljubljanica river is
also represented by diatoms.
I am strongly convinced that the Ljubljanica river
with its visible and also invisible beauty will be
able to bring joy to the following generations
only in case today’s generations will change their
attitude to the land and water immediately. There
are many species which are already rare and
endangered; we can easily lose them before fully
understanding their role and impact in the river.
This can happen also in Ljubljanica, the “River
with seven names” and thousands of diatom
forms. A step towards better future of the river
status and diatom populations in Ljubljanica is
also this publication.
Prof. Dr. Mihael J. Toman,
Department of Biology of the Biotechnical Faculty
University of Ljubljana
Ljubljana, the 2 nd of October 2014
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