Summary:

The following study presents an assessment of the influence of fascine and stone scarp`s reinforcement on the quantitative and qualitative composition of vascular water plants. The analysis was based on field results obtained between 2007 and 2008, and 2011-2012. The research was performed in four small and medium lowland watercourses located in Lower Silesia were 16 study sections were established. These sections varied in the material used for scarps` reinforcement. The field research included identification of vascular water plants occurrence in the river bed and determination of the degree of their bottom coverage. These factors served as the basis for Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index calculation. Jaccard`s species similarity index was used for the assessment of similarities among water plants communities in different study sections. Conducted research indicates that the choice of the scarp`s reinforcement has an impact on analyzed plant indexes and it does not undergo any changes re-lated to time. However, positive indexes change has been reported in water plants communities.