Aquatic macrophytes colonize, to varying degrees, most lotic and lentic ecosystems. Although the distribution of macrophytes on the shorelines of lakes constitutes a classic example of zonation, there is no agreement on the determinants of this phenomenon. This study aimed to analyze the difference in vegetation cover in three lakes in Parque Estadual do Rio Doce; to determine whether or not a succession of species occurs in the vegetation cover; and to evaluate the distribution of biological forms and species along the gradient of depth for each lake. The composition of vegetation cover differed between lakes. However, only Gambazinho and Preta Lakes show significant differences, while Dom Helvécio Lake differed from the others. Thus, the results obtained suggest that each lake constitute a "island" about diversity, because many species occurred in only one lake. Beta diversity show 70% of substitution of species and main factor that structure the macrophyte communities in studied lakes was depth gradient.
Aquatic macrophytes; depth; succession; zonation
