Macrophytes are all aquatic higher plants, mosses and characean algae, but excluding single celled phytoplankton or diatoms.^[1] Common parameters used for characterization are taxon composition and abundance of sensitive to non-sensitive species.

Phytobenthos are vascular plants, heterotrophic organisms and photosynthetic algae (including cyanobacteria) living on or attached to substrate or other organisms in surface waters. Common parameters used for characterization are composition and abundance, growth rate, undesirable disturbance or balance of organisms, and bacterial tufts ^[2]