previous study has shown that plant communities differ floristically between impoundments but remain similar within impoundments in a regulated river. The same pattern did not occur among plant species in a free-flowing river which instead showed a continuous change in species composition from the headwaters to the coast. This strongly suggests that the dispersal of plants is obstructed when dams are built on rivers. The present project will specifically study whether dams also affect the genetic diversity among and between populations of plant species. Filipendula ulmaria will be used as a first test species. A second question is whether tributaries have any impact on the distribution of genetic diversity of plant species within impoundments. A third question deals with the impact of seed and pollen dispersal on the genetic diversity among and between plant species populations. The project combines field sampling, field experiments and laboratory methods such as isoenzymes, microsatellites and other DNA-methods.