Publication details
Makrozoobentos pramenných stružek na slatiništích moravsko-slovenského pomezí
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Spring fens are suitable model habitats for different ecological studies due to a stable environment, usually small size and relative high isolation of these habitats. The main goal of this thesis was to study aquatic invertebrate assemblages in ecologically different types of streamlets in the Outer Western Carpathian Mts and to isolate most important factors affecting the structure of assemblages. Generally 26 permanent, minerotrophic sites were studied and in total 103,140 individuals from 267 taxa of aquatic invertebrates were found. Diptera was the most diverse group of macroinvertebrates. Four groups of streamlets were distinguished on the basis of species composition (A, B, C, D). Non-insect fauna dominated in groups A, B and D; assemblage structure in group C was rather similar to those in intermittent streams. There were two main directions of variability in our data. The first one was the gradient of mineral richness along which studied sites were separated into two distinct groups, the groups of alkaline sites (A, B, C) and the acidic one (D). The influence of the gradient of mineral richness on species composition had been previously documented for vegetation, molluscs, testaceans, and clitellates in the study area and it is obvious that there is also some influence of this gradient on aquatic invertebrates. However further division of basic sites was based on character of substratum and also seasonal stability of sites. This was the second direction of variability in the data related to seasonal partial desiccation of several sites (group C) and rather stable conditions at the other sites (group D). In conclusion, there were five most important factors affecting the studied assemblages: water conductivity (group A was separated based on a higher water conductivity), content of nitrates (A), content of sand (B), water temperature (C) and water depth in a streamlets (D). Generally, the occurrence of habitat specialists among studied habitats was typical for the ends of the mineral richness gradient, contrary to the central part where generalists were dominated. |
| Related projects: |
|