Benthic Invertebrates in Karst Springs: Does Substratum or Location Define Communities?

• Published in: International review of hydrobiology 2007-08, Vol.92 (4-5), p.452-464
• Main Authors: Dumnicka, Elżbieta, Galas, Joanna, Koperski, Paweł
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; habitat; Hydracarina; Hydrozoa; Invertebrata; Kraków-Częstochowa Upland; macroinvertebrates; Nematoda; organic matter; sediment type; Synecology; Turbellaria
• ISSN: 1434-2944; 1522-2632
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.200610991

Only a few studies to‐date have dealt with the habitat preferences of the fauna of springs. The main objective of our study was to fill this gap. The research was carried out in springs situated in the Kraków‐Częstochowa Upland, Poland. The benthic fauna was collected from fine and coarse substrata using a typical hydrobiological approach. Forty‐nine families or subfamilies and four higher taxa (Hydrozoa, Turbellaria, Nematoda, Hydracarina) were found in the springs studied. Invertebrates collected in springs were successfully classified into groups and, using the Analysis of Discriminant Function, were found to diverge in terms of substratum type. This prediction was 96% accurate for samples collected from fine sediments and 91% for samples collected from coarse sediments; the differences were higher in springs located in the southern part of the study area. Substratum type was found to be the main discriminatory factor with regard to the fauna density while faunal composition was related to the geographical position of springs. Our results emphasise that, even in very small habitats such as springs, all major substratum types should be considered for sampling. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)