engleski

Trophic importance of dipteran larvae in macrobenthic communities of a karstic river

Standing crop biomass and trophic structure of dipteran fauna were analyzed at boulder, cobble and gravel substrata in the river Kupa, which belongs to the karstic running waters of the Dinarid area. In the analyzed macrobenthic communities the standing crop biomass of dipteran larvae constituted 1% to 75% of the total macroinvertebrate wet biomass per unit area. Dipteran biomass of headwater streams was characterized by significant abundance of shredders. At cobble and gravel habitats in the upper and the lower river areas the dipteran collectors comprised the greatest percentage share of the total dipteran biomass. Predatory dipteran larvae accounted on an average for 7.3% to 35% of the total predator biomass, with the exception of gravel substrate in the lower river area where the dipteran larvae constituted more than 60% of the total predator biomass.

stream ecosystem; food; dipteran larvae

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