engleski

Nematode community in karst water – important but neglected part of benthos

Nematodes are an important group in all benthic habitats. They occur in high abundance and due to the feeding guild have strong influence on bacteria, algae, detritus and meiofauna in periphyton and sediments. Nevertheless, knowledge of the taxonomy and ecology of lotic nematodes is still very limited, especially in the karst water. This study was conducted in Plitvice Lakes National Park on the moss covered travertine barrier. The main aim was to determine vertical distribution of nematodes within tufa sediment over a one year period. Altogether 23 taxa were indentified with a maximum value of 198 individuals/10 cm2 in spring. We used two different indexes to evaluate water and sediment quality of investigated system: the ratio of Secernentea and Adenophorea (S/A) and the Maturity Index (MI). Results confirm clean, unpolluted water and oligotrophic state of investigated habitat.

freshwater benthos; travertine; nematode feeding guilds; Maturity Index

nije evidentirano