Crenal Habitats: Sources of Water Mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) Diversity

摘要: Many studies emphasized the role that water mites play within invertebrate communities of spring ecosystems, regarding species diversity and its significance crenal food web, as well specific preferences exhibit towards typology. In pristine natural springs with permanent flow, are nearly always present usually display high diversity. This study aimed to determine whether significant differences in mite assemblages between rheocrene (river-forming dominant riffle habitats) limnocrene (lake-forming pool karst could be detected terms richness, abundance, but also different ratios synecological groups: crenobiont (exclusively found springs), crenophilous (associated springs) stygophilous groundwater) taxa. Our research was carried out on four limnocrenes rheocrenes Dinaric region Croatia. Seasonal samples (20 sub-samples per sampling) were taken at each a 200-µm net, taking into consideration all microhabitat types coverage least 5%. Water abundance not differ morphological types. Significantly higher values richness indices compared limnocrenes, like those reported for this type springs. However, unlike previously reported, case, shares individuals limnocrenes. The taxa among morphotypes statistically significant, indicating degree groundwater/surface interaction (and therein) does seem directly influenced by morphotype. Within research, 40% identified (eight twenty) recorded first time Croatia, thus highlighting again huge gap knowledge