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Which factors shape macrozoobenthic communities in tufa springs? Results from Austrian meteogene travertine-depositing sites
- Source :
- Hydrobiologia. 799:293-307
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2017.
-
Abstract
- By studying 14 travertine-depositing springs all over Austria, we hypothesized the existence of (1) key elements of the physical and chemical template ultimately defining the structure of macroinvertebrate taxa composition and (2) a specific, travertine-associated macrozoobenthic taxa community in an environment shaped by ongoing deposition of calcium carbonate and the ever-changing limestone structures thereby created. For testing these hypotheses, we measured 29 geological and limnochemical parameters and collected benthic macroinvertebrates on travertine, coarse and fine particular organic matter microhabitats in a spring and autumn sampling run. The results identified four parameters significantly shaping taxa composition: sinter coverage, total phosphorous, oxygen concentration and the Langelier saturation index. The macroinvertebrate community was predominantly composed of stygobiontic taxa from groundwater refugia and of immigrated generalists that prefer the stable conditions offered in spring habitats. We found only few species and specialists separating study sites, the majority being well-known spring- and headwater-dwelling species without adaptation to high carbonate precipitation or association with travertine. Nonetheless, carbonate precipitation leads to higher structural heterogeneity and provides a range of new niches, which contribute to broader ranges of taxonomic diversity.
- Subjects :
- Carbonate precipitation
0106 biological sciences
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
Ecology
Range (biology)
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
010501 environmental sciences
Aquatic Science
Biology
01 natural sciences
Zoobenthos
Springs
Limnochemistry
chemistry.chemical_compound
Calcium carbonate
Habitat
chemistry
Benthic zone
Tufa
Spring (hydrology)
Carbonate
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Invertebrate
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15735117 and 00188158
- Volume :
- 799
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Hydrobiologia
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....dc3cac2b146ef71b5f0c8dc9b285ebaa