HABITAT HETEROGENEITY AND AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY IN FLOODPLAIN FORESTS

There is limited information about the role of floodplain forests in m aintaining aquatic biodiversity. Preliminary data from two European fl oodplain forests are presented: the Gearagh in southern Ireland and th e Litovelske Pomoravi in the Czech Republic. The Litovelske Pomoravi c ontains a community constrained by moderate water quality but includin g some sensitive taxa probably maintained by the refuge value of habit at heterogeneity. Most importantly however, due to its past and presen t active channels, the Litovelske Pomoravi contains a variety of tempo rary ponds with a regionally unique fauna. The Gearagh, with good wate r duality and habitat heterogeneity, contains a high taxon richness in stable channels. In each case, preservation of the forest is essentia l for survival of the overall biodiversity and each, in a different wa y, provides a pointer for the aquatic benefits which could accrue from forest restoration elsewhere in Europe.