M. Illyova et J. Tomajka, INTERSTITIAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN SEVERAL MONTANE AND SUBMONTANE STREAMS IN THE WEST CARPATHIANS, BIOLOGIA, 53(2), 1998, pp. 159-166
Representatives of the hypogean fauna (Crustacea: Cyclopidae, Harpacti
cidae, Bathynellacea) predominated in the sediments of montane streams
(epirhithron) at higher altitudes (970 m a. s. l.) and in the hypokre
non. A considerable part of the interstitial community was represented
by Copepoda (50-70%). The abundance of the representatives of the epi
gean fauna increased in the floodplain sediments of submontane streams
(metarhithron) with increasing distance from springs. At the lowest i
nvestigated altitude (425 m a, s. l.) Oligochaeta predominated (40%).
Larval Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Diptera ranged in frequency betwe
en 13 and 23%. The crustaceans predominated in spring and autumn, Olig
ochaeta and insect larvae in summer. The highest abundance of hyporheo
s in hypokrenon (1300 ind.m(-3)) and metarhithron (1030 ind.m(-3)) was
recorded during low discharge of surface water (in the hypokrenon up
to 0.5 l.s(-1) while in the metarhithron up to 500 l.s(-1)).