POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 59 1 153–163 2011 (Pol. J. Ecol.) Regular research paper Paweł KOPERSKI1, Elżbieta DUMNICKA2*, Joanna GALAS2 1 Department of Hydrobiology, Warsaw University, Banacha 2, 02-095 Warszawa, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland, *e-mail: [email protected] (corresponding author) ABIOTIC PARAMETERS DETERMINING FAUNA COMPOSITION IN KARSTIC SPRINGS ABSTRACT: The biotic diversity of springs mentioned above had other abiotic determinants is specific, which makes them valuable sites im- such as alkalinity, NO3 and temperature. portant for nature protection. Springs located in the Krakow-Częstochowa Upland (southern Po- KEY WORDS: macroinvertebrates, multi- land) are characterized by low variability of en- variate analysis, springs, crenobiology, Poland vironmental conditions, but their benthic fauna composition is considerably different. Benthic 1. INTRODUCTION invertebrates, water chemistry as well as sediment characteristics of 25 springs were studied four Springs are sensitive to various kinds of times in 2003. The relationships between fauna anthropogenic changes (encasing, tourist composition and abiotic parameters were ascer- impact, water exploitation etc.) which dep- tained using multivariate statistical analyses. In total, fifty families or subfamilies and four higher redate unique benthic fauna communities by taxa of invertebrates were identified in the springs destroying their habitats. Springs in Poland studied. Only Gammarus fossarum (Amphipoda) are usually protected as inanimate nature occurred in all of the springs, whereas crenophilic monuments (Baścik 2004) but the diversity taxonomic groups such as Turbellaria, Bythinel- of their benthic fauna and the occurrence of linae, Nemouridae, Limoniidae, Limnephilidae rare or endangered species have not been tak- and Enchytraeidae as well as ubiquitous taxa such en into account. as Tubificidae and Chironomidae were very com- Until recently the taxonomic composi- mon but not present in all springs. Important fac- tion of invertebrates living in springs has been tors determining differences in the taxonomic largely unknown despite many studies on the composition (at the family level) of the inverte- fauna inhabiting this environment conducted brate fauna of springs were found to be those con- nected with their geographical location as well as in both Europe and North America (Boto- chemical and discharge parameters, which were saneanu 1998). Springs offer unique envi- different for southern and northern groups of ronmental conditions, in particular reduced springs. fluctuations in water temperature, chemistry The taxonomic richness, i.e. the number of and flow regime (Kamp 1995, Cabe 1998, invertebrate taxa, was found to be strongly de- Chełmicki 2001), which influence their pendent on discharge and the content of organic faunal composition (Särkkä et al. 1997, matter in bottom sediments, whereas specific taxa Hoffsten and Malmqvist 2000, Smith et 154 Paweł Koperski et al. al. 2003). Beside crenobionts, less specialized ronmental factors on fauna composition. The taxa are also typically abundant in springs. most detailed zoological studies were per- The occurrence of ubiquitous taxa results in a formed in a large complex of limnocrene karst relatively high species diversity (e.g. Linde- springs called Niebieskie Źródła (Blue Springs) gaard et al. 1998, Webb et al. 1998, Mori in central Poland (Wojtas 1972, Piechocki and Brancelj 2006). Responses of the fauna 2000). They were found to be populated by composition of springs to single factors such about 280 species representing 15 taxonomic as their water temperature or discharge (Fu- groups of benthic macroinvertebrates. metti et al. 2006, Mori and Brancelj 2006) Until now the studies including the whole as well as substrate composition (Dumnic- benthic fauna have been performed only in ka et al. 2007) have been studied previously. a few springs situated in a large, limestone In recent years multivariate analysis of fauna region in southern Poland known as the relationships to abiotic factors have been un- Krakow-Częstochowa Upland (Szczęsny dertaken more frequently (Williams et al. 1968, Dratnal 1976). Individual taxonomic 1997, Lindegaard et al. 1998, Smith et al. groups such as Turbellaria (Dudziak 1954), 2001, 2003, Barquin and Death 2004) in Trichoptera (Czachorowski 1990), Cole- various types of springs (e.g. perennial-tem- optera (Kordylas 1994) and Hydracarina porary, polluted-unpolluted). (Biesiadka et al. 1990) have been studied in In Poland, wide-ranging ecological studies a greater number of springs of more diverse on springs were conducted only in the Sudety characteristics. Mountains (southern Poland) by Michejda The aim of our studies was to determine (1954), who stressed the effect of some envi- the relationships between fauna composi- Table 1. Characteristics of the springs. Spring type: R – rheocrene, L – limnocrene, LR – limnorheo- crene, E – encased; sediment organic matter (median). Discharge data (annual average or a single mea- surement) according to Dynowska (1983) and Chełmicki (2001). Spring number– see Fig. 1. Number Type Discharge Sediment Organic (L s–1) fine (%) coarse (%) matter (%) 1 E 0.6 – – – 2 E 1.0–4.4 loamy sand (20) stones (80) 1.5 3 LR 5.0–5.6 silt (100) 2.9 4 L 0.01 silt loam (90) stones (10) 3.8 5 R 8.0–9.8 silt loam (10) stones (90) 2.9 6 R 0.8–1.0 silt (30) stones (70) 2.1 7 LR ca. 1.0 silt loam (10) stones (90) 4.1 8 R ca. 3.0 silt loam (20) stones (80) 3.7 9 E/R 5.0–6.0 loamy sand (40) stones (60) 5.7 10 E/R 0.5 sand (70) stones (30) 2.4 11 E/R 0.4–2.0 loamy sand (100) – 4.4 12 E/R 12.5–15 silt (30) stones (70) 2.2 13 R 4.0–11.0 silt (10) stones (90) 5.2 14 E 0.5–0.6 sand (10) stones (90) 4.0 15 R 6.5–13.0 sand (20) stones (80) 4.1 16 R 115–150 sand (100) – 0.2 17 R 25.0–35.8 sand (20 stones (80) 0.4 18 R 30 sand (100) – 0.2 19 R 47.0–109.0 sand (80) stones (20) 0.5 20 E/R 230–1440 sand (70) stones (20) 0.8 21 R 30 sand (70) stones (30) 2.8 22 R 30 loamy sand (10) stones (90) 0.4 23 LR 20.0–47.0 loamy sand (100) – 1.4 24 R/E 46–100 sandy silt (30) stones (70) 2.3 25 R ca.50 loamy sand (100) – 0.8 Abiotic conditions and invertebrates in karstic springs 155 Czêstochowa 2. STUDY AREA 20 Pi Wra il ca POLAND The study area is situated in the Krakow- a 22 21 Częstochowa Upland in southern Poland t 23 24 o ’ o o o 17 (50 10 –50 46’N, 19 17’–19 54’E) (Fig. 1). It is 1918 composed of Jurassic limestone, whose thick- 16 ness varies from 20 to 500 m. The Upland is a covered by different kinds of deposits. There are quaternary loess and clayey loess in the b southern part of the Upland, whereas perme- P 25 r c z able sands and loamy sands can be found in e m its northern part (Dynowska 1983). The s z different types of deposits in turn affect the a granulometric composition of spring sedi- Vistula Cracow ments (Galas 2005). The area abounds in 0 20 km springs situated in the drainage basins of the two main Polish rivers: the Vistula and the 9 Oder. The springs under investigation repre- 10 sent a diversity of depths of the feeding layer; 11 12 13 they also differ in discharge value, character of sediments and organic matter content (mea- Pr¹dn k sured for fine sediments) (Table 1). 25 springs 1 2 were selected for this study: 15 in the south- 3 S¹sp i ern part of the Upland and 10 in its northern ów k 4 5 a part (Fig. 1). Springs in the southern part are 6 located in the Ojców National Park (Fig. 1) 8 7 founded in 1956 to protect karstic forms in 14 the deep valley of the Prądnik stream with its rich flora and fauna. This area has recently been included in the NATURA 2000 system 15 of nature protection. Springs in the south- 0 1 2 3 4 5 km ern part are small, situated close to one an- other, usually along streams, while those in Fig. 1. Location of the area (the Krakow- the northern part they are much larger and Częstochowa Upland) and springs under investi- widely scattered (Fig. 1). Three springs (no. gation: no. 1–15 – southern group of springs situ- 1, 2, 14) have been strongly modified, and ated along the Sąspówka stream and the Prądnik on some others concrete well-heads have stream, no. 16–25 – northern group of springs sit- been installed (Table 1). Most of the springs uated in the catchments of the Pilica River, Warta selected for the study are rheo-limnocrenes, River and Przemsza River; alkaline springs no. 19 surrounded by variously used land such as and 25, a – springs, b – borders of the Ojców Na- meadows and woodland, or situated within tional Park, c – watershed between the Vistula and villages (Dumnicka 2006, Dumnicka et Oder drainage basins, after Galas (2005). al. 2007). tion and abiotic parameters in perennial cold springs situated on limestone bedrock. 3. SAMPLING METHODS The most important variables differentiat- ing the springs were geographical location, Samples of water, benthic invertebrates discharge value, water chemistry, character of and sediments were collected from each sediments and their organic matter content. spring seasonally in February, May, August Various methods of multivariate data analy- and October 2003. Temperature and pH were sis were employed to establish and prove the measured in situ, while water samples were existence, direction and strength of these re- taken to determine the oxygen content, con- lationships.