Ecological and Microgeographical Study of an Epikarstic Fauna in West Virgina (USA)

Povzetek

Za raziskavo epikraške favne so bili v Zahodni Virginiji v 17 jamah pobrani vzorci iz curkov ter luž napolnjenih s preniklo vodo. V lužah je bilo ugotovljenih 20 rodov ceponožcev, med njimi 11 harpaktikoidov in 9 ciklopoidov. Za razumevanje strukturnih ter fizikalnih in kemijskih lastnosti epikrasa je bil poudarek na raziskavi epikraške favne v curkih prenikajoče vode. Izbrana so bila tri vzorčna mesta v Organ jamskem sistemu: Lipps, Sively 2 in Sively 3. V curkih je bilo najdenih 13 rodov ceponožcev, med njimi 8 harpaktikoidov in 5 ciklopoidov. Epikraška favna si je med bližnji curki bolj podobna, kot favna med oddaljenimi curki. Epikraška favna bo pomemben prispevk k pestrosti podzemeljske favne v jamah Apalačev, kot tudi k biodiverziteti ameriške favne.

Drip pools and trickles of percolation water in 17 caves in West Virginia were sampled for epikarstic species. A total of 20 genera of copepods were found. 11 different genera of harpacticoids and 9 of cyclopoids were recognized in the samples collected from pools. For understanding of the structure and physico-chemistry of epikarst, the focus was specially on trickles rather than pools. Three sampling sites of the Organ cave system were chosen: the Lipps, Sively 2 and Sively 3 streams. All together in drips 13 genera of copepods, from which 8 of harpacticoids and 5 of cyclopoids have been found. Nearby drips have more similar fauna composition than distant drips. The epikarstic fauna will add significantly to the overall species richness found in Appalachian caves, and likely elsewhere in the U.S. as well.