Interactions between the soil micro-flora and invertebrates in Slovak and Moravian caves

0327401 - BC 2010 RIV CZ eng C - Conference Paper (international conference)
Lukešová, Alena - Nováková, Alena
Interactions between the soil micro-flora and invertebrates in Slovak and Moravian caves.
Contributions to Soil Zoology in Central Europe III. Proceedings of the 9^th Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology. České Budějovice: Institute of Soil Biology BC AS CR, 2009, s. 89-96. ISBN 978-80-86525-13-6.
[Contributions to Soil Zoology in Central Europe III. Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology /9./. České Budějovice (CZ), 17.04.2007-20.04.2007]
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521
Keywords : microfungi * cyanobacteria * algae
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

The role of microflora as food for soil invertebrates is well documented. However, data on interactions between communities of organisms living in caves are very limited. Three caves of the Slovak Karst NP (Domica Cave, Dlhá Chodba Cave, Ardovská Cave) and the Amatérská Cave (Moravian Karst) were selected for this study because from visual observations, it was clear that there was some invertebrate activity. The aim of the study was to compare the communities of algae, cyanobacteria and microscopic fungi developing in excrements of cave invertebrates and in the surrounding cave sediment. The richest communities of both algae and microfungi were found in earthworm casts, containing up to two fold more species than in the surrounding sediment (73 species of microscopic fungi in the casts compared to 37 in surrounding cave sediment in the Domica Cave, and 45 vs. 27 species of algae in the Dlhá Chodba Cave).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0174229