Abstract
This paper presents a part of the results obtained from extensive studies conducted on springs — remarkable freshwater habitats with many unique characteristics and a high degree of biological diversity. The abiotic conditions and fauna composition of 68 submontane permanent oligotrophic springs in the Blanice River catchment (eastern part of The Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic) were investigated with a focus on their relationship to the Pisidium species occurrence. We attempted to determine the habitat requirements of individual pea clam species. Species of genus Pisidium generally preferred unshaded springs with fine substrate, the most favourable environment were helocrene springs. Although they were the second most numerous taxonomical group in the springs, only two species were present there: Pisidium casertanum and P. personatum. The occurrence of both species strongly positively correlated with each other. Substrate type and a few chemical parameters were the main parameters, which differentiated the distribution of both species. While P. casertanum was found to be most abundant in vegetation, P. personatum preferred humolite substrate. The occurrence of P. casertanum was further influenced by nutrients compared to P. personatum, whose occurrence positively correlated with the common minerals. In general, biotope characteristics of springs were found to be more important for Pisidium species inhabiting oligotrophic mountain springs than water chemistry.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bishop M.J. & Hewitt S.J. 1976. Assemblages of Pisidium species (Bivalvia, Sphaeriidae) from localities in eastern England. Freshwater Biol. 6: 177–182. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1976.tb016o2.x
Bódis E., Nosek J. & Oertel N. 2008. Spatio-temporal pattern of mussels (Corbiculidae, Dreissenidae, Sphaeriidae) in the water-system of the Hungarian Danube. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. Large Rivers 18: 293–308.
Cantonati M., Gerecke R. & Bertuzzi E. 2006. Springs of the Alps — sensitive ecosystems to environmental change: from biodiversity assessments to long-term studies. Hydrobiologia 562: 59–96. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-005-1806-9
Danneel I. & Hinz W. 1976. Zur Biologie von Pisidium amnicum (O. F. Müller) (Bivalvia). Arch. Hydrobiol. 77: 213–225.
Dussart G.B.J. 1979. Sphaerium corneum (L.) and Pisidium spp. Pfeiffer — the ecology of freshwater bivalve molluscs in relation to water chemistry. J. Moll. Stud. 45: 19–34.
Dyduch-Falniowska A. 1982. Oscillations in density and diversity of Pisidium communities in two biotopes in Southern Poland. Aquat. Ecol. 16: 123–132. DOI: 10.1007/BF02255366.
Hahn H.J. 2000. Studies on classifying undisturbed springs in south-western Germany by macrobenthic communities. Limnologica 30: 247–259. DOI: 10.1016/S0075-9511(00)80055-9
Hájek M., Hekera P. & Hájková P. 2002. Spring fen vegetation and water chemistry in the Western Carpathian flysch zone. Folia Geobot. 37: 205–224.
Hájek M., Horsák M., Hájková P. & Dítě D. 2006. Habitat diversity of central European fens in relation to environmental gradients and an effort to standardise fen terminology in ecological studies. Perspect. Plant Ecol. 8: 97–114. DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2006.o8.002
Hamill S.E., Qadri S.U. & Mackie G.L. 1979. Production and turnover ratio of Pisidium casertanum (Pelecypoda: Sphaeriidae) in the Ottawa River near Ottawa-Hull, Canada. Hydrobiologia 62: 225–230. DOI: 10.1007/00043539
Heard W.H. 1979. Identification Manual of the Freshwater Clams of Florida. Technical series 4, Florida department of Environmental regulation, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. 83 pp.
Hoffsten P.O. & Malmqvist B. 2000. The macroinvertebrate fauna and hydrogeology of springs in central Sweden. Hydrobiologia 436: 91–104. DOI: 10.1023/A:1o26550207764
Holopainen I.J. & Hanski I. 1979. Annual energy flow in populations of two Pisidium species (Bivalvia, Sphaeriidae), with discussion on possible competition between them. Arch. Hydrobiol. 86: 338–354.
Horsák M. 2001. Současný stav našich hrachovek (Pisidium) a možnosti jejich využití v bioindikaci [The present status of our pea clams and possibilities of their application in bioindication]. Ochrana Přírody 56: 53–56.
Horsák M. 2003. Mlži rodu Pisidium C. Pfeiffer (Mollusca: Bivalvia) České republiky [Members of the genus Pisidium C. Pfeiffer (Mollusca: Bivalvia) of the Czech Republic]. Acta Fac. Ecol. 10: 219–229.
Horsák M. 2006. Mollusc community patterns and species response curves along a mineral richness gradient: a case study in fens. J. Biogeogr. 33: 98–107. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01359.x
Horsák M. & Hájek M. 2003. Composition and species richness of molluscan communities in relation to vegetation and water chemistry in the Western Carpathian spring fens: the poorrich gradient. J. Moll. Stud. 69: 349–357.
Horsák M., Hájek M., Tichy L. & Juřičková L. 2007. Plant indicator as a tool for land mollusc autecology assessment. Acta Oecol. 32: 161–171. DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2007.03.011
Ilmonen J. & Paasivirta L. 2005. Benthic macrocrustacean and insect assemblages in relation to spring habitat characteristics: patterns in abundance and diversity. Hydrobiologia 533: 99–113. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-004-2399-4
Kilgour B.W. & Mackie G.L. 1988. Factors affecting the distribution of Sphaeriid bivalves in Britannia Bay of the Ottawa River. Nautilus 102: 73–77.
Meier-Brook V.C. 1969. Substrate relations in some Pisidium species (Eulamellibranchiata: Sphaeriidae). Malacologia 9: 121–125.
Meier-Brook V.C. 1970. Untersuchungen zur Biologie einiger Pisidium-Arten (Mollusca; Eulamellibranchiata; Sphaeriidae). Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 38: 73–150.
Meier-Brook V.C. 1975. Der ökologische Indikatorwert mitteleuropäďscher Pisidium-Arten (Mollusca, Eulamellibranchiata). Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart 26: 190–195.
Müller V. [Ed.] 2002. Vysvětlivky k souboru geologickych a ekologických účelových map přírodních zdrojů v měřítku 1: 50000, list 32-12 Volary. Česká geologická služba, Praha. 34 pp.
Olsson T.I. 1981. Overwintering of benthic macroinvertebrates in ice and frozen sediment in a North Swedish river. Holoarctic Ecol. 4: 161–166.
Økland K.A. 1971. On the ecology of Sphaeriidae in a high mountain area in South Norway. Norw. J. Zool. 19: 133–143.
Økland K.A. & Kuiper J.G.J. 1982. Distribution of small mussels (Sphaeriidae) in Norway, with notes on their ecology. Malacologia 22: 469–477.
Piechocki A. 1989. The Sphaeriidae of Poland (Bivalvia, Eulamellibranchia). Ann. Zool. 12: 249–320.
Saunders J.F. & Rung G.W. 1990. Species distributions and shell characteristics of Pisidium (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in the Colorado Front Range: the role of abiotic factors. Freshwater Biol. 24: 275–285. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1990.tb00709.x
Sousa R., Morais P., Antunes C. & Guilhermino L. 2008. Factors affecting Pisidium amnicum (Müller, 1774; Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) distribution in the River Minho estuary: consequences for its conservation. Estuaries Coasts 31: 1198–1207.
Staudacher K. & Füreder L. 2007. Habitat complexity and invertebrates in selected alpine springs (Schütt, Carinthia, Austria). Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 92: 465–479.
Thienemann A. 1924. Hydrobiologische Untersuchungen an Quellen. Arch. Hydrobiol. 14: 151–190.
Verdonschot P.F.M. & Schot J.A. 1987. Macrofaunal community types in helocrene springs. Ann. Rep. Res. Inst. Nature Management, Leersum 1986: 85–103.
Watson A.M. & Ormerod S.J. 2005. The distribution and conservation of threatened Sphaeriidae on British grazing marshland. Biodivers. Conserv. 14: 2207–2220. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-004-4670-4
Way C.M. 1988. Seasonal allocation of energy to respiration, growth and reproduction in the freshwater clams, Pisidium variabile and P. compressum. Freshwater Biol. 19: 321–332. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1988.tb00354.x
Zollhöfer J.M. 1996. Regionale Quelltypologie für Jura und Mittelland in der Schweiz. Crunoecia 5: 265–280.
Zollhöfer J.M., Brunke M. & Gonser T. 2000. A typology of springs in Switzerland by integrating habitat variables and fauna. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl. 121: 349–376.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kubíková, L., Simon, O. & Fricová, K. The occurrence of Pisidium species (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) in oligotrophic springs of the Blanice River catchment (Czech Republic) in relation to ecological conditions. Biologia 66, 299–307 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0012-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0012-7