A proposal for a groundwater habitat classification at local scale

Abstract

Distribution of groundwater invertebrate communities in porous aquifers (and their habitats) varies on spatial scales and many attempts have been made to classify these on various scales. The new data-based approach, presented here, classifies the complex distribution of groundwater habitats on a local scale (i.e. along transects of < 100 m) and merges the latest classification approaches at this scale. Data from a regional (i.e. approximately 100 km2) biogeographic groundwater survey was analysed in terms of stability of: community structure, different intensities of surface water influence, and occurrence, together with the distribution of stygobites within those groundwater ecosystems. On the investigated local scale, the faunistic communities’ composition is mainly depending on surface water influence, coupled with immision of dissolved oxygen and organic matter. Derived from this finding, five types of faunistic habitats are proposed: (I) Stressed groundwater habitats, (II) Stable groundwater habitats, (III) Rain fed groundwater habitats, (IV) Surface water fed groundwater habitats, and (V) Hyporheic habitats.