Habitat requirements and distribution of Vertigo geyeri (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in Western Carpathian rich fens

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MICHAL HORSÁK
MICHAL HÁJEK
(2005)
Volume
38
Part
6
Page from
683

In the course of research concerning 123 Western Carpathian fens carried out between 1997 and 2003, Vertigo geyeri Lindholm, 1925 was found in 20 sites (including the first reliable record from Poland). V. geyeri occurs in the three structural-distinct types of fens. These types differ in their chemistry (mainly pH). Population density of V. geyeri significantly increases with increasing water pH (P 0.003). On the contrary, relationship between population density of target species and water conductivity significantly fits to the unimodal shape of the species response curve with the species optimum at about 360 S.cm-1 (P0.001).

The species occurrence in petrifying springs is restricted only to one vegetation-type: the Inner-Carpathian extremely rich fens of the Caricetum davallianae association. The rich peat-forming fen with scarce carbonate grains and presence of meadow species (Valeriano simplicifoliae-Caricetum flavae) is the second vegetation type, in which V. geyeri occurs in the same frequency but with lower abundance.

Keywords
Vertigo geyeri
Gastropoda
Slovakia
Poland
Present distribution
Habitat preferences
Ecology.