Biota of a subalpine springbrook in the Southern Alps

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Abstract
The flora and fauna of a subalpine springbrook at Cass in the Southern Alps of New Zealand was studied from April 1975 to January 1976. Spring water was moderately hard (30.0 g.m.‐3), with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (> 90% saturation) and carbon dioxide (5–14 g.m‐3) and a temperature of 6.0–6.5°C. Three mosses covered much of the stream bed and formed distinct zones. Fissidens rigidulus inhabited torrential, water near the middle of the channel, Pterygophyllum quadrijarium. grew in the water‐saturated inner spray zone, and Cratoneuropsis relaxa inhabited the outer spray zone. In moss samples, 44 species of invertebrates were collected, mainly immature stages of insects. Zelandoperla jenestrata (Plecoptera), Zelolessica cheira (Trichoptera) a species of Empididae (Diptera) and several species of Chironomidae were most abundant in Fissidens; Austroperla cyrene (Plecoptera), a species of Helodidae (Coleoptera) and a triclad, Neppia montana, were most abundant in Pterygophyllum; an isopod, Styloniscus otakensis, was the only common animal on Cratoneuropsis. It is suggested that animal microdistribution patterns reflect differences in water saturation, flow rates, and detritus trapping ability within the moss zones.

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