Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Riparian Springs—Challenges from a Neglected Habitat

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Small Water Bodies of the Western Balkans

Part of the book series: Springer Water ((SPWA))

Abstract

Riparian springs bordering streams, rivers and lakes are under strong influence of flooding events, and therefore more sensitive to the ongoing climatic changes. However this type of habitats is still commonly neglected in limnological literature. This chapter presents modern knowledge on these habitats gained in recent years by researching the riparian springs in the Dinaric karst area and opens some important questions about their ecology and conservation. The current concept of riparian springs seems to be too broad, and we have redefined it as springs that are flooded by adjacent lotic/lentic reaches at least part of the year. The existence of “flood” and “spring” aquatic phases affects the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of riparian springs, but also development of appropriate management strategies and policies for the protection of these valuable habitats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Kresic N (2010) Types and classification of springs. In: Kresic N, Stevanovic Z (eds) Groundwater hydrology of springs. Oxford: Elsevier, pp 31–86

    Google Scholar 

  2. Odum HT (1971) Fundamentals of Ecology. Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  3. Gooch JL, Glazier DS (1991) Temporal and spatial patterns in Mid-Appalachian springs. In: Williams DD, Danks HV (eds) Arthropods of springs, with particular reference to Canada. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, vol 155, pp 29–49

    Google Scholar 

  4. Berlajolli V, Płóciennik M, Antczak-Orlewska O, Pešić V (2019) The optimal time for sampling macroinvertebrates and its implications for diversity indexing in rheocrenes case study from the Prokletije Mountains. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 420:6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ivković M, Miliša M, Baranov V, Mihaljević Z (2015) Environmental drivers of biotic traits and phenology patterns of Diptera assemblages in karst springs: the role of canopy uncovered. Limnologica 54:44–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Pešić V, Glöer P (2013) A new freshwater snail genus (Hydrobiidae, Gastropoda) from Montenegro, with a discussion on gastropod diversity and endemism in Skadar Lake. ZooKeys 281:69–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Płóciennik M, Dmitrović D, Pešić V, Gadawski P (2016) Ecological patterns of Chironomidae assemblages in Dynaric karst springs. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 417:11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Gligorović B, Savić A, Protić Lj, Pešić V (2016) Ecological patterns of water bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) assemblages in karst springs: a case study in central Montenegro. Oceanol Hydrobiol St 45:554–563

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pešić V, Gligorović B, Savić A, Buczyński P (2017) Ecological patterns of Odonata assemblages in karst springs in central Montenegro. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 418:3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pešić V, Gadawski P, Gligorović B et al (2018) The diversity of the Zoobenthos communities of the Lake Skadar/Shkodra basin. In: Pešić V, Karaman GS, Kostianoy AG (eds) The Skadar/Shkodra lake environment. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 255–293

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Pešić V, Savić A, Jabłonska A et al (2019) Environmental factors affecting water mite assemblages along eucrenon-hypocrenon gradients in Mediterranean karstic springs. Exp Appl Acarol 77:471–486

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Vilenica M, Mičetić-Stanković V, Sartori M et al (2017) Environmental factors affecting mayfly assemblages in tufa-depositing habitats of the Dinaric Karst. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 418:14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kamberović J, Plenković-Moraj A, Borojević KK et al (2019) Algal assemblages in springs of different lithologies (ophiolites vs. limestone) of the Konjuh Mountain (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Acta Bot Croat 78:66–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Marinković N, Karadžić B, Pešić V, Gligorović B, Grosser C, Paunović M, Nikolić V, Raković M (2019) Faunistic patterns and diversity components of leech assemblages in karst springs of Montenegro. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 420:26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Pozojević I, Pešić V, Goldschmidt T, Gottstein S (2020) Crenal habitats: sources of water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia). Diversity 12:316. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12090316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pešić V, Grabowski M, Hadžiablahović S et al (2019) The biodiversity and biogeographical characteristics of the River Basins of Montenegro. In: Pešić V, Paunović M, Kostianoy A (eds) The Rivers of Montenegro. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 93. Springer, Cham, pp 157–200

    Google Scholar 

  17. Dmitrović D, Savić D, Pešić V (2016) Discharge, substrate type and temperature as factors affecting gastropod assemblages in springs in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Arch Biol Sci Belgrade 68:613–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Savić A, Dmitrović D, Pešić V (2017) Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages of karst springs in relation to environmental factors: a case study in central Bosnia and Hercegovina. Turk J Zool 41:119–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Savić A, Dmitrović D, Glöer P, Pešić V (2020) Assessing environmental response of gastropod species in karst springs: what species response curves say us about niche characteristic and extinction risk? Biodivers Conserv 29:695–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. von Fumetti S, Dmitrović D, Pešić V (2017) The influence of flooding and river connectivity on macroinvertebrate assemblages in rheocrene springs along a third-order river. Fund Appl Limnol 190(3):251–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Pešić V, Dmitrović D, Savić A et al (2019) Application of macroinvertebrate multimetrics as a measure of the impact of anthropogenic modification of spring habitats. Aquat Conserv 29:341–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gerecke R, Martin P, Gledhill T (2018) Water mites (Acari: Parasitengona: Hydrachnidia) as inhabitants of groundwater-influenced habitats–considerations following an update of Limnofauna Europaea. Limnologica 69:81–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Zawal A, Pešić V (2018) The diversity of water mite assemblages (Acari: Parasitengona: Hydrachnidia) of Lake Skadar/Shkodra and its catchment area. In: Pešić V, Karaman GS, Kostianoy AG (eds) The Skadar/Shkodra lake environment. Springer, Cham, pp 311–323

    Google Scholar 

  24. Pešić V, Dmitrović D, Savić A, von Fumetti S (2016) Studies on eucrenal-hypocrenal zonation of springs along the river mainstream: a case study of a karst canyon in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Biologia 71:809–817

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Council of the European Communities (2000) Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and the council of 23rd October 2000 establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. Off J Eur Communities L327:1–72

    Google Scholar 

  26. Pešić V, Dmitrović D, Savić A et al (2018) Data on substrate composition, species list and values of selected macroinvertebrate community metrics of 50 investigated springs of the Cvrcka river basin (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Mendeley Data, v5. https://doi.org/10.17632/ck5t89pwmm.5

  27. Pakulnicka J, Buczyński P, Dąbkowski P et al (2016) Aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) in springs of a small lowland river: habitat factors vs landscape factors. Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 417:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zawal A, Stryjecki R, Buczyńska E et al (2018) Water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of riparian springs in a small lowland river valley: what are the key factors for species distribution? PeerJ 6:e4797

    Google Scholar 

  29. Szlauer-Łukaszewska A, Pešić V, Zawal A (2021) Environmental factors shaping assemblages of ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda) in springs situated in the River Krąpiel valley (NW Poland). Knowl Manag Aquat Ecosyst 422:14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Hahn H-J (2000) Studies on classifying of undisturbed springs in Southwestern Germany by macrobenthic communities. Limnologica 30:247–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Von Fumetti S, Nagel P, Scheifhacken N, Baltes B (2006) Factors governing macrozoobenthic assemblages in perennial springs in north-western Switzerland. Hydrobiologia 568:467–475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Dumnicka E, Galas J, Koperski P (2007) Benthic invertebrates in karst springs? Does substratum or location define communities? Int Rev Hydrobiol 92:452–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Vitecek S, Previšić A, Kučinić M et al (2015) Description of a new species of Wormaldia from Sardinia and a new Drusus species from the Western Balkans (Trichoptera, Philopotamidae, Limnephilidae). ZooKeys 496:85–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Von Fumetti S, Nagel P (2012) Discharge variability and its effect on faunistic assemblages in springs. Freshwater Sci 31:647–656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Gerecke R, Meisch C, Stoch F et al (1998) Eucrenon-hypocrenon ecotone and spring typology in the Alps of Berchtesgaden (Upper Bavaria, Germany). A study of microcrustacea (Crustacea: Copepoda, Ostracoda) and water mites (Acari: Halacaridae, Hydrachnellae). In: Botosaneanu L (Ed) Studies in crenobiology. The biology of springs and springbrooks. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, pp 167–182

    Google Scholar 

  36. Illies J, Botosaneanu L (1963) Problèmes et méthodes de la classification et de la zonation écologique des eaux courantes, considérées surtout du point de vue faunistique. Mitteilungen der Internationalen Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie 12:1–57

    Google Scholar 

  37. Erman NA, Erman DC (1995) Spring permanence, Trichoptera species richness and the role of drought. J Kans Entomol Soc 68:50–64

    Google Scholar 

  38. Von Fumetti S, Nagel P, Baltes B (2007) Where a springhead becomes a springbrook-a regional zonation of springs. Fundam Appl Limnol 169:37–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Di Sabatino A, Coscieme L, Miccoli FP, Cristiano G (2021) Benthic invertebrate assemblages and leaf-litter breakdown along the eucrenal–hypocrenal ecotone of a rheocrene spring in Central Italy: are there spatial and seasonal differences? Ecohydrology e2289. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2289

  40. Carroll TM, Thorp JH, Roach KA (2016) Autochthony in karst spring food webs. Hydrobiologia 776:173–191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. McCabe DJ, Sycora JL (2000) Community structure of caddisfly along a temperate springbrook. Arch Hydrobiol 148:263–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Karaouzas I, Zawal A, Michoński G, Pešić V (2019) Contribution to the knowledge of the caddisfly fauna of Montenegro - New data and records from the karstic springs of Lake Skadar basin. Ecol Montenegrina 22:34–39

    Google Scholar 

  43. Crema S, Ferrarese U, Golo D et al (1996) Ricerche sulla fauna bentonica ed interstiziale di ambienti sorgentizi in area alpina e prealpina [A research on benthonic and interstitial fauna in Alpine and pre-Alpine springs]. Report Centro Ecologia Alpina 8:1–104

    Google Scholar 

  44. Pešić V (2020) First record of the Japanese fish louse (Argulus japonicus) in Montenegro (Crustacea: Branchiura). Ecol Montenegrina 38:141–143

    Google Scholar 

  45. Šundić M, Pešić V (2007) Seasonal changes in the abundance of benthic assemblages in the spring on Vranjina island (Skadar Lake National Park). Glas Republ Zavoda Zašt Prirode–Prirodnjačkog Muzeja 29–30:125–130

    Google Scholar 

  46. Dedić A, Gerhardt A, Kelly MG et al (2020) Innovative methods and approaches for WFD: ideas to fill knowledge gaps in science and policy. Water Solut 3:30–42

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was partially supported in the framework of the “DNA/Eco” Project financed by Montenegrin Ministry of Science.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, Džordža Vašingtona bb, University of Montenegro, 81000, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Vladimir Pešić

  2. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology and Department of Ecology and Environment Protection, University of Banja Luka, Mladena Stojanovića 2, 78000, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Dejan Dmitrović

  3. Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Ana Savić

Authors
  1. Vladimir Pešić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dejan Dmitrović
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ana Savić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro

    Vladimir Pešić

  2. Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia

    Djuradj Milošević

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Marko Miliša

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pešić, V., Dmitrović, D., Savić, A. (2022). Riparian Springs—Challenges from a Neglected Habitat. In: Pešić, V., Milošević, D., Miliša, M. (eds) Small Water Bodies of the Western Balkans. Springer Water. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86478-1_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation