Energy and Matter Dynamics Through the Barrage Lakes Ecosystem

In this chapter, we present the results of seston, macroinvertebrate drift and meiobenthos across several lentic and lotic stretches within the Plitvice Lakes hydrosystem. The insight into the micro-distribution and transport processes of organic and inorganic particles, and organisms in benthos and water column within this hydrosystem greatly contributes to understanding the circulation of matter, energy flow and biocenoses structure in this unique and extensive network of lentic and lotic habitats. We conclude that the seston and drift patterns within Plitvice Lakes hydrosystem are greatly affected by hydromorphological features (discharge, flow velocity, substrate type) of different (micro)habitats as well as by seasonal changes in the moss-coverage of the tufa substrate. Thus, the energy and matter dynamics through the Plitvice barrage lake ecosystem greatly depends on the “sequencing” of the lotic and lentic reaches within the hydrosystem as well as on the efficiency of moss to trap particles and organisms (i.e., macrozoobenthos, meiofauna) and/or to serve as their transport agent/mediator. Our results further indicate that the small-scale distribution and transport of aquatic invertebrates inhabiting fast-flowing barriers and slow-flowing pools within the Plitvice Lakes hydrosystem greatly depend on the development stage, and morphological and functional traits of the individual plankton, macroinvertebrate and meiofaunal taxa.