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Abstract

In polar regions, apart from tundra and glaciers, geothermally active areas

with elevated temperatures are important elements of ecosystems. One such geothermally

active region characterized by mosaic ecosystems and vast areas covered by recent lava

fields is Iceland. The aim of our study was to explore the diversity of invertebrates

inhabiting geothermally active lava fields in the Krafla area (Iceland). Eight bryophyte

samples were collected from a warm surface, mainly from the steaming areas. We have

found Nematoda, Rotifera, Tardigrada and Oribatida in the samples. Habitat analysis

demonstrated there to be 12 bryophyte species (five liverworts and seven mosses).

The diversity of bryophytes in a single sample ranged from one to six species. The

most common bryophyte was Racomitrium lanuginosum (Hedw.) Brid. Four species

of tardigrades were found, including one that was new. Pilatobius islandicus sp. nov.

is described herein by morphological, morphometric and molecular approaches (COI,

28S rRNA, 18S rRNA). Oribatida mites were identified as two species (Malaconothrus

monodactylus (Michael, 1888) and Camisia foveolata Hammer, 1955). The average density

of invertebrates was 13.1 ind./g with a maximum of 40.8 ind./g calculated per dry

material. The tardigrades found in our study belonged to herbivores, microbivores and

omnivores, whereas the mites belonged to saprophages, which indicates complex trophic

networks in geothermally active lava fields.

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Authors and Affiliations

Jakub Buda
Ziemowit Olszanowski
Mariusz WierzgoƄ
Krzysztof Zawierucha

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