Untersuchungen über Individuendichte,Biomasse und kalorische Äquivalente des Makrobenthos eines Waldbaches

From 1972 to 1974 the invertebrates of a woodland-brooklet of the “Naturpark Kottenforst-Ville” (Rhineland) were investigated concerning abundance and standing crop at selected sampling stations of the “epirhithron”. In the shaded brooklet the allochthonous autumn-shed leaves proved to be the most important food for the aquatic invertebrates. Carbon-14 radioisotope tags were used to get data on the primary productivity of the periphyton community, which is less important for the energy balance of the macrobenthic organisms. The most frequent macroconsumers are Gammarus fossarum KOCH, Leptophlebia marginata L. and some caddis larvae which feed directly on detritus and decomposing leaves.