Tardigrada of Bory Tucholskie National Park, Zaborski Landscape Park, and their surroundings (Pomerania Province, Poland)

Abstract

In this paper, samples of mosses and lichens collected from Bory Tucholskie National Park, Zaborski Landscape Park, and their surroundings (Pomerania Province, northern Poland) were studied for water bears (Tardigrada). In total, 38 tardigrade taxa were identified and six of them (Hypsibius cf. allisoni, Hyp. scabropygus, Macrobiotus sottilei, Milnesium beasleyi, Mil. dornensis, and Mil. granulatum) are new records for the Polish fauna. Eighteen taxa (only 14 identified to the species level) were found in Bory Tucholskie National Park, whereas in Zaborski Landscape Park this number was much larger, i.e. 28 taxa (including 22 identified to the species level), as well as in the areas surrounding the parks, i.e. 28 (including 23 identified to the species level). It should be also noted that the effect of substrate, habitat, and types of environmental protection on species richness was not statistical significant.