Invertebrates in groundwater springs and seeps

Abstract

Springs and seeps are common features of many global landscapes, representing points of emergence of the vast, underground resources of freshwater on our planet. Most are characterized by very low variability in their discharge, water temperature and chemical signature, resulting in benign environments that support a high number and diversity of rare, endemic and relict species. This chapter reviews springs and seeps as habitats for a wide variety of invertebrate life and provides a provisional, global summary of the genera that live in them. The components of spring and seep faunas are compared and discussed in the context of whether they represent stochastic assemblages or true communities.