Groundwater Biology

Abstract

Although groundwater is characterized by an extreme range of living conditions, it also offers a habitat for a multitude of organisms such that groundwater is increasingly considered as an ecosystem. The extreme conditions include permanent darkness, spatial restriction, constant low temperatures and limited nutrients. In Germany, the joint project group “Groundwater Biology” of the DWA and DVGW compiled current knowledge on groundwater habitats in a detailed overview (VDG 2005).