Original scientific paper
Comparison of mosquito fauna in Kopački rit in the period 1990–1998
Enrih Merdić
; Institute of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. J. Strossmayer University, L. Jägera 9, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Tomislava Lovaković
; Institute of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. J. Strossmayer University, L. Jägera 9, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Abstract
Research into the flora and fauna of Kopački rit, the flood area of the Danube and Drava rivers, was not possible in the period between 1991–1997, due to ongoing hostilities. The research into the mosquitoes in Kopački rit started in 1990 was continued in 1998. The research results obtained in 1998 were compared to the 1990 results (MERDIĆ, 1993). The total number of mosquitoes collected in 1998 was 7788, which is approximately 25 times smaller than the total number of mosquitoes collected in 1990 (199952). The mosquito fauna is characterised by species that have their breeding sites in the marsh itself, among which Aedes vexans is dominant, and by species whose breeding sites can be found in the oak forest, the Genisto elate – Quercetum roboris community, in the nearby Nature Park. The dynamics of the mosquito population, which is in correlation with the water level of Danube, are significantly different in 1990 and 1998, but we do not suppose this was due to the influence of the war, but rather to the different ecological conditions in 1998.
Keywords
mosquitoes; Kopački rit Special Zoological Reserve; population dynamics; impact of war on nature
Hrčak ID:
52601
URI
Publication date:
31.12.1999.
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