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Abstract

In the macrobiotopes of running waters, crenal, rhithral and potamal, the most important substrates (microhabitats) were the lotic mosses, the hygrophilic mosses, wet borders without mosses, the lenitic mud areas, the hyporheic zones and the macrophytes. For both Turbellaria and Oligochaeta, taxocoenoses (synecological associations) are set up for each microhabitat. The composition and the coenobiont characteristic species of each taxocoenosis are discussed. The associations of the crenal and epirhithral were very rich in species and very specialized. The turbellarian taxocoenoses of these biotopes were more differentiated than those of the Oligochaeta. The most differentiated society of Oligochaeta was found in mossy borders of the rhithral and in interstitial waters of the hyporhithral and epipotamal. The turbellarian societies in the potamal are poor in species and without peculiarity. The taxocoensoses of lotic mosses in montane regions were the most distinct of all those in a stream ecosystem. They differed greatly from the taxocoenoses of the sediment and included the most specialized of the Turbellaria. Vailantiella algerica and Fulinskiella bardeaui, 2 of the characteristic species of the montane turbellarian toxocoenosis, were limited in distribution. These taxocoensoses in different woodland- and meadow streams were analyzed and compared with those in other regions of central Europe. The turbellarian toxocoenosis in the hygrophilic mosses of springs was also distinct and rich in species. The so-called edaphic microturbellaria are a dominant element in springs and streams. Their hygrophilic-aquatic character is discussed in detail. Another characteristic turbellarian society was found in the hyporheic waters in streams. Catenulida dominated there. In streams only few species was adapted to lenitic mud areas. Tubificids were the dominant pelobiont group in the lower part of streams and rivers. A few stream triclads and naidids were adapted to extrme lotic conditions in stony areas. Of the communities inhabiting macrophytes, only in the potamal did a distinct taxocoenosis stand out. It was poor in species and showed affinities with communities of standing water.