What is it about?
Pink planaria are unique animals that live on and under the cobbles and gravel that line the bed of a particular cave stream. We studied the movement of the cobbles and the gravel due to storm events. We found that the gravel and the cobbles could be moved by large storm events.
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Why is it important?
Our work showed that large storm events increased the velocity and the power of the water in the stream such that the cobbles and gravel moved during some of these large events. Thus the habitat of the animal was found be to be less stable than previously thought.
Perspectives
This research started a new research path for me - that of understanding sediment movement and transport through caves and karst. While my aim is to understanding habitat and in order to do that I have to first understand sediment movement.
Carol Wicks
Louisiana State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Disturbances in the habitat ofMacrocotyla glandulosa(Kenk), Ecohydrology, January 2010, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/eco.102.
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