Subfossil Chironomidae of the Western and Eastern Carpathians An Identification Guide to Larval Remains from Lake Sediments

About this book

This guide to Chironomidae larval remains from lake sediments in the Western and Eastern Carpathians is a result of decades of passionate research, and hundreds of field trips to mountain lakes in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and Romania. These lakes, situated in the fascinating scenery of the Carpathians Mountains, are not only breathtakingly beautiful but also important for palaeolimnological reconstructions of past natural processes. The guide brings identification keys for over 100 chironomid taxa from six subfamilies recorded in more than 70 lakes. The species, morphotypes and genera, documented with numerous photos, follow up-to-date taxonomy and they are preceded by a general introduction on the area of focus as well as the history of chironomid research in the Carpathians. Ecological knowledge and the most plausible palaeoecological interpretations are summarized for every genus/morphotype. The Subfossil Chironomidae of the Western and Eastern Carpathians is an essential handbook for chironomid fanatics, teachers and students of aquatic ecology and palaeoecology, but also for ecologists, and conservationists working in the Carpathians.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Peter Bitušík, PhD. (1957) is a professor of Ecology at Matej Bel University, Slovakia. He has published numerous articles on zoology, limnology and palaeolimnology, and he was an author, co-author or editor of several monographs dealing with aquatic ecology and palaeolimnology.

Ladislav Hamerlík, PhD. (1974) is an aquatic ecologist and palaeoecologist. He has published many articles in the field including the book Chironomidae of Central America: An Illustrated Introduction to Larval Subfossils. Currently, he holds a professor position at Matej Bel University, and the Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia.

Tímea Chamutiová, PhD. (1991) is a university teacher at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University (Slovakia). Her main research interest is palaeolimnology, with a special focus on Chironomidae.