M. PAUNOVIĆ¹, DUNJA JAKOVČEV-TODOROVIĆ¹, V. SIMIĆ², BOJANA STOJANOVIĆ¹ and ANA VELJKOVIĆ²

¹Siniša Stanković Institute for Biological Research, 142 Despota Stefana Blvd.,11060 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ²Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro

Abstract - The aim of the study presented was to define trophic relationships within the benthic community according to functional feeding groups (FFG) in the Vlasina River (Southeast Serbia), with an attempt to use those results to describe the watercourse. In an investigation performed during 1996, a total of 125 macrozoobenthic taxa were identified, 95 of which were included in FFG analyses. Although the investigated part of the river, in its physical and chemical characteristics, as well as characteristics of the benthofauna, generally corresponds to what could be expected, certain variations of faunal composition were observed along the river. Two groups of sites were separated by FFG analysis - sites on the upper section of the river and on a tributary (the Gradska River) comprised one group, while the remaining sites made up the other.