Spatial confinement
Habitat
The black olm lives exclusively in the underground waters of the Bela Krajina karst plain and nowhere else on Earth.
To date, 14 localities in the catchments of Dobličica and Jelševnik are known, covering a total area of just under 10 km².
The species surfaces at night at karst springs, where it feeds on small crustaceans and snails.
The extent of the habitat along the underground channels towards the Poljanska gora massif has not yet been fully mapped, and remains an important research question.
A simple rule applies to karst systems: what enters the ground in one place can affect springs kilometres away.
Habitat in numbers
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14 confirmed localities (springs).
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Total range: less than 10 km².
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The habitat is directly dependent on the quality of underground waters.
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Any interference with the karst aquifer can affect the entire population.
Spatial confinement
Habitat
The range of the black olm in the underground waters of the Bela Krajina karst plain.
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