ABSTRACT1. The term 'rambla' defines watercourses with specific geomorphological features that make them different from all other temporary streams. Most ramblas represent extreme habitats for plants and animals that have to be adapted to high salinity and extreme hydrological fluctuations with severe dry periods and floods. Both factors shape the structure and functioning of the whole aquatic ecosystem.2. Biological communities in ramblas are diverse and rich in endemic species. Habitats of interest within the EU are extensively represented in ramblas and their associated wetlands. Ramblas also fulfil previously unrecognized functional and cultural values, such as helping to control non-pointsource pollution in agricultural areas and to provide a variety of historic and educational resources. However, they are a threatened ecosystem because of the diversity of uses and derived impacts.3. To characterize and describe the diversity of ramblas in south-east Spain, an extensive survey was carried out in 2000-2001 in the province of Murcia. Based on the lithology where ramblas are located, they were grouped in three categories: ramblas of marl, limestone and metamorphic basins.4. Rambla categories differ in structural parameters, hydrology, water chemistry, biological communities and their vulnerability to a range of human impacts, thus requiring a flexible approach to their management and conservation.

1. The relationships between biological traits of macroinvertebrates and environmental characteristics were investigated in streams with contrasting physical, chemical or landscape level attributes. We used an ordination technique, RLQ analysis, which links an environmental table (R) with traits table (Q) through an abundance table (L) to investigate the relationship between habitat characteristics and biological traits. 2. A major environmental axis explaining the distribution of species and their distinctive biological features was obtained. This axis included variables of anthropogenic pressure (agricultural and urban uses) and natural variability (climatic and geologic) that are strongly intercorrelated in the study area, with a clear spatial component. 3. The attributes of species from frequently disturbed systems (small size, multivoltinism, diapause, ovoviviparity, etc.) were associated with semi-arid areas whereas traits common in more stable and favourable environments (large body size, semi-voltinism, isolated eggs, etc.) were found in upland forested areas. 4. The natural climatic variation was proposed as a disturbance axis of a theoretical habitat templet (driven by the intense hydrological disturbances typical of semi-arid streams), while anthropogenic pressure (mainly intensive agriculture) and high salinity, a natural consequence of geology, was proposed as an adversity axis. Different life-histories associated with contrasting environmental features were superimposed in this habitat templet. 5. The ecological-evolutionary scenario in which stream macroinvertebrates have evolved and by which their communities are organized, is closely linked to disturbance, environmental harshness and human pressure.

Summary 1. Primary production by Chara vulgaris and by epipelic and epilithic algal assemblages was measured in a semiarid, Mediterranean stream (Chicamo stream, Murcia, Spain) during one annual cycle. 2. The rates of gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (CR) were determined for each algal assemblage using oxygen change in chambers. The net daily metabolism (NDM) and the GPPd−1 : CR24 ratio were estimated by patch‐weighting the assemblage‐level metabolism values. 3. Gross primary production and CR showed significant differences between assemblages and dates. The highest rates were measured in summer and spring, while December was the only month when there were no significant differences in either parameters between assemblages. GPP was strongly correlated with respiration, but not with algal biomass. 4. Chara vulgaris showed the highest mean annual metabolic rates (GPP = 2.80 ± 0.83 gC m−2 h−1, CR = 0.76 ± 0.29 gC m−2 h−1), followed by the epilithic assemblage (GPP = 1.97 ± 0.73 gC m−2 h−1, CR = 0.41 ± 0.12 gC m−2 h−1) and epipelic algae (GPP = 1.36 ± 0.22 gC m−2 h−1, CR = 0.39 ± 0.06 gC m−2 h−1). 5. The epipelic assemblage dominated in terms of biomass (82%) and areal cover (88%), compared with the other primary producers. Epipelic algae contributed 84% of gross primary production and 86% of community respiration in the stream. 6. Mean monthly air temperature was the best single predictor of macrophyte respiration and of epipelic GPP and CR. However, ammonium concentration was the best single predictor of C. vulgaris GPP, and suspended solid concentration of epilithon GPP and CR. 7. Around 70% of the variation in both mean GPP and mean CR was explained by the mean monthly air temperature alone. A multiple regression model that included conductivity, PAR and nitrates in addition to mean monthly air temperature, explained 99.99% of the variation in mean CR. 8. Throughout the year, NDM was positive (mean value 7.03 gC m−2 day−1), while the GPP : CR24 ratio was higher than 1, confirming the net autotrophy of the system.

The European Water Framework Directive establishes the need to define stream type-specific reference conditions to identify ''high ecological status''. Methods for selecting reference sites using a priori criteria have been proposed by many authors. A review of these criteria revealed that the most relevant criteria for streams and rivers were those related to riparian vegetation, diffuse and point sources of pollution, river morphology and hydrological conditions and regulation. In this work, we propose 20 criteria that reflect the characteristics of Mediterranean streams and their most frequent disturbances for the selection of reference sites in Mediterranean streams in Spain. We studied 162 sites located in 33 Mediterranean basins belonging to five stream types. Of the locations, 57% were selected as a priori reference sites by having applied the proposed criteria. Reference sites were identified for all stream types except for ''large watercourses'' which includes the lower reaches of some rivers in this study area. This a priori selection of reference sites was subjected to validation using the macroinvertebrate community by applying of an IBMWP threshold, which is considered to be an indicator of undisturbed sites in Mediterranean streams. This approach determined that whole of this selection (100%) could be considered valid reference sites. Furthermore, we identified differences in the reference conditions for each stream type on the basis of macroinvertebrate assemblage composition.

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