Linking watershed land uses and crustacean assemblages in Mediterranean wetlands

Gilbert, Juan Diego; Vicente, Inmaculada de; Ortega, F. Javier; García-Muñoz, Enrique; Jiménez-Melero, Raquel; Parra, Gema; Guerrero, Francisco

doi:10.1007/s10750-017-3211-6

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…In the Mediterranean region, agricultural practices are the most important human activity, inducing a drastic transformation of the landscape, with a great loss rate and degradation of wetlands [55][56][57][58]. As Gilbert et al [59] recognized, the source ecosystem (watershed) affects the sink ecosystem (wet-land), as much as the increment of the edge/volume ratio, making it more exposed to the exchange of substances with the surrounding terrestrial landscapes [60][61][62].…”

Section: Sensitivity Of Mediterranean Wetlands To Global Change Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemistry of Mediterranean Wetlands: A Review about the Effects of Water-Level Fluctuations on Phosphorus Cycling and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Vicente

2021

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Although Mediterranean wetlands are characterized by extreme natural water level fluctuations in response to irregular precipitation patterns, global climate change is expected to amplify this pattern by shortening precipitation seasons and increasing the incidence of summer droughts in this area. As a consequence, a part of the lake sediment will be exposed to air-drying in dry years when the water table becomes low. This periodic sediment exposure to dry/wet cycles will likely affect biogeochemical processes. Unexpectedly, to date, few studies are focused on assessing the effects of water level fluctuations on the biogeochemistry of these ecosystems. In this review, we investigate the potential impacts of water level fluctuations on phosphorus dynamics and on greenhouse gases emissions in Mediterranean wetlands. Major drivers of global change, and specially water level fluctuations, will lead to the degradation of water quality in Mediterranean wetlands by increasing the availability of phosphorus concentration in the water column upon rewetting of dry sediment. CO2 fluxes are likely to be enhanced during desiccation, while inundation is likely to decrease cumulative CO2 emissions, as well as N2O emissions, although increasing CH4 emissions. However, there exists a complete gap of knowledge about the net effect of water level fluctuations induced by global change on greenhouse gases emission. Accordingly, further research is needed to assess whether the periodic exposure to dry–wet cycles, considering the extent and frequency of the cycles, will amplify the role of these especial ecosystems as a source of these gases and thereby act as a feedback mechanism for global warming. To conclude, it is pertinent to consider that a better understanding about the effect of water level fluctuations on the biogeochemistry of Mediterranean wetlands will help to predict how other freshwater ecosystems will respond.

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Section: Sensitivity Of Mediterranean Wetlands To Global Change Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemistry of Mediterranean Wetlands: A Review about the Effects of Water-Level Fluctuations on Phosphorus Cycling and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Vicente

2021

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“…These authors and others indicate that the biggest drivers of biodiversity decline are habitat loss, habitat degradation, and overexploitation [4,5]. In this sense, wetlands biodiversity is mostly affected by changes in land use and eutrophication processes [6][7][8][9]. One of the main problems of the discharge of wastewater to aquatic ecosystems is the increase in eutrophication [10], a current problem suffered by wetlands around the world that cannot be resolved despite the existence of legislation for wetland protection [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the main problems of the discharge of wastewater to aquatic ecosystems is the increase in eutrophication [10], a current problem suffered by wetlands around the world that cannot be resolved despite the existence of legislation for wetland protection [11]. Cultural eutrophication can be caused, among others, by (i) changes in the land use of the catchment area, where farming and the use of fertilizers increase the runoff of nutrient rich water into the wetlands [8,9], and (ii) the direct spill of urban wastewater into the wetland [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wastewater Discharge through a Stream into a Mediterranean Ramsar Wetland: Evaluation and Proposal of a Nature-Based Treatment System

et al. 2021

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Impacts on wetlands are becoming more pressing every day. Among them, habitat loss, overexploitation of aquifers and changes in land use are considered the most important. However, the impacts linked to wastewater discharges are increasing worldwide. In this context, this study analyses the impacts of input of wastewater to a Mediterranean Ramsar temporary wetland (Fuente de Piedra, south of Spain). To this end, systematic sampling was carried out in the Charcón stream which receives water from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and discharges it into the wetland. The results showed a slight decrease in the nutrient concentrations, particularly for nitrogen compounds. Heterotrophic and fecal bacteria concentration, as well as phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance and biomass, all significantly decreased from the treatment plant to the wetland. When comparing the effect of this discharge with other similar occurring to the same wetland, it was evident that the Charcón stream was responsible for a greater impact. At this point, it is relevant to note that the main difference among both treated wastewater discharges lies in the different water retention time once the wastewater was released from the WWTP. In fact, we recommend an increase in the water retention time by building seminatural ponds, together with the use of biofilters, which will notably contribute to improve the processes of assimilation of nutrients and to decrease the impact generated in the wetland by this spill.

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“…These Mediterranean wetlands represent unique repositories of biodiversity, which hold exclusive communities of aquatic organisms playing an important role in the regional biodiversity conservation [3][4][5][6]. However, despite being recognized as important hot spots for the support of aquatic biodiversity, they experience a strong detrimental human disturbance [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the most obvious problems of cultural eutrophication is the release of sewage in natural water bodies [6,15]. Apart from the widely known adverse effects of nutrient enrichment in the ecosystem, pollutants and waterborne pathogens also represent a serious threat to public health [16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Efficient Are Semi-Natural Ponds in Assimilating Wastewater Effluents? Application to Fuente de Piedra Ramsar, Mediterranean Salt Lake (South of Spain)

de-los-Ríos-Mérida

Reul

Muñoz

et al. 2017

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This work concerns the case study of a Mediterranean Ramsar salt lake (Fuente de Piedra, southern Spain) that receives the treated wastewater of the local village treatment plant. The wastewater goes through a system of canals, water dams, and three semi-natural ponds that were built in 2005. This work aims to investigate the capacity of the system to assimilate the impact of wastewater effluents on Lake Fuente de Piedra. For this, four points were sampled on 27-29 April 2016, at the inlet and the outlet points of the first and the third semi-natural ponds, with three replicates each. Temperature, pH, and conductivity at the inlet were 19.62 • C, 7.99, and 3262.67 µS/cm, respectively, and increased through the pond system by 7.59%, 8.04%, and 37.34%, respectively. Phytoplankton concentration indicators decreased from the inlet point to the outlet point (chlorophyll a from >500 to <20mg/L), as did the biovolume (from >5 × 10 10 to 4.3 × 10 9 µm 3 /mL). Zooplankton biovolume, in contrast, increased three orders of magnitude from the inlet (3.5 × 10 7 µm 3 /mL) to the outlet point (1.6 × 10 9 µm 3 /mL). Heterotrophic bacteria (1.29 × 10 5 cfu/mL) and faecal enterococci (1033 ± 351 cfu/100 mL) were high at the inlet point, but decreased at the outlet point by almost three orders of magnitude. Total phosphorous and total nitrogen decreased 40.3% and 23.1% through the pond system. The results showed an improvement in water quality in its passage through the built system. Additionally, as permanent wetlands with acceptable water quality, the water system attracts wild fauna during the dry summer, leading to the conclusion that these semi-natural or artificial wetlands should be extrapolated to other aquatic ecosystems (Mediterranean wetlands) that receive contributions of residual waters. Better functioning of the treatment plant is desirable to improve the conservation of the Ramsar and adjacent wetlands systems.

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Linking watershed land uses and crustacean assemblages in Mediterranean wetlands

Cited by 15 publications

References 53 publications

Biogeochemistry of Mediterranean Wetlands: A Review about the Effects of Water-Level Fluctuations on Phosphorus Cycling and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Biogeochemistry of Mediterranean Wetlands: A Review about the Effects of Water-Level Fluctuations on Phosphorus Cycling and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Wastewater Discharge through a Stream into a Mediterranean Ramsar Wetland: Evaluation and Proposal of a Nature-Based Treatment System

How Efficient Are Semi-Natural Ponds in Assimilating Wastewater Effluents? Application to Fuente de Piedra Ramsar, Mediterranean Salt Lake (South of Spain)

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