Plant-associated invertebrates and ecological quality in some Mediterranean shallow lakes: implications for the application of the EC Water Framework Directive

García-Criado, Francisco Javier; Bécares, Eloy; Fernández‐Aláez, Camino; Fernández‐Aláez, Margarita

doi:10.1002/aqc.641

Cited by 39 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…With this aim, data collected from the same habitat type in the same period were pooled together. Due to the reduced number of studies focusing on macroinvertebrate communities as indicators of water quality in Mediterranean shallow lakes, biotic metrics were chosen based on current bibliography (Plafkin et al, 1989;Barbour et al, 1995;Lewis et al, 2001;Blocksom et al, 2003, US EPA, 2002Garcı´a-Criado et al, 2005) and grouped into three categories considering composition and trophic structure of the community (Table 2).…”

Section: Metric Selection and Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Among-habitat and Temporal Variability of Selected Macroinvertebrate Based Metrics in a Mediterranean Shallow Lake (NW Spain)

2006

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According to the European Water Framework Directive, waterbodies have to be classified on the basis of their ecological status using biological quality elements, such as macroinvertebrates. This needs to take into consideration the influence of natural variation (both spatial and temporal) of reference biological communities as this may obscure the effects caused by anthropogenic disturbance. We studied the influence of among-habitat and temporal (seasonal and interannual) changes on the macroinvertebrate communities of an Iberian shallow lake and the variability of 21 measures potentially useful for bioindication purposes. Two series of data were examined: (a) macroinvertebrate samples taken on four occasions over an annual cycle were used to assess the effects of seasonality and among-habitat variability; (b) macroinvertebrate samples collected in three consecutive summers were used to assess interannual variability. Coefficients of variation, expressed as percentage, were used to quantify the effect of among-habitat and temporal variability on the selected metrics. According to our results, % Insecta, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the qualitative taxonomic metrics (measures based on number of taxa) were robust in terms of temporal (seasonal and interannual) and among-habitat variability. Abundance ratio and some metrics based on functional feeding groups were highly variable. Therefore, qualitative taxonomic metrics may be promising tools in biomonitoring programs of Mediterranean shallow lakes due to their comparatively low variability.

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Section: Metric Selection and Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Among-habitat and Temporal Variability of Selected Macroinvertebrate Based Metrics in a Mediterranean Shallow Lake (NW Spain)

2006

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“…However, proposals for bio-assessment methods in the Mediterranean area are scarce and coastal wetlands have received little attention (Comı´n et al, 1999;Bayo et al, 2001;Fano et al, 2003). The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) has demonstrated the need to develop tools for evaluating the ecological quality of Mediterranean wetlands and, consequently, studies on biological assessment of inland and coastal wetlands have now been promoted Moss et al, 2003;Garcı´a-Criado et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A new index of water quality assessment in Mediterranean wetlands based on crustacean and insect assemblages: the case of Catalunya (NE Iberian peninsula)

Boix

Gascón

Sala

et al. 2005

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. According to the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/CE) tools are required to evaluate wetland ecological quality. In this context, a biological index to evaluate water quality (QAELS) is proposed for Mediterranean wetlands in Catalunya (NE Iberian peninsula).2. The study was carried out in 99 shallow lentic ecosystems, situated below 800 m a.s.l. and with a maximum depth of less than 6 m. At each sampling point, a range of water parameters was measured (temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, dissolved nutrients and total nutrients) and data were gathered on invertebrate taxon composition (collected with a dip-net of 250 mm mesh size).3. A previous classification of wetlands in that area was required to obtain QAELS. The QAELS index is obtained by: (1) the relative abundance of each microcrustacean taxon (Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda) weighted by an ecological quality requirement coefficient, which is obtained for each taxon by means of partial canonical correspondence analysis (ACCO index); and (2) the taxonomic richness of crustaceans and aquatic insects (RIC index).4. Several taxonomic resolutions were also tested in order to determine the simplest identification level that gives acceptable results in further applications of the QAELS index. It is concluded that the composition of microcrustacean assemblages (ACCO index) is useful for assessing the water quality of Mediterranean wetlands.5. The RIC index improves the relationship of the QAELS index to water quality variables, avoiding possible anomalous values that could be obtained when using the ACCO index alone.

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“…Since the number of water birds present before the crayfish invasion is unknown, we took as reference value the number of specimens of F. atra and other migratory ducks on the banks of the Sentiz [12], another lake in the same area, slightly smaller but with the same physicochemical characteristics, oligotrophic and dominated by plants. For macroinvertebrates we used data of García-Criado et al [13]. We estimated the concentration of biomass (mg/m 3 ) of each genus using a proportion to distribute the total biomass contained in samples from ten different Spanish lakes on the percentage presence of macroinvertebrates in the Chozas samples, before and after the introduction of the alien crayfish.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invaders decrease the structural complexity of the indigenous community of Chozas Lake

Bastianoni¹,

Marchi²,

Tiezzi³

2010

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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Chozas Lake, a small shallow water body in León, NW Spain, changed from clear water conditions to turbidity in only one year. The cause was loss of abundance and richness of plants due to deliberate introduction and proliferation of the allochthonous Louisiana red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. The dynamics of this ecosystem have been studied by means of eco-exergy. Eco-exergy is a goal function introduced by S.E. Jørgensen in the 1970s and is related to conformation structures and information in nature with particular attention to evolutionary properties. Its value has been used with that of specific exergy for understanding the quality of biomass variation, seen as a change of the structural complexity of Chozas Lake. The number of crayfish increased as the ecosystem eco-exergy decreased, because the complexity of the ecosystem was higher when there was richness of macrophytes, even if the submerged aquatic vegetation is at lower level on the evolutionary scale than the invasive crustacean. There was a trophic cascade effect on the wetland ecosystem that altered the native community, with loss of invertebrates, amphibia and coots, directly related to plant destruction. However, while fish-and crayfish-eating birds seemed to increase, plant disappearance is a great threat for biodiversity in Spanish lakes because vegetation is the most abundant component of these ecosystems and so its destruction has a very important ecological role.

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Plant-associated invertebrates and ecological quality in some Mediterranean shallow lakes: implications for the application of the EC Water Framework Directive

Cited by 39 publications

References 37 publications

Among-habitat and Temporal Variability of Selected Macroinvertebrate Based Metrics in a Mediterranean Shallow Lake (NW Spain)

Among-habitat and Temporal Variability of Selected Macroinvertebrate Based Metrics in a Mediterranean Shallow Lake (NW Spain)

A new index of water quality assessment in Mediterranean wetlands based on crustacean and insect assemblages: the case of Catalunya (NE Iberian peninsula)

Invaders decrease the structural complexity of the indigenous community of Chozas Lake

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