Do mediterranean genera not included in Tachet et al. 2002 have mediterranean trait characteristics?

Multiple-trait databases are increasingly used in community ecology in different regions of the world. In Europe, Tachet et al. (2002) compiled an aquatic macroinvertebrate database for 473 taxa using information on 11 biological traits described by 63 categories. However, less studied regions, at the time of the compilation of the database, such as the mediterranean Basin, can harbour exclusive genera, which were not included in Tachet's database. In a large-scale study across the mediterranean Basin, we found 44 genera that were not included in Tachet's database (NEW genera). Our main aim was to compile trait information for these NEW genera and assess whether these genera had specific traits that could explain their exclusivity to theMediterranean region.We compared the trait characteristics of NEWgenera to those of genera only found in Mediterranean or temperate regions that were included in the Tachet's database (MED and TEM genera, respectively). We found that NEW genera had more mediterranean characteristics than TEM genera and that some trait categories of NEW genera were even more mediterranean-like than the traits of MED genera (e.g., diapause). Therefore, our results suggest that the specific biological traits of these NEW genera allow them to cope successfully and exclusively with the harsh environmental conditions of the mediterranean climate rivers, which could partially explain their absence in Tachet's database. Other explanations, such as the limited dispersal ability of these NEW genera to reach and colonize temperate Europe or the rarity of these NEW genera, should also be considered. We provide biological traits of the NEW genera to be used in future studies on the mediterranean river ecology.Las bases de datos de múltiples rasgos biológicos están siendo cada vez más utilizadas en ecología de comunidades en distintas regiones del mundo. En Europa, Tachet et al. (2002) recopilaron información de macroinvertebrados acuáticos para 473 taxones de 11 rasgos biológicos que incluyen 63 categorías. No obstante, es esperable que las regiones menos estudiadas durante la recopilación de datos, tales como las mediterráneas, alberguen géneros exclusivos que por falta de información no fueron incluidos inicialmente en la base de datos de Tachet. En un estudio a lo largo de la cuenca mediterránea, se encontraron 44 géneros no incluidos en la base de datos de Tachet (géneros NEW). Nuestro principal objetivo fue recoger información de estos géneros y analizar si tenían rasgos mediterráneos específicos que pudieran explicar su exclusividad en estos ambientes. Así, comparamos los rasgos de los géneros NEW con aquellos géneros encontrados en las regiones mediterráneas y templadas incluidos en la base de datos de Tachet (géneros MED y TEM, respectivamente). Los resultados mostraron que los géneros NEW tenían rasgos más mediterráneos que los géneros TEM, y que algunos de ellos incluso lo eran más que los de los géneros MED (e.g. diapausa). Por lo tanto, nuestros resultados sugieren que los rasgos específicos de estos géneros NEW les permiten hacer frente a las condiciones ambientales que caracterizan los ríos mediterráneos, lo que podría explicar, en parte, su ausencia en la base de datos de Tachet. Asimismo, se han considerado otras razones, tales como la limitada dispersión de estos géneros NEW para colonizar la Europa templada o su rareza. Se proporcionan los rasgos biológicos de estos géneros NEW para ser utilizados en futuros estudios en ríos de clima mediterráneo

Els macroinvertebrats aquàtics dels ecosistemes fluvials.

Despite covering only 0.8% of the Earth's surface, freshwater biodiversity accounts for 9.5% of all described species. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, and in particular aquatic insects, are one of the most diverse faunal groups of fluvial ecosystems. Macroinvertebates are benthic invertebrates measuring more than 0.25 mm in size with a wide variety of biological and ecological traits, including different feeding types. Therefore, they constitute key elements of ecosystem functioning and provide significant ecosystem services. Among the taxonomic groups, there are representatives from Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Mollusca, Annelida, Arachnida, Crustacea, and more than seven different orders of Insecta. A mixture of historical and ecological factors acting at different scales controls the diversity patterns of aquatic macroinvertebrates. However, dispersal characteristics and landscape dispersal limitations are also important. These organisms have been widely used as indicators of global change. In particular, many different biological indexes based on macroinvertebrates are being applied in different countries around the world to assess water quality. In addition, they are also good surrogates of climate change given their strong relationship with hydrological conditions, the dependency of their life cycles on temperature, and the high number of endemic and cold-stenothermic species. Forecasts of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and distribution are not very promising. Their most suitable habitats will be largely reduced in the near future and many species have a high risk of becoming extinct, which makes the implementation of conservation and management measures imperative

Aquatic macroinvertebrates

Despite covering only 0.8% of the Earth’s surface, freshwater biodiversity accounts for 9.5% of all described species. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, and in particular aquatic insects, are one of the most diverse faunal groups of fluvial ecosystems. Macroinvertebates are benthic invertebrates measuring more than 0.25 mm in size with a wide variety of biological and ecological traits, including different feeding types. Therefore, they constitute key elements of ecosystem functioning and provide significant ecosystem services. Among the taxonomic groups, there are representatives from Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Mollusca, Annelida, Arachnida, Crustacea, and more than seven different orders of Insecta. A mixture of historical and ecological factors acting at different scales controls the diversity patterns of aquatic macroinvertebrates. However, dispersal characteristics and landscape dispersal limitations are also important. These organisms have been widely used as indicators of global change. In particular, many different biological indexes based on macroinvertebrates are being applied in different countries around the world to assess water quality. In addition, they are also good surrogates of climate change given their strong relationship with hydrological conditions, the dependency of their life cycles on temperature, and the high number of endemic and cold-stenothermic species. Forecasts of aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and distribution are not very promising. Their most suitable habitats will be largely reduced in the near future and many species have a high risk of becoming extinct, which makes the implementation of conservation and management measures imperative

A global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space.

The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining biodiversity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space; 'CESTES'. Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the sampling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the diversity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology

Community structure and water quality in Mediterranean streams of a Natural Park (Sant Llorenç del Munt, NE Spain)

Se estudian las comunidades de macroinvertebrados de los ríos del Parque Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i la Serra de l'Obac (Barcelona, NE España) y su relación con las condiciones de flujo de los ríos. Hasta 78 localidades se visitaron en dos ocasiones (invierno y verano de 1996) y en 26 de ellas se tomaron muestras de macroinvertebrados. Mientras en invierno el 63 % de los kilÛmetros investigados tenía flujo continuo y menos del 1% estaba seco, en verano solo el 26% tenía flujo continuo, un 20% estaba totalmente seco y el resto presentaba pozas en su lecho. A pesar de ello el número de familias de macroinvertebrados fue de 54 en invierno y 94 en verano, siendo dominantes en este último caso los heterópteros, coleópteros, odonatos y dípteros, mientras que en invierno los tricópteros y plecópteros eran más diversos. En general, la comunidad presentó una estrategia trófica recolectora aunque la proporción de los ramoneadores y depredadores aumentó en verano. El estudio de las comunidades mediante el análisis de su abundancia en los dos perÌodos, mostró que las variables temporales (flujo, temperatura) o las relacionadas con el incremento de la producciÛn primaria (oxÌgeno, pH) explicaban la mayor parte de la variabilidad con los elementos mas reófilos propios de invierno y los leníticos de verano, mientras que otros factores fisicoquímicos no eran relevantes. Calculado el índice biológico BMWP' se demostró que los valores en verano eran superiores o similares a los de invierno lo que se explica por la mayor diversidad aunque la calificaciÛn individual de cada una de las familias encontradas en verano fuera menor que las halladas en invierno

Limnological research in the Iberian Peninsula: a ten-year survey of published literature.

Research on limnology in southern Europe had achieved a notable presence in the international arena before the onset of the current dramatic cuts in public investment in science. We assessed the limnological research published in peer-reviewed journals by Spanish and Portuguese (i.e., Iberian) researchers during the decade prior to the economic recession (2000 to 2009). The Thompson Reuters Web of Knowledge database was used to retrieve all publications on limnology authored by researchers affiliated with Spanish or Portuguese institutions independently of the geographical setting of the study. The publishing pattern was characterised in terms of authors, journals, and citation statistics. In addition, a thematic characterisation of the research was performed by a manual assignation of several categorical descriptors combined with a blind word count analysis. Iberian researchers produced an annual mean of 278 papers on limnology. Papers were published in journals that had impact factors ranging from 0.1 to 31.4, with a mean of 2.0. Based on citations, the impact of the Iberian limnological research was not due to a few highly cited papers but rather to a wide number of publications; each paper received a mean of 8 citations. The Iberian limnological research involved up to 5460 researchers, with a mean of 4.3 authors per paper. The research largely focused on fluvial systems, with 47 % of total publications (2778) devoted to these ecosystems. There was a dominant focus on local, within-system aspects of study sites and the research was mostly restricted to the Iberian Peninsula; larger spatial scales of analysis (i.e., landscape, regional, or global) tended to be overlooked. Iberian research addressed fundamental (75 %) rather than applied (17 %) or methodological (5 %) questions and was vastly dominated by observational approaches (75 %). Interestingly, Iberian limnological research increased its scientific productivity during the analysed decade at a higher rate than its international counterpart (increase of 119 %). Overall, Iberian research on limnology appeared to be in good health during the analysed decade. Certain areas have been more studied than others, which opens opportunities to develop new research

Cyclotella alvarniensis (Stephanodiscaceae): ¿Diatomea moderna o fósil?

Cyclotella alvarniensis is considered a fossil species of diatom from the Upper Miocene. The occurrence of this species is usually associated with the proximity of diatomite exploitation areas. Frustules have been found in some regions of Spain (Murcia-Albacete), France, Switzerland, and recently in Senegal. However, the causes of their aerial dispersal and their geographical distribution are not clear. During a diatom monitoring and dispersal study carried out in the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park (Barcelona, Spain), we recorded the presence of C. alvarniensis frustules for the first time in Catalonia. Specifically, they were found in four different types of substrates: on running water biofilm, artificial pools or mesocosms, natural disconnected pools and rehydrated dry sediments. Given the forms of occurrence of C. alvarniensis in our samples and the absence of nearby diatomite deposits, we discuss the possibility that it is also an extant species in freshwater diatom communities.Cyclotella alvarniensis es considerada una especie fósil de diatomea del Mioceno Superior. La presencia de esta especie suele estar asociada a su proximidad a zonas de explotación de diatomita. Se han encontrado frústulas en algunas regiones de España (Murcia-Albacete), Francia, Suiza y recientemente en Senegal. Sin embargo, las causas de su dispersión aérea y su distribución geográfica no están claras. Durante un estudio de seguimiento y dispersión de diatomeas realizado en el Parque Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac (Barcelona, España), registramos la presencia de C. alvarniensis por primera vez en Cataluña. Concretamente, aparecieron en cuatro tipos distintos de sustratos: sobre biopelículas de agua corriente, pozas artificiales o mesocosmos, pozas naturales desconectadas y sedimento rehidratado. Dadas las formas de aparición de C. alvarniensis en nuestras muestras y a la ausencia de depósitos de diatomita cercanos, discutimos la posibilidad de que también sea una especie actual de las comunidades de diatomeas de agua dulce

Grain size selection in case building by the mountain cased-caddisfly species Potamophylax latipennis (Curtis, 1834): a trade-off between building time and energetic costs.

Many caddisfly larvae build cases to facilitate breathing, provide physical protection, reduce predation, avoid becoming drift, or prolong survival during drying conditions. Case building also requires significant energetic costs related to grain searching and silk production, which may involve a trade-off with the size of grain used. Thus, building cases with large grain sizes would require less time (i.e., a trait related to survival) but higher silk production (i.e., a trait related to fecundity), whereas building with small grain sizes would show the contrary pattern. Grain size selection, time spent, and energetic costs related to case building were assessed on the Limnephilid species Potamophylax latipennis. Laboratory experiments were conducted in order to force individuals to build using seven different experimental conditions with varying grain size availability. Results showed a trade-off between time and energetic costs. P. latipennis prioritized building cases with grain sizes that provide a faster building although they used larger amounts of silk. In addition, when individuals were first forced to build a case using a unfamiliar substrate and then placed in the native (i.e. from the river) substrate, most unfamiliar grains where replaced by native ones, even though it represented an extra cost for the individuals. Despite the high energetic costs of building cases in Trichoptera and their potential implications for reproductive traits in the adult stage, larvae individual survival was prioritized

A comparison of rapid bioassessment protocols used in 2 regions with Mediterranean climates, the Iberian Peninsula and South Africa

Abstract. The ability of 2 Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBPs) to assess stream water quality was compared in 2 Mediterranean-climate regions. The most commonly used RBPs in South Africa (SAprotocol) and the Iberian Peninsula (IB-protocol) are both multihabitat, field-based methods that use macroinvertebrates. Both methods use preassigned sensitivity weightings to calculate metrics and biotic indices. The SA- and IB-protocols differ with respect to sampling equipment (mesh size: 1000 lm vs 250-300 lm, respectively), segregation of habitats (substrate vs flow-type), and sampling and sorting procedures (variable time and intensity). Sampling was undertaken at 6 sites in South Africa and 5 sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Forty-four and 51 macroinvertebrate families were recorded in South Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, respectively; 77.3% of South African families and 74.5% of Iberian Peninsula families were found using both protocols. Estimates of community similarity compared between the 2 protocols were .60% similar among sites in South Africa and .54% similar among sites in the Iberian Peninsula (Bray-Curtis similarity), and no significant differences were found between protocols (Multiresponse Permutation Procedure). Ordination based on Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling grouped macroinvertebrate samples on the basis of site rather than protocol. Biotic indices generated with the 2 protocols at each site did not differ. Thus, both RBPs produced equivalent results, and both were able to distinguish between biotic communities (mountain streams vs foothills) and detect water-quality impairment, regardless of differences in sampling equipment, segregation of habitats, and sampling and sorting procedures. Our results indicate that sampling a single habitat may be sufficient for assessing water quality, but a multihabitat approach to sampling is recommended where intrinsic variability of macroinvertebrate assemblages is high (e.g., in undisturbed sites in regions with Mediterranean climates). The RBP of choice should depend on whether the objective is routine biomonitoring of water quality or autecological or faunistic studies

How are riparian plants distributed along the riverbank topographic gradient in Mediterranean rivers? Application to minimally altered river stretches in Southern Spain.

Species structure and composition in Mediterranean riparian forests are determined by hydrological features, longitudinal zonation, and riverbank topography. This study assesses the distribution of four native riparian plants along the riverbank topographic gradient in three river stretches in southern Spain, with special emphasis on the occupation of adult and young feet of each species. The studied stretches suffered minimal human disturbances, displayed semi-arid conditions, and had wide riparian areas to allow the development of the target species: black alder (Alnus glutinosa), salvia leaf willow (Salix salviifolia), narrow-leafed ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), and oleander (Nerium oleander). Thalweg height was used to define the riverbank topographic gradient. The results showed a preferential zone for black alder and salvia leaf willow in the range of 0-150 cm from the channel thalweg, with adult alders and willows being more common between 51 and 150 cm and young alders being more common under 50 cm. Conversely, narrow-leafed ash and oleander were much more frequent, and showed greater development, in the ranges of 151-200 cm and 201-250 cm, respectively, whereas the young feet of both species covered the entire topographic range. Adult feet of the four species were spatially segregated along the riverbank topographic gradient, indicating their differential ability to cope with water stress from the non-tolerant alders and willows to more tolerant narrow-leafed ash trees and oleanders. Young feet, however, showed a strategy more closely linked to the initial availability of colonisation sites within riparian areas to the dispersion strategy of each species and to the distribution of adult feet. In Mediterranean areas, where riparian management has traditionally faced great challenges, the incorporation of species preferences along riverbank gradients could improve the performance of restoration projects