11 research outputs found
Litter quality, stream characteristics and litter diversity influence decomposition rates and macroinvertebrates
Invertebrate and microbial colonisation in native and exotic leaf litter species in a mountain stream
Combining habitat and biological characterization: Ecological validation of the river habitat survey
Distribution of yeasts and filamentous fungi in polluted and non polluted streams of douro basin, ne portugal
Genetic evidence for limited introgression between wild and stocked individuals in Portuguese brown trout, Salmo trutta populations
Hydropeaking impact assessment for Iberian cyprinids and leuciscids: An adaptation of the hydropeaking tool method
Hydropeaking negatively affects fish assemblages, but knowledge gaps still constrain our ability to rank and mitigate the impacts of different hydropower operation regimes at particular power plants. This is especially relevant for species and rivers for which the effects of hydropeaking are less investigated, such as the Iberian Cypriniformes and Mediterranean rivers. Recognizing the potential of the hydropeaking tool method (HT) developed for salmonids to systematically assess hydropeaking impacts, we adapted it for Iberian Cypriniformes. The general tool framework developed for the salmonids was kept for the Cypriniformes, with the combined use of factors describing the hydromorphological effects and factors related with fish vulnerability to assess hydropeaking impact. Effect and vulnerability factors were developed for Iberian cyprinids and leuciscids establishing preliminary thresholds for each indicator with three different levels of hydropeaking impact on the targeted taxa. The proposed factors and thresholds were critically reviewed and ranked by experts on Iberian Cypriniformes ecology and Mediterranean rivers functioning. Overall, the timing and distribution of peaking events were ranked higher by the experts in the effect factors, whereas the population size of barbel and smaller native Cypriniformes, as well as the degree of limitations in recruitment, were ranked higher in the vulnerability factors. Although there was some divergence in the expert opinions, a final set of effect and vulnerability factors was established, that retained most of the ones proposed for the salmonids, but included new ones, particularly for vulnerability. The present study provided a comprehensive, straightforward, and systematic assessment tool for evaluating hydropeaking impacts on Iberian Cypriniformes
Variability in feeding ecology of a South American cichlid: a reason for successful invasion in mediterranean-type rivers?
Rainwater harvesting in catchments for agro-forestry uses: A study focused on the balance between sustainability values and storage capacity
Impacts of climate change and land-use scenarios on Margaritifera margaritifera, an environmental indicator and endangered species
In this study, we assess the impacts of future climate and land-use in the Beça River (northern Portugal) under different scenarios and how this will translate into the conservation status of the endangered pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758). This species is currently present in several stretches of the Beça River that still hold adequate ecological conditions. However, the species is threatened by projected declines in precipitation for the 21st century, with implication on the river flows and water depths that might decrease below the species requisites. This situation could be especially critical during summer conditions since the ecological flows may not be assured and several river stretches may be converted into stagnant isolated pools. The habitat connectivity will also be affected with reverberating effects on the mobility of Salmo trutta, the host of M. margaritifera, with consequences in the reproduction and recruitment of pearl mussels. In addition, human-related threats mostly associated with the presence of dams and an predicted increases in wildfires in the future. While the presence of dams may decrease even further the connectivity and river flow, with wildfires the major threat will be related to the wash out of burned areas during storms, eventually causing the disappearance of the mussels, especially the juveniles. In view of future climate and land-use change scenarios, conservation strategies are proposed, including the negotiation of ecological flows with the dam promoters, the replanting of riparian vegetation along the water course and the reintroduction of native tree species throughout the catchment.As regards the corresponding author, the research was funded by the
national funds (FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology)
under the strategic project of the Vila Real Chemistry Research Centre
(PEst-OE/QUI/UI0616/2014). As regards the authors integrated in
the CITAB centre, the research was supported by the national funds
(FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the
project PEst-OE/AGR/UI4033/2014. The research was also supported
by the European Union Funds (FEDER/COMPETE-Operational Competitiveness
Programme) under the project CONBI-PTDC/AACAMB/117688/
2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio