Using CASIMIR-Vegetation model in the context of modeling riparian woods and fish species to support a holistic approach for environmental flows to be used on river management and conservation

The CASiMiR-vegetation model is a software that recreates the physical processes influencing the survival and recruitment of riparian vegetation, based on the relationship between ecologically relevant flow regime components and riparian vegetation metrics that reflect the vegetation’s responses to flow regime change. Working at a flow response guild level, this tool outperforms equivalent models by overriding various restrictions of the conventional modeling approaches. The potential of the CASiMiR-vegetation model is revealed in its application to different case studies during the development of a holistic approach to determine environmental flows in lowland Mediterranean rivers, based on woody riparian vegetation and fish species. Various modeling circumstances are described where CASiMiR-vegetation model was used with the purpose of sustaining the research addressing the thesis objectives. The main findings already accomplished in this research are highlighted to illustrate the outcomes that can be attained from the use of such a model

Comparison and Validation of Hydrological E-Flow Methods through Hydrodynamic Modelling

Flow regime determines physical habitat conditions and local biotic configuration. The development of environmental flow guidelines to support the river integrity is becoming a major concern in water resources management. In this study, we analysed two sites located in southern part of Portugal, respectively at Odelouca and Ocreza Rivers, characterised by the Mediterranean climate. Both rivers are almost in pristine condition, not regulated by dams or other diversion construction. This study presents an analysis of the effect on fish habitat suitability by the implementation of different hydrological e-flow methods. To conduct this study we employed certain hydrological e-flow methods recommended by the European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA). River hydrology assessment was based on approximately 30 years of mean daily flow data, provided by the Portuguese Water Information System (SNIRH). The biological data, bathymetry, physical and hydraulic features, and the Habitat Suitability Index for fish species were collected from extensive field works. We followed the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) to assess the flow-habitat relationship taking into account the habitat suitability of different instream flow releases. Initially, we analysed fish habitat suitability based on natural conditions, and we used it as reference condition for other scenarios considering the chosen hydrological e-flow methods. We accomplished the habitat modelling through hydrodynamic analysis by using River-2D model. The same methodology was applied to each scenario by considering as input the e-flows obtained from each of the hydrological method employed in this study. This contribution shows the significance of ecohydrological studies in establishing a foundation for water resources management actions

Importance of considering riparian vegetation requirements for the long-term efficiency of environmental flows in aquatic microhabitats

Environmental flows remain biased toward the traditional biological group of fish species. Consequently, these flows ignore the inter-annual flow variability that rules species with longer lifecycles and therefore disregard the long-term perspective of the riverine ecosystem. We analyzed the importance of considering riparian requirements for the long-term efficiency of environmental flows. For that analysis, we modeled the riparian vegetation development for a decade facing different environmental flows in two case studies. Next, we assessed the corresponding fish habitat availability of three common fish species in each of the resulting riparian landscape scenarios. Modeling results demonstrated that the environmental flows disregarding riparian vegetation requirements promoted riparian degradation, particularly vegetation encroachment. Such circumstance altered the hydraulic characteristics of the river channel where flow depths and velocities underwent local changes of up to 10 cm and 40 cm s1, respectively. Accordingly, after a decade of this flow regime, the available habitat area for the considered fish species experienced modifications of up to 110% when compared to the natural habitat. In turn, environmental flows regarding riparian vegetation requirements were able to maintain riparian vegetation near natural standards, thereby preserving the hydraulic characteristics of the river channel and sustaining the fish habitat close to the natural condition. As a result, fish habitat availability never changed more than 17% from the natural habitatinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using CASiMiR-vegetation model to establish riparian vegetation disturbance requirements

The disturbance requirements of riparian vegetation were determined in two Mediterranean rivers based on riparian vegetation modeling. The assessment of the riparian vegetation disturbance requirements were consistent in selecting the best disturbance regime. Such outcome may suggest the probable applicability of this approach to rivers in general and the possibility to preserve artificially the sustainability of the riparian communities in regulated rivers

Determinação de um regime de caudais ecológicos a jusante do empreendimento do Alvito. Relatório Final

Estudo realizado pelo Instituto Superior de Agronomia para a ATKINS, no âmbito do Protocolo de Colaboração ATKINS – ISA-ADISA, de 19 de Junho de 2012O estudo que se apresenta tem como objetivo a definição dos regimes de caudais ecológicos para o aproveitamento hidroelétrico do Alvito, localizado no rio Ocreza, e possíveis futuros aproveitamentos hidroelétricos na ribeira de Alvito. Os regimes foram propostos para cada um dos cursos de água referidos, com base na informação recolhida e modelada em locais de estudo representativos dos cursos de água referidos, tendo ainda sido validados por modelações num local de estudo independente localizado a jusante dos anteriores. Os regimes de caudais propostos neste documento apresentam um carácter inovador e único em Portugal, resultando de uma metodologia que considera não só os requisitos de comunidades aquáticas mas também ripárias, suportada pela modelação matemática de ambas as comunidades e conferindo uma maior aproximação holística ao sistema fluvial. A metodologia apresentada proporciona assim um alargamento do espectro de atuação dos caudais ecológicos apresentados atualmente, considerando para além da variação intra-anual do regime hidrológico natural retratada pela fauna piscícola, a sua variação interanual, cuja influência no ecossistema fluvial é espelhada pela vegetação ripária. Nos capítulos que se seguem relatam-se os trabalhos efetuados com vista a produzir os regimes propostos, desde os levantamentos de campo e amostragens biológicas até aos resultados obtidos nas modelações efetuadas. Por fim, o presente relatório culmina na construção dos regimes de caudais ecológicos com planificação decénia, conjugando regimes de caudais mensais com cheias de período de retorno plurianualN/

Atualização do Habitat 91E0* na Rede Natura em Portugal Continental: resultados obtidos no âmbito do projecto LIFE Fluvial

Este documento, relativo à ação A1 do projeto LIFE FLUVIAL, contem a atualização da informação sobre o habitat 91E0* nas áreas pertencentes à Rede Natura 2000 em Portugal Continental. O documento tem o intuito de melhorar o conhecimento sobre a distribuição observada e provável do habitat, incluindo a) uma atualização da presença observada do habitat com base em varias fontes de informação, tais como estudos prévios, trabalhos de cartografia, projetos de investigação e técnicos, registos de herbários, bases de dados florísticas e de vegetação; e b) uma determinação de locais com elevada probabilidade de ocorrência do Habitat 91E0* com base nos modelos desenvolvidos no projeto RIPLANTE nas áreas classificadas na rede natura 2000 em Portugal Continental. A combinação das duas componentes será fundamental para colmatar as lacunas existentes quanto à distribuição deste habitat prioritário e contribuir para a sua conservação no âmbito da Rede Natura 2000.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aquatic biodiversity and quality of streams in certified eucalypt plantations in central Portugal

Em Portugal, mais de 150.000 ha de plantações de eucalipto (Eucalyptus globulus) são já geridas em conformidade com os sistemas internacionais de certificação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de avaliar a biodiversidade e a qualidade ecológica de pequenos rios associados a este tipo de povoamentos, usando diversas comunidades aquáticas – peixes, anfíbios e macroinvertebrados – bem como um índice de condição morfológica fluvial (qualidade do leito e margens). Este estudo foi conduzido em dois cursos de água localizados na zona centro de Portugal, a ribeira da Foz (média dimensão e regime hidrológico permanente) e a ribeira dos Rouxinóis (pequena dimensão e regime intermitente), com envolventes dominadas por plantações certificadas de eucalipto, e por isso com zonas ripícolas bem conservadas. A ribeira da Foz revelou associações piscícolas com elevada riqueza específica e que, embora dominadas por uma espécie exótica (Gobio lozanoi), incluíram várias espécies ameaçadas. A anfíbiofauna apresentou‑se contudo pouco abundante, muito provavelmente devido à grande diversidade e densidade piscícola e à presença significativa do lagostim-vermelho-do-Louisiana (Procambarus clarkii). Neste sistema, registou-se ainda uma boa qualidade da condição morfológica, bem como uma elevada diversidade da comunidade de macroinvertebrados, reflexo de boa qualidade da água. Na ribeira dos Rouxinóis a comunidade piscícola foi próxima da potencial para este tipo de rios, e a anfíbiofauna apresentou-se diversa e abundante. No entanto, a comunidade de macroinvertebrados revelou-se muito pouco diversa, provavelmente devido à menor riqueza de habitats ou às elevadas condutividades aí verificadas. Os resultados demonstraram que rios associados a eucaliptais certificados podem apresentar boa qualidade ecológica e uma significativa biodiversidade aquáticainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-biologic group analysis for an ecosystem response to longitudinal river regulation gradients

This work assesses the effects of river regulation on the diversity of different instream and riparian biological communities along a relieve gradient of disturbance in regulated rivers. Two case studies in Portugal were used, with different river regulation typology (downstream of run-of-river and reservoir dams), where regulated and free-flowing river stretches were surveyed for riparian vegetation, macrophytes, bryophytes, macroalgae, diatoms and macroinvertebrates. The assessment of the regulation effects on biological communities was approached by both biological and functional diversity analysis. Results of this investigation endorse river regulation as a major factor differentiating fluvial biological communities through an artificial environmental filtering that governs species assemblages by accentuating species traits related to river regulation tolerance. Communities' response to regulation gradient seem to be similar and insensitive to river regulation typology. Biological communities respond to this regulation gradient with different sensibilities and rates of response, with riparian vegetation and macroinvertebrates being the most responsive to river regulation and its gradient. Richness appears to be the best indicator for general fluvial ecological quality facing river regulation. Nevertheless, there are high correlations between the biological and functional diversity indices of different biological groups, which denotes biological connections indicative of a cascade of effects leading to an indirect influence of river regulation even on non-responsive facets of communities' biological and functional diversities. These results highlight the necessary holistic perspective of the fluvial system when assessing the effects of river regulation and the proposal of restoration measures.publishe

Passability of potamodromous species through a fish lift at a large hydropower plant (Touvedo, Portugal)

River fragmentation by large hydropower plants (LHP) has been recognized as a major threat for potamodromous fish. Fishways have thus been built to partially restore connectivity, with fish lifts representing the most cost-effective type at high head obstacles. This study assessed the effectiveness with which a fish lift in a LHP on the River Lima (Touvedo, Portugal), allows potamodromous fish—Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei), Northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense) and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario)- to migrate upstream. Most fish (79.5%) used the lift between summer and early-fall. Water temperature was the most significant predictor of both cyprinids’ movements, whereas mean daily flow was more important for trout. Movements differed according to peak-flow magnitude: nase (67.8%) made broader use of the lift in the absence of turbined flow, whereas a relevant proportion of barbel (44.8%) and trout (44.2%) passed when the powerhouse was operating at half (50 m3s-1) and full-load (100 m3s-1), respectively. Size-selectivity found for barbel and trout could reflect electrofishing bias towards smaller sizes. The comparison of daily abundance patterns in the river with fish lift records allowed the assessment of the lift’s effcacy, although biological requirements of target species must be considered. Results are discussed in the context of management strategies, with recommendations for future studiesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modeling the evolution of riparian woodlands facing climate change in three European rivers with contrasting flow regimes

Global circulation models forecasts indicate a future temperature and rainfall pattern modification worldwide. Such phenomena will become particularly evident in Europe where climate modifications could be more severe than the average change at the global level. As such, river flow regimes are expected to change, with resultant impacts on aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Riparian woodlands are among the most endangered ecosystems on earth and provide vital services to interconnected ecosystems and human societies. However, they have not been the object of many studies designed to spatially and temporally quantify how these ecosystems will react to climate change-induced flow regimes. Our goal was to assess the effects of climate-changed flow regimes on the existing riparian vegetation of three different European flow regimes. Cases studies were selected in the light of the most common watershed alimentation modes occurring across European regions, with the objective of appraising expected alterations in the riparian elements of fluvial systems due to climate change. Riparian vegetation modeling was performed using the CASiMiR-vegetation model, which bases its computation on the fluvial disturbance of the riparian patch mosaic. Modeling results show that riparian woodlands may undergo not only at least moderate changes for all flow regimes, but also some dramatic adjustments in specific areas of particular vegetation development stages. There are circumstances in which complete annihilation is feasible. Pluvial flow regimes, like the ones in southern European rivers, are those likely to experience more pronounced changes. Furthermore, regardless of the flow regime, younger and more water-dependent individuals are expected to be the most affected by climate change.This work was supported by the IWRM Era-Net Funding Initiative through the RIPFLOW project (references ERAC-CT-2005-026025, ERA-IWRM/0001/2008, CGL2008-03076-E/BTE), http://www.old.iwrm-net.eu/spip.php. Rui Rivaes benefited from a PhD grant sponsored by UTL - Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa (www.utl.pt) and Patricia Maria Rodriguez-Gonzalez benefited from a post-doctoral grant sponsored by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (www.fct.pt) (SFRH/BPD/47140/2008). The Spanish team would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness the support provided through the SCARCE project (Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. 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