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January 2001 - October 2016
Publications
Publications (157)
Leaf litter and algae are the most important basal resources for invertebrate primary consumers in freshwater ecosystems. These basal source-consumer links can be affected by chemical pollutants, such as pesticides, that are widely used in agricultural activities. Pesticides are usually present in complex mixtures which potentially modifies the tox...
In the present study we investigated the combined effect of flow intermittence and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent on leaf litter decomposition in two Mediterranean streams with permanent and intermittent flow regimes. The litter decomposition experiment was performed using black poplar litter bags where we measured litter mass loss, fun...
La descomposición de la hojarasca es un proceso ecosistémico clave aún poco explorado en ríos intermitentes. Durante la fase seca, la hojarasca experimenta diversos modos de procesamiento, ya sea acuático, terrestre o combinado, generando un proceso heterogéneo. En pozas aisladas, las condiciones adversas y la falta de corriente limitan la activida...
In intermittent streams, aquatic organisms use various strategies to face dry phases, but the relative contribution of these strategies to persist during dry phase remains unclear. Here, we investigated the in situ persistence of benthic invertebrates in the saturated hyporheic sediments and the “invertebrate seedbank” that persists in dry sediment...
Aquatic refuges are essential for invertebrate communities to cope with flow intermittence in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), but their contribution to recovery after drying remains unclear, although they may be essential to safeguard IRES biodiversity. Here, we explored the role of hyporheic zones (HZs) and dry sediments (seedban...
Fungi are among the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth and play pivotal roles in global carbon processing, nutrient cycling and food webs. Despite their abundant and functional importance, little is known about the patterns and mechanisms governing their community composition in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams, which are the mos...
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) compose the majority of draining networks on Earth, supporting a unique fraction of biodiversity. Despite their high ecological value, IRES are increasingly threatened by global change and require appropriate biomonitoring and restoration tools. However, indices and indicators used in routine biomoni...
Investigating the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning over environmental gradients is needed to anticipate ecosystem responses to global change. However, our understanding of the functional role of freshwater biodiversity, especially for microbes, is mainly based on manipulative experiments, where biodiversity and environmental varia...
Rivers of Europe, Second Edition, presents the latest update on the only primary source of complete and comparative baseline data on the biological and hydrological characteristics of more than 180 of the highest profile rivers in Europe. With even more full-color photographs and maps, the book includes conservation information on current patterns...
Rivers of the Iberian Peninsula have been influenced for a long time by intensive human use. This, together with a largely unpredictable climate and scarce water resources, resulted in a large number of hydraulic infrastructures, with more than 1000 large reservoirs spread throughout Iberian watercourses. Although climatic variation is high, most o...
Impacts of environmental stressors on food webs are often difficult to predict because trophic levels can respond in divergent ways, and biotic interactions may dampen or amplify responses. Here we studied food‐web‐level impacts of urban wastewater pollution, a widespread source of degradation that can alter stream food webs via top‐down and bottom...
Flow interruption in intermittent rivers (IRs) generates a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic habitats across the river network affecting ecosystem processes, as organic matter (OM) decomposition. Water use for farming in arid and semi-arid climates intensifies the dry conditions and affects local river characteristics. In that way, flow intermitten...
Predicting the impacts of global change on highly dynamic ecosystems requires a better understanding of how communities respond to disturbance duration, frequency and timing. Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams are dynamic ecosystems that are recognized as the most common fluvial ecosystem globally. The complexity of the drying process can gi...
Leaf litter or algae are the most important basal resources for invertebrate primary
consumers in freshwater ecosystems.This first level in the food chain is essential
for nutrient and energy transfer to the entire food web. These basal sourceconsumer links can be influenced by chemical pollutants such as pesticides widely
used in agriculture activ...
Intermittent rivers are characterized by periods of flow cessation, which can be natural and/or induced by human impacts. Intermittent rivers are the most common fluvial ecosystem in Mediterranean regions, where freshwater demand specially increases in summer when the water flow is the lowest. The most important water use in river basin is usually...
Aim: Contemporary dispersal constraints and environmental conditions are broadly recognized as significant drivers of beta diversity patterns. However, beta diversity patterns may also reflect the legacy of past climatic and geological events. In this study, we investigated the relative importance of historical and contemporary factors as drivers o...
The aquatic communities in intermittent streams are adapted to the non-flow periods, and they have the capacity to recover when flow returns. To date, it is known that some species can present resistant forms to persist in situ the non-flow period (e.g. dormancy eggs), while others recolonize the habitat from perennial sites (ex situ). However, it...
Rivers suffer from more severe decreases in species diversity compared to other aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems due to a variety of pressures related to human activities. Species provide different roles in the functioning of the ecosystem, and their loss may reduce the capacity of the ecosystems to respond to multiple stressors. The effects on d...
Aim. To identify and characterize the distribution of invertebrate taxa in the Orinoco basin and how their distribution affects the metacommunity structure along the river network.
Location. Meta and Guaviare sub‐basins, Orinoco basin, Colombia, South America.
Methods. We characterized the invertebrate communities and environmental characterist...
The microbial decomposition of organic matter is a fundamental ecosystem process that transforms organic matter and fuels detritus-based food webs, influencing biogeochemical cycles such as C-cycling. The efficiency of this process can be compromised during the non-flow periods of intermittent and ephemeral streams (IRES). When water flow ceases, s...
In temperate headwater streams, riparian forests hinder the development of algae by reducing light availability and generate large inputs of detritus. Microbial assemblages associated with this detritus are expected to strongly influence in-stream elemental cycling. However, most research has focused on quantifying nitrogen (N) cycling while we kno...
Aquatic habitats have been highly modified by human actions that reduce their native diversity and create conditions suitable for tolerant alien species. Pomacea maculata was detected in 2009 in both the alluvial plain and the final stretch of the Ebro River. Since then, a permanent population has stabilized in the littoral area of the river where...
Olive mill wastewaters (OMW) discharging in river ecosystems cause significant adverse effects on their water chemistry and biological communities. We here examined the effects of OMW loads in four streams of a Mediterranean basin characterized by changing flow. The diatom and macroinvertebrate community structures were compared between upstream (c...
Urban wastewater effluents bring large amounts of nutrients, organic matter and organic microcontaminants into freshwater ecosystems. The effects of this complex mixture of pollutants on freshwater invertebrates have been studied mainly in temperate rivers and streams with high dilution capacities. In contrast, Mediterranean streams and rivers have...
In this study, the combined effects of hydrological and chemical stressors on benthic macroinvertebrates were evaluated in order to explore the response of the biological community to multiple stressors. The Adige River, located in the south‐eastern Alps, was selected as a case study because representative of the situation of a large river in which...
The study of leaf litter as a resource for shredders has emerged as a key topic in trophic links in ecology. However, thus far, most studies have emphasized the leaf quality as one of the main determinants of shredder behaviour and growth without simultaneously considering the leaf quantity availability. Nevertheless, the combined effects of leaf q...
Consumer consumption and growth data.
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Studies of trophic networks and the evaluation of processes that occur along altitudinal gradients in riversystems are of great importance because they allow an understanding of energy flow dynamics and pro-vide scientific tools for the planning and management of river ecosystems. This research describes thetrophic network of aquatic macroinvertebr...
Human appropriation of water resources may induce water stress in freshwater ecosystems when ecosystem needs are not met. Intensive abstraction and regulation cause river ecosystems to shift towards non-natural flow regimes, which might have implications for their water quality, biological structure and functioning. We performed a meta-analysis of...
Wastewater discharges into fluvial ecosystems represent a significant and continuous source of fine particles and nutrients that can severely modify stream community composition and functionality. Depending on both wastewater and stream features (e.g., nutrient removal treatments and stream dilution capacity), the ecological effects can be more or...
Global change is dramatically altering flow regimes worldwide. Among the most important consequences are the transition of many permanent waterways to temporary waterways, the increase in duration and frequency of non‐flow periods of temporary streams, and the increase in the severity (i.e. irradiance, temperature and humidity) of the non‐flow peri...
Flow regimes are a major driver of community composition and structure in riverine ecosystems, and flow regulation by dams often induces artificially-stable flow regimes downstream. This represents a major source of hydrological alteration, particularly in regions where biota is adapted to strong seasonal and interannual flow variability. We hypoth...
River ecosystems are subject to multiple stressors that affect their structure and functioning. Ecosystem structure refers to characteristics such as channel form, water quality or the composition of biological communities, whereas ecosystem functioning refers to processes such as metabolism, organic matter decomposition or secondary production. St...
Temporary rivers are dynamic and complex ecosystems that are widespread in arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Mediterranean. Biotic communities adapted in their intermittent nature could withstand recurrent
drought events. However, anthropogenic disturbances in the form of water stress and chemical pollution challenge biota with unpredictable...
In recent years, behavior-related endpoints have been proposed as rapid and reliable ecotoxicological tools for risk assessment. In particular, the use of detritivores to test the toxicity of pollutants through feeding is currently becoming a well-known method. Experiments combining feeding with other behavioral endpoints can provide relevant infor...
Seasonal droughts in Mediterranean streams shape their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Thus, droughts have the potential to alter resources at the base of the food web, which in headwater streams are primarily allochthonous and secondarily autochthonous organic matter (OM). In the present study we asssessed the quality of basal...
We used the trait composition of macroinvertebrate communities to identify the effects of pesticides and multiple stressors associated with urban land use at different sites of four rivers in Spain. Several physical and chemical stressors (high metal pollution, nutrients, elevated temperature and flow alterations) affected the urban sites. The occu...
Stream flow intermittency and subsequent streambed drying, which already occurs in most biomes worldwide, is expected to increase in many regions due to both climate change and increased water demand. We studied the effects of streambed drying on leaves and epilithic biofilm and their effects on potential consumers. In the field, resources were con...
Mediterranean rivers are hotspots for biodiversity, and riverine species are adapted to regular physical perturbations that affect channel morphology during flashy rainfall-runoff events. Dams alter flow regimes, changing flood magnitude and frequency; they also interrupt the continuity of sediment transport. Changes in both flood and sediment tran...
Context
Multiple stressors constitute a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the Mediterranean region where water scarcity is likely to interact with other anthropogenic stressors. Biological traits potentially allow the unravelling of the effects of multiple stressors. However, thus far, trait-based approaches have failed to fully...
• Dams fragment river systems worldwide, and Mediterranean-climate rivers, characterised by highly seasonal hydrographs and adapted biotas, are particularly impacted by flow regulation. Whereas the effects of flow regulation on hydrology, sediment transport and biodiversity have long been examined, responses at the food-web level remain understudie...
Interactions between emerging contaminants and other drivers of community structure and function are poorly known. We used laboratory microcosms to investigate the single and combined effects of grazing and triclosan toxicity on the structure and function of stream periphyton.
Grazing alone strongly reduced algal biomass, but also reduced oxidative...
Most fluvial networks worldwide include watercourses that recurrently cease to flow and run dry. The spatial and temporal extent of the dry phase of these temporary watercourses is increasing as a result of global change. Yet, current estimates of carbon emissions from fluvial networks do not consider temporary watercourses when they are dry. We ch...
We studied biochemical changes in biofilm and suspended particulate and dissolved organic matter (OM) during the leaf emergence period (March–May 2008) in a forested headwater stream in response to a long-term (4 years, 2004–2008) experimental nutrient enrichment study. This study compared results from one reach upstream of the enrichment point and...
Land use type, physical and chemical stressors, and organic microcontaminants were investigated for their effects on the biological communities (biofilms and invertebrates) in several Mediterranean rivers. The diversity of invertebrates, and the scores of the first principal component of a PCA performed with the diatom communities were the best des...
In temporary Mediterranean streams, flow fragmentation during summer droughts originates an ephemeral mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic habitat types. The heterogeneity of habitat types implies a particular ecosystem functioning in temporary streams that is still poorly understood. We assessed the initial phases of leaf litter decomposition in sele...
Dams fragment river systems worldwide, and Mediterranean-climate rivers, characterised by highly seasonal hydrographs and adapted biotas, are particularly impacted by flow regulation. Whereas the effects of flow regulation on hydrology, sediment transport and biodiversity have long been examined, responses at the food-web level remain understudied....
Most river ecosystems are under the joint effects of co-occurring stressors, and attributing the mechanisms by which multiple stressors interact and produce individual and combined effects can be highly complex. This chapter describes the structural and functional responses of the biological communities (biofilms and macroinvertebrates) to differen...
Mediterranean coastal lagoons are probably one of the most singular and endangered ecosystems worldwide. Common threats to other aquatic ecosystems are nutrient enrichment and species introductions. In shallow and warm areas, the environmental concern may be even exacerbated by an increase in nutrient levels and biotic interactions due to the low w...
Inland waters substantially contribute to global carbon fluxes, and within them, low-order forested streams are important processors of allochthonous organic matter (OM) inputs. Leaf litter quantity and quality are expected to change in response to global change (e.g., climate change, land use change) but few long-term studies exist to better under...
During summer drought, Mediterranean fluvial networks are transformed into highly heterogeneous landscapes characterized by different environments (i.e., running and impounded waters, isolated river pools and dry beds). This hydrological setting defines novel biogeochemically active areas that could potentially increase the rates of carbon emission...
Ecotoxicological risk assessment of chemical pollution in four Iberian river basins (Llobregat, Ebro, Júcar and Guadalquivir) was performed. The data set included more than 200 emerging and priority compounds measured at 77 sampling sites along four river basins studied. The toxic units (TU) approach was used to assess the risk of individual compou...
The determination of the real toxicity of sediments in aquatic ecosystems is challenging and necessary for an appropriate risk assessment. Different approaches have been developed and applied over the last several decades. Currently, the joint implementation of chemical, ecological and toxicological tools is recommended for an appropriate and succe...
The reservoir sediments are important sinks for organic carbon (OC), the OC burial being dependent on two opposite processes, deposition and mineralization. Hence factors such as severe water level fluctuations are expected to influence the rate of OC accumulation as they may affect both deposition and mineralization. The Barasona Reservoir has bee...
As a result of climate change, streams are warming and their runoff has been decreasing in most temperate areas. These changes can affect consumers directly by increasing their metabolic rates and modifying their physiology and indirectly by changing the quality of the resources on which organisms depend. In this study, a common stream detritivore...
Mediterranean rivers are extensively modified by flow regulation practises along their courses. An important part of the river impoundment in this area is related to the presence of small dams constructed mainly for water abstraction purposes. These projects drastically modified the ecosystem morphology, transforming lotic into lentic reaches and i...
We compared leaf litter conditioning in two artificial stream channels that were connected to a second‐order stream (both in‐ and outflow). The water in one channel had the same temperature as the stream and in the other channel was warmed (3 °C above ambient stream water temperature). In addition to measuring leaf decomposition by microbes, we ran...
Water scarcity is a serious environmental problem in many European regions, and will likely increase in the near future as a consequence of increased abstraction and climate change. Water scarcity exacerbates the effects of multiple stressors, and thus results in decreased water quality. It impacts river ecosystems, threatens the services they prov...
Daphnia magna individuals were transplanted across 12 sites from three Spanish river basins (Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar) showing different sources of pollution. Gene transcription, feeding and biochemical responses in the field were assessed and compared with those obtained in re-constituted water treatments spiked with organic eluates obtained from wa...
ABSTRACT. The theory of ecological stoichiometry holds that heterotrophs are mostly homeostatic and exhibit less variation in body stoichiometry than do autotrophs. Most studies of stream foodweb stoichiometry have been done in low-nutrient environments. Little is known about foodweb stoichiometry in nutrient-rich streams, in which a higher level o...
Diuron is an herbicide present in European rivers at concentrations of environmental concern. Its effects on pulmonate gastropods are not well studied. A 16-day bioassay at five concentrations, including realistic ones, was performed with the freshwater snail Physella acuta to determine the effects of this herbicide on reproductive and metabolic tr...