Drivers of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Mediterranean Rivers: A Mesohabitat Approach

Juan Diego Alcaraz-Hernández (), Javier Sánchez-Hernández, Rafael Muñoz-Mas and Francisco Martínez-Capel
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Juan Diego Alcaraz-Hernández: GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Javier Sánchez-Hernández: Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Rafael Muñoz-Mas: GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Francisco Martínez-Capel: Institut d’Investigació per a la Gestió Integrada de Zones Costaneres (IGIC), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46730 Grao de Gandia, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: We investigated the relationship between benthic macroinvertebrate community attributes (richness, abundance, biodiversity, and climate-specific and resistance forms) and the physical characteristics of distinct mesohabitats (hydromorphological unit types) discretized into fast (e.g., riffles or rapids) and slow (e.g., pools or glides) flow types in four Mediterranean rivers of Spain. Key attributes of hydromorphological units, including length, width, depth, shade, substrate composition, embeddedness, abundance of aquatic vegetation, and density of woody debris, were considered. Through a comprehensive suite of multivariate analyses, we unraveled taxonomic and habitat distinctions among rivers and hydromorphological unit types, with a notable influence of spatial proximity (greater similarity within the same river basin). In slow hydromorphological units, aquatic vegetation, depth, and abundance of coarse substrate emerged as pivotal factors shaping macroinvertebrate assemblages, whereas in fast-flowing units, vegetation, substrate embeddedness, and density of woody debris were the most important. Contrary to the remaining community attributes, the studied resistance forms (absent, eggs, cocoons, and cells against desiccation and diapause) exhibited uniformity across rivers despite observed variations in macroinvertebrate communities, underscoring regional functional analogies in biological and ecological mechanisms within the investigated Mediterranean river basins. This study contributes valuable insights for anticipating the repercussions of ongoing climate change, particularly in regions where fast-flowing hydromorphological units are more susceptible to depletion during drought periods.

Keywords: flow regime; fuzzy principal component analysis; Iberian Peninsula; Mediterranean rivers; resistance form (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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