Multiple stressors impacting rivers. Effects on the diversity and functions of algal biofilm communities.
Specifically, my investigation delves into the effects of various stressors, including pesticides, nutrients, hydric stress, and temperature fluctuations, considering their intensity, frequency, and temporal occurrence. I analyze both the structural aspects, such as diversity and composition, and functional aspects, including primary production, respiration, and extracellular enzyme activities, of biofilm communities in response to these stressors.
River systems play a critical role in Earth’s ecosystems, harbouring rich biodiversity and providing essential resources for human well-being. However, anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, livestock farming, and industrial operations introduce multiple stressors to aquatic ecosystems (Carayon et al., 2019; Kulaš et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2022). Furthermore, climate change-induced alterations in temperature and hydrological patterns exacerbate these impacts, particularly affecting rivers in the Mediterranean basin.
Diatoms are key players in ecosystem functions, contributing to processes such as organic matter retention and primary production. Moreover, they serve as valuable bioindicators for assessing the impacts of stressors on river ecosystems due to their rapid response to disturbances (Pérez-Burillo et al., 2021; Smeti et al., 2023). Therefore, analyzing diatom communities is pivotal for evaluating water quality and detecting environmental changes in freshwater bodies (Nistal-García et al., 2021; Urrea & Sabater, 2009).
The findings from the RIVSTRESS project’s experiments hold significance in predicting the alterations that river ecosystems may undergo in response to global changes, including those resulting from the multitude of stressors affecting them. By anticipating these changes, we can better address the challenges posed to river ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services, essential for human welfare.
Bibliography:
Carayon, D., Tison-Rosebery, J., & Delmas, F. (2019). Defining a new autoecological trait matrix for French stream benthic diatoms. Ecological Indicators, 103(March), 650–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.03.055
Kulaš, A., Gligora Udovič, M., Tapolczai, K., Žutinić, P., Orlić, S., & Levkov, Z. (2022). Diatom eDNA metabarcoding and morphological methods for bioassessment of karstic river. Science of the Total Environment, 829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154536
Pérez-Burillo, J., Trobajo, R., Leira, M., Keck, F., Rimet, F., Sigró, J., & Mann, D. G. (2021). DNA metabarcoding reveals differences in distribution patterns and ecological preferences among genetic variants within some key freshwater diatom species. Science of the Total Environment, 798, 149029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149029
Smeti, E., Tsirtsis, G., & Skoulikidis, N. T. (2023). Geology Can Drive the Diversity–Ecosystem 42 Functioning Relationship in River Benthic Diatoms by Selecting for Species Functional Traits. Biology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12010081
Wu, N., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Sun, X., Faber, C., & Fohrer, N. (2022). Environment regimes play an important role in structuring trait- and taxonomy-based temporal beta diversity of riverine diatoms. Journal of Ecology, 110(6), 1442–1454. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13859