Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rebeca Arias-Real, Cayetano Gutierrez-Canovas, Margarita Menendez, Isabel Munoz
Summary: This study investigates the drying preferences of macroinvertebrates in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) and their potential as biomonitoring indicators. The research identifies certain macroinvertebrate groups with drying-resistant niches that can serve as potential indicators in IRES. However, functional traits have limited ability to predict drying specialization. The density, relative abundance, and richness of drying-resistant taxa are less affected by drying intensity compared to drying-sensitive taxa.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christos Theodoropoulos, Ioannis Karaouzas, Rachel Stubbington
Summary: River biomonitoring using biotic indices can be affected by natural hydrological variability, leading to misclassification of sites as degraded. To address this, dynamic adjustments of static biological reference conditions are proposed, but current tools cannot facilitate their implementation. Region-specific biotic indices of hydrological variability could potentially prevent misclassification and improve ecological status assessment.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tian Zhang, Bo Jiang, Yi Xing, Haobo Ya, Mingjie Lv, Xin Wang
Summary: This paper summarizes the abundance and types of microplastics in different aqueous environments, and discusses their interactions and toxicity with other contaminants. The combined toxic effects of microplastics and other pollutants are highlighted, and future research focuses on the characterization of microplastics, standardization of units, exploring interactions and toxicity, and degradation for a better understanding of ecological risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Swades Pal, Pankaj Singha
Summary: This study focuses on the impact of dam-induced flow modification on the hydrology and ecology of the Lower Tangon river basin in India and Bangladesh. The results show that after damming, there was a 41% alteration in river flow, leading to the degradation of wetland hydrology and habitat conditions. The study also found adverse ecological responses, such as increased eco-deficit areas and a transformation of wetland trophic state. Overall, the ecological strength was greatly reduced in the post-dam period.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Anelli Monti, D. Brigolin, P. Franzoi, S. Libralato, R. Pastres, C. Solidoro, M. Zucchetta, F. Pranovi
Summary: Implementing management measures to improve ecological status in coastal and transitional water environments is a major challenge within an Ecosystem Based Management approach. The complex relationship between ecosystem functioning and ecological status requires the use of ecological modeling to support BQEs monitoring.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ana Luiza-Andrade, Rogerio Rosa da Silva, Leandro Juen
Summary: Understanding the contribution of rare biological groups to functional diversity is crucial for comprehending biodiversity patterns and establishing efficient conservation strategies. This study focused on identifying the contribution of rare aquatic insects to functional diversity in forest, logging, and pasture environments. The results revealed differences in the composition of aquatic insects among different land uses, with streams in logging areas showing greater functional dispersion and rare genera being sensitive to water temperature increase and channel width. Additionally, the contribution of rare and common insects was equal in forest, pasture, and logging areas.
Article
Ecology
Paul Reich, P. Sam Lake, James R. Thomson, Thomas Daniel, Matthew Johnson, Leon Metzeling, Andrew J. Boulton, Robin Hale
Summary: Globally, riparian zones of many intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams have been severely degraded, with limited restoration efforts and assessments of desired responses and underlying mechanisms. An eight-year experiment in southeastern Australia showed that aquatic invertebrates did not significantly respond to riparian restoration, possibly due to severe drought conditions. The study highlights the importance of considering the impact of hydrological extremes and long-term effects on riparian restoration efforts in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Manuel Garcia-Ulloa, Valeria Souza, Diego A. Esquivel-Hernandez, Jazmin Sanchez-Perez, Laura Espinosa-Asuar, Mariette Viladomat, Montserrat Marroquin-Rodriguez, Marisol Navarro-Miranda, Jair Ruiz-Padilla, Camila Monroy-Guzman, David Madrigal-Trejo, Manuel Rosas-Barrera, Mirna Vazquez-Rosas-Landa, Luis E. Eguiarte
Summary: This study assesses the driving factors of microbial community assembly after natural perturbation in Pozas Rojas water body. The microbial composition is diverse and unique to each site, with significant environmental variables such as arsenic, pH, and temperature playing a role. However, interspecific interactions seem to be more important than environmental selection.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lula Ghebremichael, Wenlin Chen, Andy Jacobson, Colleen Roy, Daniel B. Perkins, Richard Brain
Summary: This study addresses the gap in adequately characterizing pesticide concentrations in flowing water systems by coupling the regulatory PRZM model with a watershed-level hydrological model. The coupled PRZM-SWAT model can predict pesticide concentrations in flowing water habitats for aquatic organisms, and it demonstrated good performance in capturing the magnitude and trend of pesticide concentrations. This model expands the utility of the field-scale regulatory model and provides capability for pesticide exposure prediction in flowing waterbodies from agricultural watersheds.
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julie Crabot, Sylvain Doledec, Maxence Forcellini, Thibault Datry
Summary: The study found that current invertebrate-based biomonitoring indicators were not effective in distinguishing the effects of sewage and drying in intermittent rivers. It also showed that all metrics decreased linearly with increasing flow intermittence, with lower efficiency in detecting sewage effects in intermittent reaches compared to perennial reaches.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
George Bunting, Judy England, Kieran Gething, Tim Sykes, Jon Webb, Rachel Stubbington
Summary: A study on the invertebrate communities of the Candover Brook chalk stream revealed that while temporary stream channels have lower aquatic taxa richness compared to perennial reaches, the total biodiversity benefits from contributions from both aquatic and terrestrial species. It is recommended that research and monitoring should consider both aquatic and terrestrial communities in order to characterize the biodiversity and ecological quality of temporary streams.
WATER AND ENVIRONMENT JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Miriam Colls, Xisca Timoner, Carme Font, Vicenc Acuna, Sergi Sabater
Summary: The study found that the duration of nonflow periods significantly affects the pigment composition of stream biofilms, with longer and more severe nonflow periods leading to increased differences in pigment composition. The composition of pigments showed distinct differences under different flow conditions, and pigment fingerprints can reflect the biofilm's ability to resist water flow interruption and recover after water flow resumes.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Phillip J. Haubrock, Francesca Pilotto, Peter Haase
Summary: In recent years, there has been growing concern about the decline in insect biodiversity, particularly among freshwater insects. To investigate the impact of climate change on freshwater insects, researchers conducted a study covering Central Europe from 1990 to 2018, analyzing shifts in insect abundance and diversity in relation to temperature and precipitation. The study found increases in both richness and abundance of freshwater insects, which were influenced by changes in summer and winter temperatures and precipitation. While this is a positive sign, the overall situation for freshwater invertebrates remains critical.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rumki Khatun, Swapan Talukdar, Swades Pal, Sonali Kundu
Summary: This study investigated the damming effect on floodplain wetlands in the Punarbhaba River Basin in India and Bangladesh. The results showed a decrease in water richness, an increase in ecological stress, deterioration in water quality, and significant eco-hydro-deficit due to damming. The study emphasized the adverse impacts of dams on wetlands.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana Raquel Calapez, Sonia R. Q. Serra, Andreia Mortagua, Salome F. P. Almeida, Maria Joao Feio
Summary: River and stream ecosystems in cities play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and providing ecosystem services to urban populations. However, the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem services are not well understood. This study aims to investigate the relationships between aquatic biodiversity, urbanization, and ecosystem services provided by urban streams.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Angel Galvez, Pedro R. Peres-Neto, Andreu Castillo-Escriva, Fabian Bonilla, Antonio Camacho, Eduardo M. Garcia-Roger, Sanda Iepure, Javier Miralles-Lorenzo, Juan S. Monros, Carla Olmo, Antonio Picazo, Carmen Rojo, Juan Rueda, Maria Sahuquillo, Mahmood Sasa, Mati Segura, Xavier Armengol, Francesc Mesquita-Joanes
Summary: By studying pond ecosystems in two different geographical regions of the world, it was found that temperate ponds are more influenced by environmental and spatial factors, while tropical ponds are more influenced by climatic variability and dispersal processes. The relative importance of space and environment varies greatly among different taxonomic groups, with active dispersers being more influenced by the environment and passive dispersers being more influenced by spatial factors. These results support the classic view of stronger abiotic niche constraints in temperate areas compared to the tropics.
Article
Ecology
Nuria Catalan, Ruben del Campo, Matthew Talluto, Clara Mendoza-Lera, Giulia Grandi, Susana Bernal, Daniel von Schiller, Gabriel Singer, Enrico Bertuzzo
Summary: Streams and rivers act as bioreactors processing large quantities of particulate organic matter. Climate change impacts the flow regime, affecting the decomposition and transport of organic matter. This study explored the consequences of lateral hydrological contraction on the decomposition and transport of organic matter in river networks.
Review
Environmental Sciences
M. Centanni, G. F. Ricci, M. De Girolamo, G. Romano, F. Gentile
Summary: This study critically reviewed the modeling of pesticides in surface waters, aiming to update the current use of models in simulating the fate of pesticides from diffuse sources. By selecting ISI papers on Scopus, the study analyzed information on the study areas, types of pesticides, models used, and the methodology adopted. The majority of studies were conducted in Europe, followed by North America, Asia, and South America. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was found to be the most commonly used model, and herbicides were the most modeled pesticides. The findings indicate that modeling approaches for assessing pesticide fate are constantly evolving and that water contamination with pesticides is a significant global concern.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eleni Ioanna Koutsovili, Ourania Tzoraki, Alitheia Aliki Kalli, Sotiris Provatas, Petros Gaganis
Summary: In vulnerable areas with frequent floods, participatory workshops have been proven to be highly effective in decision-making and integrated management. This paper examines Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for flood risk mitigation and proactive adaptation in the Kalloni river basin in Greece, a highly flood-prone area. Using participatory methods and community-based approaches, stakeholders prioritized and evaluated NBS options based on sustainability at social, economic, and environmental levels. Small-scale mountainous dams, afforestation, and planting measures were found to be the most acceptable alternatives. Construction sites for gabion and wooden wall dams were selected based on examination of elevation models and estimated water and sediment flow. This study shows that NBS strategies, dependent on stakeholder involvement and government intervention, can drive sustainable change.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Nada Joumar, Soumaya Nabih, Antonis Chatzipavlis, Adonis Velegrakis, Thomas Hasiotis, Ourania Tzoraki, Jamal Eddine Stitou El Messari, Lahcen Benaabidate
Summary: This study utilized the SWAT model to simulate the hydrological behavior of an adjacent intermittent river in Northern Crete and combined it with optical data analysis from a monitoring system. The results successfully classified and identified coastal plumes, validating the accuracy of the SWAT model and suggesting room for improvement with the collection of ground truth data.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Raffaele Di Pillo, Anna Maria De Girolamo, Antonio Lo Porto, Maria Teresa Todisco
Summary: This study analyzed flood events in the Celone River basin in Italy to evaluate the drivers of suspended sediment (SS) transport. The analysis used high-resolution data of rainfall, streamflow, and suspended sediment concentrations (SSC). The study found that total volume, peak discharge, flood duration, total rainfall, and total kinetic energy were the most important factors influencing SS transport. The study also identified that the basin was dominated by delayed SS transport from distant source areas, indicating that soil erosion from hillslopes was the dominant process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lluis Gomez-Gener, Marina Gubau, Daniel von Schiller, Rafael Marce, Biel Obrador
Summary: Through studying four temperate small hydropower plants, we found that the residence time of impounded water in the reservoir has a significant impact on the carbon emissions of the plants. The power installed in the plants does not play a significant role in the net carbon fluxes. Therefore, comprehensive net carbon footprint assessments accounting for different operation designs are necessary to improve our understanding of the environmental effects of small hydropower plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Noemi Colinas, Maria J. Carmona, Manuel Serra, Eduardo M. Garcia-Roger
Summary: Nongenetic transgenerational effects allow ancestors to match the phenotype of their descendants to the environment they will experience. In rotifer life cycles, sexual reproduction is inhibited several generations after diapausing eggs hatch. This inhibition is more prolonged in habitats with a more predictable growing season, indicating an adaptation to fluctuating environments.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Giovanni Francesco Ricci, Marco Centanni, Anna Maria DeGirolamo, Francesco Gentile
Summary: This study tests different options for simulating hydrology in basins with karst areas using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Different basin delineations and model parameterizations were adopted, including cutoff of karst areas, basin setup including karst areas, and model parameterization considering bypass flow in karst sub-basins. The performance of the model was satisfactory for daily streamflow and better for simulating large floods. Bypass flow proved to be a valid option to improve the simulation of hydrological processes in karst areas.
HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Noemi Colinas, Javier Montero-Pau, Maria Jose Carmona, Raffaella Sabatino, Andrea Di Cesare, Ester Maria Eckert, Eduardo M. Garcia-Roger
Summary: A non-genetic transgenerational effect on sexual reproduction was observed in Brachionus plicatilis clones from more predictable environments, indicating a potential role of estradiol in this effect. However, the molecular basis of this effect is still unknown. The expression of the edh gene involved in estradiol synthesis increased across generations in clones from the more predictable ponds, but no differences were found in the meth gene.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Marianna Leone, Francesco Gentile, Antonio Lo Porto, Giovanni Francesco Ricci, Anna Maria De Girolamo
Summary: This paper analyzes the implementation and challenges of environmental flows (E-Flows) in non-perennial rivers of the Mediterranean region (Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, France, Cyprus, and Malta). It finds that although there has been progress in E-Flows legislation in European countries, the limited availability of data and economic resources hinders implementation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Angel Galvez, Andreu Castillo-Escriva, Anne Magurran, Ivan Alambiaga, Fabian Bonilla, Antonio Camacho, Eduardo M. Garcia-Roger, Sanda Iepure, Javier Miralles-Lorenzo, Juan S. Monros, Carla Olmo, Antonio Picazo, Carmen Rojo, Juan Rueda, Mahmood Sasa, Mati Segura, Xavier Armengol, Francesc Mesquita-Joanes
Summary: This study compares the diversity of multiple taxa inhabiting tropical and Mediterranean temporary ponds using a spatial and temporal approach. The results show higher gamma and alpha diversity in tropical ponds, but phytoplankton and microinvertebrates from the Mediterranean region matched or exceeded tropical alpha diversity on some occasions. Spatial beta diversity did not differ between regions, and temporal beta diversity showed similar patterns. However, macroinvertebrates and amphibians exhibited differential effects on community variation observable only in animals with longer life-spans.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Juan Pinos, Markus Flury, Jerome Latron, Pilar Llorens
Summary: Stemflow, which is the flow of water down the stem or trunk of a plant, can redistribute soil moisture in forest environments. In this study, artificial tracers were used to observe and measure the preferential flow of stemflow in the soil. The results showed that stemflow infiltrated primarily along the surface of roots and through macropores, impacting soil moisture distribution and groundwater recharge.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2023)