Community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates inhabiting a highly stratified Mediterranean estuary
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Publication date
2011-09-30ISSN
0214-8358
Abstract
The community composition and spatial distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates were studied along the
Ebro estuary, a highly stratified estuary located in the NE Iberian Peninsula. During the last decade the oligotrophication
process occurring in the lower Ebro River and its estuary has allowed a complex benthic macroinvertebrate community to
become established; these results contrast with the poor community found there in the early nineties. A total of 214 taxa were
identified, and polychaetes dominated the community both in abundance and species richness. The results showed spatial
differences in the structure and composition of macroinvertebrates, which suggests that there are two distinct communities
along the estuary. Each community was found in a specific stretch (upper and lower estuary) in function of the presence of
the salt wedge. The macrobenthos of the upper estuary was dominated by freshwater taxa, but some euryhaline species were
also found. The lower estuary showed a marine community typical of shallow Mediterranean environments. The transition
between these two communities fits an ecotone model. The highest abundances, richness and diversities were recorded at the
lower estuarine stations, especially those closer to the river mouth, whereas the lowest values corresponded to the stations
adjacent to the tip of the salt wedge.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
574 - General ecology and biodiversity
Pages
13
Publisher
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Is part of
Scientia Marina
Citation
Nebra, Alfonso, Nuno Caiola, and Carles Ibáñez. 2011. “Community Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Inhabiting a Highly Stratified Mediterranean Estuary.” Scientia Marina 75 (3): 577–584. doi:10.3989/scimar.2011.75n3577
Program
Aigües Marines i Continentals
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2838]
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