Ecological status assessment in the lower Eo estuary (Spain). The challenge of habitat heterogeneity integration: A benthic perspective
Autor: | L. de Paz, Ángel Borja, A.J. Laborda, Joana Patrício, João Carlos Marques |
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Rok vydání: | 2008 |
Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Geologic Sediments Salinity Transitional waters Eo estuary 010501 environmental sciences Aquatic Science Oceanography 01 natural sciences Water Framework Directive Rivers Environmental monitoring Animals 14. Life underwater Water pollution Ecosystem 0105 earth and related environmental sciences geography geography.geographical_feature_category Ecology Ecological status 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Estuary Reference Standards 15. Life on land Pollution Spatial heterogeneity Status assessment Habitat Spain 13. Climate action Benthic zone Environmental science Environmental Monitoring |
Zdroj: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) instacron:RCAAP |
ISSN: | 0025-326X |
Popis: | The implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires evaluation of the ecological status (ES) of benthic communities in coastal and transitional water systems, and the intercalibration of assessment methodologies therefore becomes a research challenge. Our aim was to test the suitability of applying the M-AMBI index to assess the status of the Eo estuary (northern coast of Spain). Our results showed that M-AMBI was influenced by the natural variability of benthic communities, and presented an apparent dependence on habitat characteristics. Consequently, the definition of homogeneous areas in transitional water systems should be based on the salinity gradient combined with other factors. To achieve an accurate ES assessment, habitat-specific reference conditions should then be defined prior to the application of M-AMBI; this necessitates dividing an estuary into several sections, which may be classified as different ESs. From this perspective, a novel approach to integrate habitat heterogeneity in a global ES assessment was tested. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V6N-4SM20CS-6/1/35a7d1fd7d4b951a83981c8d14a6f165 |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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