BIBLIOS

Document type
Journal articles

Document subtype
Full paper

Title
A diversidade de macroinvertebrados de pequenas ribeiras mediterrânicas do Sudoeste de Portugal

Participants in the publication
Carla Mirra (Author)
Maria Joa?o Correia (Author)
CENTRO DE OCEANOGRAFIA
Pedro M. Fe?lix (Author)
CO
Maria Lui?sa Chaves (Author)
CO
Paula Chainho (Author)
CO
Jose? Lino Costa (Author)
CENTRO DE OCEANOGRAFIA
Dep. Biologia Animal
Lui?s Cancela da Fonseca (Author)
CTA - Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água, Universidade do Algarve
CO

Summary
This study aims to ascertain the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities of Santo Andre? and Melides River Basins and understand how these communities are affected by different environmental variables. These are small river basins with a Mediterranean climate. The majority of the watercourses of these basins is temporary and dependent on groundwater inflow from Sines’ aquifer. For this study, the communities of 14 sites were sampled twice during the year. Insects are predominant in these locations, followed by amphipods and gastropods. As described for other streams of South Portugal, among the insects the order Diptera was the most abundant, followed by Ephemeroptera. This study showed that grain-size, environment (lentic or lotic), dissolved oxygen and organic matter are the major features structuring these communities. Changes in these variables may affect the density and richness of these communities, suggesting also that a sustainable exploitation policy for the aquifer is crucial to preserve the benthic communities of these water basins.


Where published
Ecologi@ - Revista Online da Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia

Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 1647-2829

Address
Lisboa, Portuga

Publisher
Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia



Keywords
Groundwater dependent ecosystems Flow Small river basins Melides Santo Andre?