A5034000495- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Water Quality and Pollution Assessment
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Heavy metals in environment
- Environmental and biological studies
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Environmental Sustainability and Education
University of Coimbra
2015-2024
MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente
2024
Institute of Marine Research
2006-2021
Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement
2016
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
2016
Reading the Leaves Excess inputs of nutrients—a type pollution known as eutrophication—threatens biodiversity and water quality in rivers streams. Woodward et al. (p. 1438 ; see Perspective by Palmer Febria ) studied how one key ecosystem process—leaf-litter decomposition—responds to eutrophication across a large nutrient gradient 100 European Leaf breakdown was stimulated low moderate concentrations but inhibited at high rates loading.
Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 289–294 Abstract The decomposition of plant litter is one the most important ecosystem processes in biosphere and particularly sensitive to climate warming. Aquatic ecosystems are well suited studying warming effects on because otherwise confounding influence moisture constant. By using a latitudinal temperature gradient an unprecedented global experiment streams, we found that will likely hasten microbial produce equivalent decline detritivore-mediated rates. As...
In woodland streams, the decomposition of allochthonous organic matter constitutes a fundamental ecosystem process, where aquatic hyphomycetes play pivotal role. It is therefore greatly affected by water temperature and nutrient concentrations. The individual effects these factors on litter have been studied previously. However, in climate warming scenario predicted for this century, concentrations are expected to increase simultaneously, their combined associated biological activity remains...
Plant litter breakdown is a key ecological process in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Streams rivers, particular, contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes. However, there little information available on the relative roles of different drivers plant fresh waters, particularly at large scales. We present global-scale study streams compare biotic, climatic other environmental factors rates. conducted an experiment 24 encompassing latitudes from 47.8° N 42.8° S, using mixtures...
The detrital‐based food web of many streams and rivers plays a fundamental role in the cycling retention carbon nutrients. However, we still need to understand which global mechanisms underlie biogeochemical pathways that control energy transfer from detrital pool through local webs into nutrient cycles storage. Previous attempts variability litter breakdown rates have included search for latitudinal variation patterns analysis influence different factors. Here complement those studies by...
An experiment in >1000 river and riparian sites found spatial patterns controls of carbon processing at the global scale.
Summary 1. We investigated the effect of moderate eutrophication on leaf litter decomposition and associated invertebrates in five reference eutrophied streams central Portugal. Fungal parameters N P dynamics were followed one pair streams. Benthic invertebrate that are considered useful bioassessment estimated all Finally, we evaluated utility as a tool to assess stream ecosystem functional integrity. 2. Decomposition alder oak leaves coarse mesh bags was average 2.3–2.7× faster than This...
Most hypotheses explaining the general gradient of higher diversity toward equator are implicit or explicit about greater species packing in tropics. However, global patterns within guilds, including trophic guilds (i.e., groups organisms that use similar food resources), poorly known. We explored a key guild stream ecosystems, detritivore shredders. This was motivated by fundamental ecological role shredders as decomposers leaf litter and some records pointing to low shredder abundance...
ABSTRACT Aim We tested the hypothesis that shredder detritivores, a key trophic guild in stream ecosystems, are more diverse at higher latitudes, which has important ecological implications face of potential biodiversity losses expected as result climate change. also explored dependence local diversity on regional species pool across and examined influence environmental factors diversity. Location World‐wide (156 sites from 17 regions located all inhabited continents latitudes ranging 67° N...
Abstract Human appropriation of water resources may induce stress in freshwater ecosystems when ecosystem needs are not met. Intensive abstraction and regulation cause river to shift towards non-natural flow regimes, which might have implications for their quality, biological structure functioning. We performed a meta-analysis published studies assess the potential effects on nutrients, microcontaminants, communities (bacteria, algae, invertebrates fish), functions (organic matter breakdown,...
Detrital food webs of woodland streams depend on terrestrial litter input and, thus, are susceptible to changes in riparian cover. We assessed effects species richness and quality decomposition associated biological communities temperate deciduous forest tropical rainforest streams. Three native were incubated each stream all combinations (7 treatments, 3 levels) coarse- (invertebrate access) fine-mesh bags (no invertebrate sampled 5 times over 74 (temperate stream) or 94 d (tropical...
Human impacts, particularly nutrient pollution and land-use change, have caused significant declines in the quality quantity of freshwater resources. Most global assessments concentrated on species diversity composition, but effects multifunctionality streams rivers remain unclear. Here, we analyse most comprehensive compilation stream ecosystem functions to date provide an overview responses uptake, leaf litter decomposition, productivity, food web complexity six globally pervasive human...
Summary 1. Although stream–catchment interactions have been analysed in some detail temperate environments, little is known about the effects of land‐use changes tropics. Here, we analyse differences benthic communities (macroinvertebrates and fungi) under two contrasting land uses (mature secondary forest pasture) montane streams north‐western Ecuador their influence on rates litter processing. 2. Between 2005 2006, used a combination coarse fine mesh bags to study relative contribution...
Streams and rivers provide important services to humans, therefore, their ecological integrity should be a societal goal. Although encompasses structural functional integrity, stream bioassessment rarely considers ecosystem functioning. Organic matter decomposition metabolism are prime candidate indicators of here we review each these functions, the methods used for determination, strengths limitations bioassessment. We also systematic studies that have addressed organic (88 studies) (50...