HR: 13:45h
AN: NB13F-02 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Are Biological Traits of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Able to Indicate Different Stressors in Rivers at a pan-European Scale?
AU: * Usseglio, P
EM: usseglio@sciences.univ-metz.fr
AF: University of Metz, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Lab., Campus Bridoux, Metz, 57070 France
AU: Archaimbault, V
EM: archaimbault@lyon.cemagref.fr
AF: University of Metz, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Lab., Campus Bridoux, Metz, 57070 France
AU: Pinto, P
EM: ppinto@uevora.pt
AF: University of Evora, Centre of applied Ecology, Apartado 94, Largo dos colegiais, Evora, 7002-554 Portugal
AU: Morais, M
EM: mmorais@uevora.pt
AF: University of Evora, Centre of applied Ecology, Apartado 94, Largo dos colegiais, Evora, 7002-554 Portugal
AU: Bis, B
EM: bis@biol.uni.lodz.pl
AF: University of Lodz, Department of Invertebrate Ecology and Limnology, Banacha 12/16, Lodz, 90-237 Poland
AU: Gritzalis, K
EM: kgritz@ncmr.gr
AF: National Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Inland Waters, PO Box 712, Anavissos, Attika, Athens, 19013 Greece
AU: Karaouzas, I
EM: ikarz@ncmr.gr
AF: National Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Inland Waters, PO Box 712, Anavissos, Attika, Athens, 19013 Greece
AB: Combinations of species traits, selected or modified for depending on environmental characteristics of systems, have the potential to indicate the mechanisms - including human-induced disturbances - structuring communities. To examine the response of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages to anthropogenic disturbances, we analysed modifications of 21 bio-ecological trait profiles in benthic macroinvertebrate communities of 25 river types throughout Europe, using a large set of impacted and reference sites. Impacted sites, covering the whole range from 'reference' to 'heavily degraded', reflected acidification, toxic contamination, organic pollution and morphological degradation (European STAR programme). A simultaneous ordination of trait profiles and abundance distributions of taxa was used to check for a potential relationship between species traits and habitat characteristics, taking into account the stressor category and magnitude. Statistical comparisons of trait profiles for impacted and reference sites within a given stressor type permitted to determine significant differences between more or less 'impacted' sites and corresponding 'reference' sites. Results allow describing a functional typology of community bio-ecological responses to stressors that (1) could be used at a large spatial scale, and (2) should be considered as the first step to a biologically based river assessment system using potential traits of benthic macroinvertebrates.
DE: 4804 Benthic processes/benthos
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly