Dataset for modeling the hydrological patterns and salinity fluctuations of a Mediterranean confined coastal lagoon system (La Pletera salt marsh area, NE Spain).

This dataset is related to the research article entitled "Effects of morphology and sediment permeability on coastal lagoons' hydrological patterns" (W. Meredith, X. Casamitjana, X. D. Quintana, A. Menció) [1], and was obtained in the La Pletera salt marshes in Catalunya between 2016 and 2019, to model the water balance and salinity fluctuations of 6 permanent lagoons using the General Lake Model (GLM). As no inflow and outflow data were available, water level and bathymetric data were used to calculate the net balance of inflows and outflows according to the observed daily volume fluctuations. Meteorological data were obtained from the L´Estartit Meteorological station north of the lagoons. Daily solar radiation was measured in Mas Badia (La Tallada, ∼10km from the La Pletera) in 2016 and 2017 and in situ with radiation sensors in 2018 and 2019. Together with the bathymetry and water levels of the lagoons, calculated inflows and calibrated salinity and temperature data are provided to further confined coastal lagoons system modeling where inflow and outflow data are not available. Meteorological data and observed lagoon salinity and temperature are provided for comparison. As this is one of the few datasets that have modeled coastal water bodies less than 3m in depth using the GLM, the data presented here can be useful in stress testing the General Lake Model to other coastal lagoon systems, as well as to other global aquatic ecosystems.

Environmental filtering determines metacommunity structure in wetland microcrustaceans.

Metacommunity approaches are becoming popular when analyzing factors driving species distribution at the regional scale. However, until the popularization of the variation partitioning technique it was difficult to assess the main drivers of the observed patterns (spatial or environmental). Here we propose a new framework linking the emergence of different metacommunity structures (e.g., nested, Gleasonian, Clementsian) to spatial and environmental filters. This is a novel approach that provides a more profound analysis of how both drivers could lead to similar metacommunity structures. We tested this framework on 110 sites covering a strong environmental gradient (i.e., microcrustacean assemblages organized along a salinity gradient, from freshwater to brackish water wetlands). First we identified the metacommunity structure that better fitted these microcrustacean assemblages. Then, we used hierarchical variation partitioning to quantify the relative influences of environmental filters and the distance among wetlands on the identified structure. Our results showed that under strong environmental filtering metacommunity structures were non-random. We also noted that even passive dispersers, that are supposed to be poorly spatially filtered, showed spatial signals at a large geographical scale. However, some difficulties arose when inferring biotic interactions at finer-scale spatial signals. Overall, our study shows the potential of elements of metacommunity structure combined with variation partition techniques to detect environmental drivers and broadscale patterns of metacommunity structure, and that some caution is needed when interpreting finer-scale spatial signals.

Nestedness and successional trajectories of macroinvertebrate assemblages in man-made wetlands.

Current successional models, primarily those based on floral succession, propose several distinct trajectories based on the integration of two key hypotheses from succession theory: convergence versus divergence in species composition among successional sites, and progression towards versus deviation from a desired reference state. We applied this framework to faunal succession, including differential colonization between active and passive dispersers, and the nested patterns generated as a consequence of this peculiarity. Nine man-made wetlands located in three different areas, from 0-3 years from wetland creation, were assessed. In addition, 91 wetlands distributed throughout the region were used as references for natural macroinvertebrate communities. We predicted the following: (1) highly nested structures in pioneering assemblages will decrease to lower mid-term values due to a shift from active pioneering taxa to passive disperser ones; (2) passive idiosyncratic taxa will elicit divergent successional trajectories among areas; (3) the divergent trajectories will provoke lower local and higher regional diversity values in the mid-term assemblages than in pioneer assemblages. Our results were largely congruent with hypotheses (1) and (2), diverging from the anticipated patterns only in the case of the temporary wetlands area. However, overall diversity trends based on hypothesis (3) did not follow the expected pattern. The divergent successional trajectories did not compensate for regional biodiversity losses that occurred as a consequence of pioneering colonizer decline over time. Consequently, we suggest reconsidering wetland construction for mitigation purposes within mid-term time frames (≤ 3 years). Wetlands may not offset, within this temporal scenario, regional biodiversity loss because the ecosystem may not support idiosyncratic taxa from natural wetlands.

The role of plant type and salinity in the selection for the denitrifying community structure in the rhizosphere of wetland vegetation.

Coastal wetlands, as transient links from terrestrial to marine environments, are important for nitrogen removal by denitrification. Denitrification strongly depends on both the presence of emergent plants and the denitrifier communities selected by different plant species. In this study, the effects of vegetation and habitat heterogeneity on the community of denitrifying bacteria were investigated in nine coastal wetlands in two preserved areas of Spain. Sampling locations were selected to cover a range of salinity (0.81 to 31.3 mS/cm) and nitrate concentrations (0.1 to 303 µM NO3-), allowing the evaluation of environmental variables that select for denitrifier communities in the rhizosphere of Phragmites sp., Ruppia sp., and Paspalum sp. Potential nitrate reduction rates were found to be dependent on the sampling time and plant species and related to the denitrifier community structure, which was assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the functional genes nirS, nirK and nosZ. The results showed that denitrifier community structure was also governed by plant species and salinity, with significant influences of other variables, such as sampling time and location. Ruppia sp. and Phragmites sp. selected for certain communities, whereas this was not the case for Paspalum sp. The plant species effect was strongest on nirK-type denitrifiers, whereas water carbon content was a significant factor defining the structure of the nosZ-harboring community. The differences recognized using the three functional gene markers indicated that different drivers act on denitrifying populations capable of complete denitrification, compared to the overall denitrifier community. This finding may have implications for emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.

Emergent macrophytes act selectively on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea.

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) were quantified in the sediments and roots of dominant macrophytes in eight neutral to alkaline coastal wetlands. The AOA dominated in most samples, but the bacterial-to-archaeal amoA gene ratios increased with increasing ammonium levels and pH in the sediments. For all plant species, the ratios increased on the root surface relative to the adjacent bulk sediment. This suggests that root surfaces in these environments provide conditions favoring enrichment of AOB.

The role of plant type and salinity in the selection for the denitrifying community structure in the rhizosphere of wetland vegetation

Coastal wetlands, as transient links from terrestrial to marine environments, are important for nitrogen removal by denitrification. Denitrification strongly depends on both the presence of emergent plants and the denitrifier communities selected by different plant species. In this study, the effects of vegetation and habitat heterogeneity on the community of denitrifying bacteria were investigated in nine coastal wetlands in two preserved areas of Spain. Sampling locations were selected to cover a range of salinity (0.81 to 31.3 mS/cm) and nitrate concentrations (0.1 to 303 μM NO3-), allowing the evaluation of environmental variables that select for denitrifier communities in the rhizosphere of Phragmites sp., Ruppia sp., and Paspalum sp. Potential nitrate reduction rates were found to be dependent on the sampling time and plant species and related to the denitrifier community structure, which was assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the functional genes nirS, nirK and nosZ. The results showed that denitrifier community structure was also governed by plant species and salinity, with significant influences of other variables, such as sampling time and location. Ruppia sp. and Phragmites sp. selected for certain communities, whereas this was not the case for Paspalum sp. The plant species effect was strongest on nirK-type denitrifiers, whereas water carbon content was a significant factor defining the structure of the nosZ-harboring community. The differences recognized using the three functional gene markers indicated that different drivers act on denitrifying populations capable of complete denitrification, compared to the overall denitrifier community. This finding may have implications for emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (AU)

No disponible

Effects of temperature, salinity and fish in structuring the macroinvertebrate community in shallow lakes: implications for effects of climate change.

Climate warming may lead to changes in the trophic structure and diversity of shallow lakes as a combined effect of increased temperature and salinity and likely increased strength of trophic interactions. We investigated the potential effects of temperature, salinity and fish on the plant-associated macroinvertebrate community by introducing artificial plants in eight comparable shallow brackish lakes located in two climatic regions of contrasting temperature: cold-temperate and Mediterranean. In both regions, lakes covered a salinity gradient from freshwater to oligohaline waters. We undertook day and night-time sampling of macroinvertebrates associated with the artificial plants and fish and free-swimming macroinvertebrate predators within artificial plants and in pelagic areas. Our results showed marked differences in the trophic structure between cold and warm shallow lakes. Plant-associated macroinvertebrates and free-swimming macroinvertebrate predators were more abundant and the communities richer in species in the cold compared to the warm climate, most probably as a result of differences in fish predation pressure. Submerged plants in warm brackish lakes did not seem to counteract the effect of fish predation on macroinvertebrates to the same extent as in temperate freshwater lakes, since small fish were abundant and tended to aggregate within the macrophytes. The richness and abundance of most plant-associated macroinvertebrate taxa decreased with salinity. Despite the lower densities of plant-associated macroinvertebrates in the Mediterranean lakes, periphyton biomass was lower than in cold temperate systems, a fact that was mainly attributed to grazing and disturbance by fish. Our results suggest that, if the current process of warming entails higher chances of shallow lakes becoming warmer and more saline, climatic change may result in a decrease in macroinvertebrate species richness and abundance in shallow lakes.

Short-term effects of changes in water management on the limnological characteristics and zooplankton of a eutrophic Mediterranean coastal lagoon (NE Iberian Peninsula).

The Ter Vell (NE Iberian Peninsula) is a eutrophic coastal lagoon which has been flooded by the excess irrigation water and the agricultural runoff during the last decades. Between 1999 and 2003, restoration measures were applied to improve its water quality. At the same time, but independently, agricultural water management drastically reduced the freshwater inflow. The short-term effects of these management actions on the limnological characteristics of the lagoon were analysed by comparing two hydrological cycles, one before (1999/2000) and the other one after (2002/2003) the actions. The two cycles are illustrative of opposite situations in the hydrological functioning of coastal wetlands. In the first, the lagoon was exorheic, with prolonged flooding periods and a low residence time; in the second, it had a more endorheic character, with scarce water inputs and prolonged periods of confinement. Consequently, nitrogen inputs diminished and organic load and salinity increased as the internal loading and the accumulation effects became more relevant. These effects were actually caused by the drastic reduction in the freshwater inflow which prevented, in turn, the success of the restoration measures. The zooplankton community of the Ter Vell lagoon was not significantly altered by the hydrological change, at least in the short-term, and rotifers and cladocerans, mainly those species indicative of eutrophy, dominated the community.

Comparison of nutrient and contaminant fluxes in two areas with different hydrological regimes (Empordà Wetlands, NE Spain).

Nutrient (N and P), heavy metal (Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb) and pesticide (DDT, DDD, DDE, lindane, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, permethrin, atrazine and simazine) concentrations in water and sediment were analysed in the Empordà Wetlands, a Mediterranean wetland area in NE Spain. Mean nutrient and contaminant concentrations and input and output loads via tributaries were compared in two marshes with different water turnover: a freshwater marsh (FWM), with a high water turnover rate due to continuous surface water inputs and outputs, and a brackish water marsh (BWM), with lower turnover and no continuous surface output, where water remains confined during dry periods. Mean concentrations of most heavy metals exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) in BWM, whilst only some pesticides reached MPC in FWM. The confined waters of BWM showed higher sensitivity to contaminant input loadings than FWM due to the lack of continuous water outputs. Non-point source pollution inputs during runoff (mainly in FWM) and concentration during confinement (mainly in BWM) showed as the main environmental problems related to nutrients and contaminants in these ecosystems. Thus, the importance of confinement and its effect on pollutant concentrations must be borne in mind to achieve correct management of Mediterranean wetlands.