Wetlands Biodiversity and Services: Tools for
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Francisco A. Comín, Adela Lamana, Cecilia Español, Mercedes García Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC PROGRAM EDITED BY: PROMOTED BY: International Conference Wetlands 2014 Wetlands Biodiversity and Services: Tools for Socio-Ecological Development ASOCIACIÓN para la INTEGRACIÓN de los SERVICIOS de los ECOSISTEMAS PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WETLANDS 2014 ORGANIZED BY: 2014 IX EUROPEAN WETLAND CONGRESS 6.º European Pond Conservation Network This Conference Book has been elaborated by: Francisco A. Comín, Adela Lamana, Cecilia Español, Mercedes García Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC ConferenCe CommiTTees Conference Chair Francisco A. Comín. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Zaragoza, Spain. Advisory Committee Mauricio Borin. University of Padova Jan Kvet. University of South Bohemia, ˇCeské Budˇejovice, Czech Republic Edward Maltby. University of Liverpool, U.K. Robert McInnes. RAMSAR representative, RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd, U.K. Daniela Russi, Institute for European Environmental Policy, London-Brussels scientific Committee Hans Brix. Aarhus University. Arhus, Denmark Hana ˇCíˇzková. University of South Bohemia. ˇCeské Budˇejovice, Czech Republic Gordon H. Copp. Cefas-Lowestoft, UK and Bournemouth University, U.K. Jorge A. Herrera. CINVESTAV-IPN. Mérida, México Ülo Mander. University of Tartu. Tartu, Estonia David Moreno. Ikerbasque-Basque Foundationfor Science. Bilbao, Spain. Beat Oertli. University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland. Geneva, Switzerland Jose M. Sánchez-Pérez. CNRS/INPT-ENSAT/Univ. Paul Sabatier. Toulouse, France Laura Serrano . University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain Jos Verhoeven. Utrecht University. Utrecht, The Netherlands PierLuigi Viaroli. Università degli Studi di Parma. Italia Jan Vymazal. Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. Czech Republik Dominik Zak. Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries. Berlin, Germany Local organizing Committee Dani Boix. Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain Gema Cacho. Comarca de Los Monegros. Sariñena, Huesca, Spain Fabian Carranza. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Carmen Castañeda. Estación Experimental Aula Dei-CSIC Nadia Darwiche. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Jaca (Huesca) Spain Cecilia Español. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Maria R. Felipe-Lucia. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Belinda Gallardo. Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC. Sevilla, Spain Francisca Gallego. Comarca de Los Monegros. Sariñena, Huesca, Spain Mercedes García. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Stéphanie Gascón. Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain Juan José Jiménez. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Jaca (Huesca) Spain Adela Lamana.Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Enrique Navarro. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Adriá Masip. Parque Científico-Teconlógico Aula Dei. Zaragoza, Spain Xavier Quintana. Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain Ricardo Sorando. Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología. Zaragoza, Spain Claudia Teutli. University of Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain TABLe of ConTenTs Greetings and Welcome ............................................................................................. 5 Conference site: Huesca, Aragón, Spain ..................................................................... 6 Conference venue: Huesca Congress Palace .............................................................. Program ..................................................................................................................... Schedules at a Glance ............................................................................................. Schedule at a Glance: Conference ....................................................................... Schedule at a Glance: Sessions ........................................................................... Schedule at a Glance: Authors ............................................................................ Day by day Program ................................................................................................ 6 7 7 7 8 12 16 Accompanying persons program ............................................................................... 31 Mid Conference Field trips ......................................................................................... 32 Biographical notes of Plenary Lecturers ..................................................................... 34 Panel Discussion ......................................................................................................... 35 Abstracts of Plenary Lectures ..................................................................................... 36 Oral presentation abstracts of Concurrent Sessions, Symposia, Special Sessions and Workshops .......................................................................................................... 38 Poster presentation abstracts .................................................................................... 131 Author´s index ............................................................................................................ 192 GreeTinGs Dear participants of the SWS Europe / EPCN conference in Huesca, A warm word of welcome on behalf of SWS Europe! This meeting is dedicated to the exchange of new research results and practical experiences on wetland ecosystem functions and services and their policy and management implications. In Europe, we are increasingly recognizing the importance of our wetlands in these respects. In spite of the severe losses of wetland habitats that have occurred on our continent, we are now in a phase of increasingly effective protection of the remaining wetland resources and of major restoration initiatives. It is my wish that our meeting will contribute further to this positive development, in particular in the semi-arid region where we are hosted. Hasta la vista (See you) in Huesca. Jos Verhoeven President of SWS Europe WeLCome Dear Colleagues, Organizing a scientific-technical congress is a thrilling adventure because you don´t know in advance the attraction capacity of the call and how the meeting will develop. The major challenge of scientists is to make their results useful for the society. We prepared this meeting with the objectives of attracting many colleagues from many countries and opening the perspective towards a socio-ecological interpretation of wetlands. Wetlands Biodiversity and Services: Tools for Socio-Ecological Development is our motto which indicates our interest to integrate wetland functions and values as essential part of the people´s development, all this based on a sound scientific knowledge which we are sure will be present at this Conference. We thank all those who are contributing to the organization of this Conference and to all delegates for your participation. On behalf of the Organizing Committees, I wish you take the most of this meeting and welcome you to enjoy the stay in Huesca. Francisco A. Comín Wetlands 2014 Chairperson International Conference Wetlands 2014 5 ConferenCe siTe Huesca, Aragón, spain: The city of Huesca is well known for its pleasant atmosphere and excellent gastronomy. The city of Huesca is located at 488 m.a.s.l., in the center of a 20 km depression call Hoya of Huesca. Huesca (52,000 inhabitants) is a very pleasant and walkable city. You can walk in a few minutes all around. We recommend you to visit the web page http://www.huescaturismo.com to get more information of Huesca city and surroundings. The province of Huesca: Huesca province is a 15,626 km2 administrative territory (Diputación de Huesca: http://ww.dphuesca.es) with beautiful landscapes. In the north, the Pyrenees Range with high mountains (over 3,000 m.a.s.l., with alpine pastures, black pines and fir trees), down through holm oaks, dry and irrigated cereals, at mid altitudes and irrigated maize, rice and vegetables in counties where water from the rivers is transported through canals for irrigation. Huesca territory is well known because of the many possibilities to practice active tourism (walks, routes, biking, fishing, horse riding) and adventure sports (canoeing, rafting, canyoning, paraglide, etc…). Visit: http://http://www.huescalamagia.es for more information. Also traditional and industrial agriculture (irrigated cereals, dry fruits, winery with excellent wine cellars) can be visited at the counties of Huesca Province, http://www.somontano.org/), Los Monegros (http://www.losmonegros.com) and other countries. The region Aragón is a 48,000 km2 territory (1,400,000 inhabitants) with a gradient of landscapes from the Pyrenees Mountains to the lowlands at the Ebro River (200 m.a.s.l at Zaragoza, the capital city (700,000 inhabitants). spain (48 million inhabitants) is the SW European country sharing the territory of the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal. Spain is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world and considered one of the most biodiverse countries in the European Union. A high diversity of wetland types is distributed in Spain from north alpine peatlands and lakes to coastal lagoons in its coasts, including the Balearic and Canary Islands. Wetlands are of major relevance in Spain because its general dry climates and lack of water makes this type of ecosystem most valuable. Also they are very representative ecosystems and evolutions laboratories for both species and people use of natural resources. ConferenCe Venue Huesca Congress Palace The Conference will take place at the Huesca Congress Palace (Palacio de Congresos de Huesca: http://www.palaciocongresoshuesca.es/) in the city of Huesca, Huesca Province, one of the three provinces of the Aragón Autonomous Community, in Spain (in northeast Spain). The Conference Venue is closed to a number of hotels. A short walk of 10-15 minutes is required for reaching the Conference Venue from any hotel in Huesca and a walk of 20-25 minutes from the most distant places of Huesca. The Satellite Session on EU Life Projects (Tuesday 16 September) will take place at the Meeting Hall of Comarca de Los Monegros (Monegros County) in Sariñena (Huesca). Sariñena is the capital village of Monegros county, an area of high value because of its contribution to produce food, particularly cereals and vegetables in irrigated lands. Monegros County, responsible for the EU Life Project Creamagua, has huge interest on improving the environmental characteristics of its territory. The Concurrent Sessions of the Conference will take place in the Auditorium (ground floor) and in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 (first floor). The Poster sessions will take place in the Posters Hall (ground floor). Breaks and lunches will take place in the basement floor of the Congress Palace. 6 International Conference Wetlands 2014 ProGrAm sCHeduLes AT A GLAnCe sCHeduLe AT A GLAnCe: ConferenCe Hour sunday 14 08:00 08:30 09.30 10:00 12:00 13:30 15:00 17:00 Registration 17:30 monday 15 Tuesday 16 Wednesday 17 Thursday 18 Plenary lecture Departure Huesca Congress Palace Plenary Lecture SWS-Europe Meeting Break Concurrent Sessions Poster Session Break Concurrent Sessions Panel Discussion Session Lunch Concurrent Sessions Break Concurrent Sessions Poster Session 18:30 19:00 Inauguration 20:00 Snack evening meal Mid Conference Field Trips Satellite Session EU Life Projects Break Concurrent Sessions Panel Discussion Session Lunch Concurrent Sessions Break Lunch Concurrent Sessions Closure and Farewell Concurrent Sessions Poster Session EPCN Meeting Conference Dinner Huesca Congress Palace International Conference Wetlands 2014 7 sCHeduLe AT A GLAnCe: sessions sunday 14 september 17:00-19:00 h. Registration 19:00-20:30 h. Inauguration monday 15 september Hour Auditorium room 1 room 2 08:30 Plenary Talk (E. Maltby) 09:30 10:30 Symposium The role of wetlands and buffer zones as green inPonds-1 frastructure elements of agricultural landscapes in watershed management-1 Ü. Mander & J. Tournebize 12:00 Panel Discussion (Plenary) 13:30 15:00 Symposium Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands: the European Project Ponds-2 Interreg Sudoe Attenagua-1 J.M. Sánchez-Pérez & S. Sauvage 17:00 17:30 BREAK Biological features-1 Management-1 LUNCH Biological features-2 Management-2 BREAK Ponds-3 Symposium Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands: the European Project Interreg Sudoe Attenagua-2 J.M. Sánchez-Pérez & S. Sauvage 18:30 8 room 3 International Conference Wetlands 2014 POSTER Biological features-3 SESSION Management-3 Tuesday 16 september Hour satellite session in sariñenaeu Life Projects meeting fieLd TriPs 08:00 Departure from Congress Palace 08:00 field trip A: Freshwater and saline wetlands & ponds (Huesca-Monegros (Sariñena-Bujaraloz-Sariñena)Huesca). field Trip B: River Ebro floodplain & wetland restoration (Huesca-Zaragoza-Monegros (Sariñena)-Huesca). field Trip C: Ox-bow and gravel pit lakes in the Gállego and Ebro Rivers (Zaragoza) & Wetland restoration to remove nitrates exceeding agricultural irrigation (HuescaZaragoza (Juslibol)-Monegros (Sariñena)-Huesca) Departure from Huesca (Congress Palace) Welcome by Monegros County President. Presentations of EU Life Projects Exchange of experiences by EU Life Projects Lunch in sariñena field trip visit to restored wetlands (EU Life Project CReamagua) 19:00 Back in Huesca 20:30 Conference dinner at Huesca Congress Palace International Conference Wetlands 2014 9 Wednesday 17 september Hour Auditorium room 1 room 2 room 3 08:30 Plenary Talk (G. Van Halsema) 09:30 BREAK 10:00 Symposium Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands:the Eu- Biology related ropean Project Interreg Geo-Eco-Hydrology Socio-Ecological Issues to physical Sudoe “Attenagua-3 features-1 J.M. Sánchez-Pérez & S. Sauvage 12:00 Panel Discussion (Plenary) 13:30 LUNCH 15:00 Symposium Symposium The role of wetlands and Biodiversity, ecology buffer zones as green and management of infrastructure elements of agricultural landscapes Mediterranean in watershed ponds-1 management-2 S. Romo & L. Serrano Ü. Mander & J. Tournebize 17:00 17:30 Climate Change Biology related to physical features-3 Workshop Wetlands as new stages of modern ecotourism K.Laurén, M.Taskanen & A.Tolvanen BREAK Symposium Biodiversity, ecology and management of Mediterranean ponds-2 S. Romo & L. Serrano Symposium Wetland processes and metabolism: from functioning to functions-1 P.L. Viaroli 18:30 19:00 EPCN Meeting 10 Biology related to physical features-2 International Conference Wetlands 2014 POSTER SESSION Thursday 18 september Hour Auditorium room 1 08:30 Society of Wetland Scientists-Europe Meeting 09:30 BREAK 10:00 Symposium Symposium Peatlands: Ecology, Wetland processes and sustainable use and metabolism: from contributions to functioning socio-ecological to functions-2 development-1 J. Vymazal E. González & T. Bravo & C.C. Hoffman 12:00 13:30 15:00 room 2 room 3 Land Use related Biological features Restoration-1 POSTER SESSION LUNCH Symposium Wetland processes and metabolism: from functioning to function-3 P.L. Viaroli Symposium Peatlands: Ecology, sustainable use and contributions to socio-ecological development-2 E. González & T. Bravo Workshop: New quantitative tools for the assessment of anthropogenic eutrophiRestoration-2 cation in shallow water bodies under increasing human pressure L. Serrano & S. Romo 16:30 Closure Plenary lecture (EU-D.G. Environment representative) Publications Conference summary Next Meetings 18:00 farewell International Conference Wetlands 2014 11 sCHeduLe AT A GLAnCe: AuTHors monday 15 september Hour Auditorium 08:30 maltby, e. (plenary lecture) room 1 09:30 Mander et al. Arheimer & Pers Pokorný et al. Kronvang et al. Boz et al. Darwiche et al. Dolinar & Gaberščik Reuter et al. Čížková et al. Ágoston et al. Van Onsem & Triest Kuczyńska-Kippen et al. Berger Germ et al. Mudarra & Andreo Leemhuis et al. Martí-Cardona Solé-Senán et al. Panel discussion (plenary) 13:30 15:00 Armengol et al. Ruocco et al. Vaikre et al. Ilg et al. Péntek et al. Waterkeyn et al. 17:00 17:30 Magalhäes et al. Kloskowsk & Nieoczym Palhas et al. 18:30 12 room 3 BREAK 10:00 Zelnik et al. Franch-Gras et al. Stewart & Zulsdorff Belo et al. Camacho et al. Oertli et al. 12:00 room 2 LUNCH Sánchez-Pérez et al. Špoljar et al. Antigüedad et al. García-Roger et al. Comín et al. Wiśniewska et al. Español et al. Čiampor et al. Yao et al. Horváth et al. Sun et al. Roulet et al. BREAK Bernard et al. Gallardo et al. Bernard et al. Prenda et al. Chamsi et al. Vehkaoja & Thompson POSTER SESSION International Conference Wetlands 2014 Jeffries Greaves et al. Vad et al. Lefebvre et al. da Silva et al. Květ & Pokorný Manton et al. Ciocanea et al. Masuda Tuesday 16 september Hour fieLd TriPs satellite session in sariñena-eu Life Projects 08:30 Departure from Congress Palace Departure from Huesca to Sariñena 09:30 10:00 13:30 20.00 Salillas Trokanova Del Río et al. Martín et al. Giralda Simčič Rodríguez et al. Welcome Life for wetlands La Mancha wetlands Albufera European mink Wetman Los Tollos Back in Huesca Conference Dinner International Conference Wetlands 2014 13 Wednesday 17 september Hour Auditorium 08:30 Van Halsema, G. (plenary lecture) 09:30 10:00 Luna et al. Kalettka et al. López-Vicente et al. Grima et al. Rodríguez & Olarieta Rosset et al. 12:00 room 1 BREAK Carranza et al. Serrano et al. Brito et al. Hamerlik et al. Bodoque et al. Reduciendo et al. Sauvage et al. Pätzig & Kalettka Sánchez Pérez et al. Campo-Bescós et al. Bensaci et al. Felipe & Comín Seják & Pokorný Guerrero et al. Poddar Jiménez & Huertas Fernández-Rodríguez et al. LUNCH 15:00 Gascón et al. Caria et al. Bagella et al. Briffa et al. Sammut & Lanfranco Quintana et al. 17:00 17:30 Van den Broeck et al. Díaz-Paniagua et al. Olmo et al. Ortells et al. 14 room 3 Panel discussion (plenary) 13:30 18:30 19:00 room 2 Masip et al. Tournebize et al. Schachtschneider et al. Pappalardo & Borin Pinardi et al. Kasak,K et al. Chen, Y. et al. Edwards et al. Gilbert et al. BREAK Lopes Lázaro et al. Zhao et al. Joniak & Kuczynska POSTER european Pond Conservation network meeting International Conference Wetlands 2014 Triadó et al. Matúšová et al. Benito et al. Goodyer et al. Dinka et al. Estupiñán et al. SESSION Sánchez & Iglesias Taylor et al. Bolpagni et al. Dušek &Stellner Ward et al. Calvo-Cubero et al. Workshop: Wetlands as new stages of modern ecotourism Tanskanen, Laurén & Thursday 18 september Hour Auditorium 08:30 society of Wetland scientists-europe meeting 09:30 10:00 Stephansen et al. Longhi et al. Vymazal & Březinová Oliver et al. Litaor, M. I. Hoffmann & Kjaergaard 12:00 13:30 15:00 Negrin et al. Bomfim et al. Catelotti et al. room 1 room 2 BREAK Bravo et al. Bart González et al. Novikmec et al. López-Días et al. Remm et al. Urbanczyk et al. Casamayor et al. Bart & Davenport Minelgaite et al. Tolvanen room 3 Koren & Simčič Menichino et al. Teutli et al. Yamashita & McInnes Peralta et al. Miguel et al. POSTER SESSION LUNCH León et al. Giannini et al. Zak et al. Herrera et al. Workshop: New quantitative tools Motamedi et al. for the assessment of Rodríguez et al. anthropogenic eutrophication in shallow water bodies under increasing human pressure. Serrano & Romo 17:30 Closure session Plenary lecture by Vallejo-Pedregal (eu d.G. environment-unit enV B.3 – nature) Guest editors of special issues of journals offered for publication (mander & Tournebize, Viaroli & Bartoli, Boix) Conference summary (Comín-Wetlands2014 Chairperson) Perspectives (Verhoeven-President sWs-europe) 18:30 farewell International Conference Wetlands 2014 15 dAy By dAy ProGrAm sundAy 14 sePTemBer 2014 17:00-19:00 registration (posters will be able to be put at this time) 19:00-21:00 inauguration mondAy 15 sePTemBer 2014 AudiTorium 08.30 maltby e. Wetlands in the 21st century: From research to practical actions to maintain and restore wetland ecosystem services. 09:30 Break Auditorium. session: Ponds 1. Chair: Laura Serrano 10:00 Zelnik, igor; Alenka Gaberščik; mihael J. Toman. Macrophyte and macroinvertebrate assemblages in Karstic ponds and their relations to environmental factors. 10:20 franch-Gras, Lluis; eduardo m. García-roger; manuel serra; eva Tarazona; maría José Carmona. Variation in the propensity for sexual reproduction among facultatively sexual rotifer populations inhabiting ponds with different degree of environmental unpredictability 10:40 stewart, rebecca & Zulsdorff, Valentina. Linking ponds to pollination in an agricultural ecosystem 11:00 Belo, Anabela; Ana Lumbreras Corujo; Carla Pinto-Cruz. Soil seed bank evaluation: a tool for temporary pond recovery 11:20 Camacho, Antonio; nayeli murueta; elena Blasco; stefano Colelli; Anna C. santamans; Antonio Picazo. Functional ecology of Laguna de Talayuelas, a model Mediterranean temporary pond 11:40 oertli, Beat; demierre eliane; ilg Christiane. Promoting biodiversity in urban ponds: identification of the major determinants of species richness and implications for pond management 12:00 AudiTorium Panel discussion: Linking the wise use of wetlands with the challenges for sustainable development moderator: Robert Mc Innes, Ramsar representative Panelists: Edward Maltby (University of Liverpool); Brigitte Poulin (Station Biologique Tour du Valat); Anne Tolvanen (Finnish Forest Research Institute and University of Oulu). 13:30 Lunch Auditorium. session: Ponds 2. Chair: Beat Oertli 16 International Conference Wetlands 2014 15:00 Armengol, Xavier; maría rodrigo; Luis Valls; Andreu Castillo-escrivà; silvia díez; Carlos rochera; José A. Gil-delgado; rafael u. Gosálvez; Ángel Velasco; máximo florín; Antonio Camacho; francesc mesquita-Joanes. Hatching patterns of microinvertebrates in temporary ponds from Campo de Calatrava (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) 15:20 ruocco, matteo; Luigi sala; roberto simonini; daniela Prevedelli; ivano Ansaloni. Macroinvertebrates colonization and evolution in the WWF protected area “La Francesa” (Pianura Padana, Italy): a new man-made pond 15:40 Vaikre, maarja; Liina remm; riinu rannap. Macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure in woodland pools and ditches and their response to artificial drainage 16:00 ilg, Christiane; demierre, eliane; diz salgado, Carmen; oertli, Beat. Assessing the role of amphibians as surrogates for pond biodiversity 16:20 Péntek, Attila L.; Csaba f. Vad; Katalin Zsuga; Zsófia Horváth. Does pond size matter? Breeding site use of amphibian communities in a mixed landscape of Central Europe 16:40 Waterkeyn, Aline; Patrick Grillas; Brendonck Luc. The role of tadpole shrimp as community structuring agents in temporary ponds 17:00 Break Auditorium. session: Ponds 3. Chair: Susana Romo 17:30 magalhães, sónia; José Teixeira; Pedro segurado. Study of patterns of movement in Emys orbicularis and connectivity between ponds inside the PAVT 17:50 Kloskowski, Janusz; marek nieoczym. How to enhance animal diversity of ponds used for carp culture 18:10 Palhas, Jael; Armando Alves; eunice sousa; José Teixeira. Pond with life-an environmental education campaign for pond conservation and pedagogical exploration in Portugal room 1 symposium: The role of wetlands and buffer zones as green infrastructure elements of agricultural landscapes in watershed management-1 Chairs: Ülo Mander and Julien Tournebize 10:00 mander, Ülo; Julien Tournebize; Bernard Vincent. Green infrastructure, a key of future watershed management 10:20 Arheimer, Berit; Charlotta B. Pers. Lessons learned? Simulated nutrient reduction by wetlands constructed 1996-2006 in Sweden 10:40 Pokorný, Jan; Petra Hesslerová; Hanna Huryna; Vladimír Jirka. Role of wetlands in water cycling and local climate formation in agricultural landscapes 11:00 Kronvang, Brian; flemming Gertz; Annette Baattrup-Pedersen; Gitte rubæk; Goswin Heckrath; Henning Jensen; sara egemose; Carl Christian Hoffmann; Tommy dalgaard; søren B. olsen; Henrik B. møller; irene Wiborg; marc stutter. Experiences gained from 2 years with mandatory 10 m buffer strips along all Danish watercourses: do we know enough to evaluate their ecosystem services? 11:20 Boz, Bruno; Paolo Bazzoffi; silvia Carnevale; Bruna Gumiero. Efficiency of buffer zones recently inserted as CAP initiative in Italy 11:40 darwiche-Criado, n.; f.A. Comín; A. masip; m. García; s. Gutiérrez; r. sorando. In shore and offshore restored wetlands as buffers zones for the improvement of water quality of the water exceeding irrigation in an agricultural territory 13:30 Lunch International Conference Wetlands 2014 17 symposium: self-purification capacity in riparian wetlands: the european Project interreg sudoe Attenagua-1 Chairs: José Miguel Sánchez-Pérez and Sabine Sauvage 15:00 sánchez-Pérez, J.m.; sauvage, s; Teissier, s.; Bernard-Jannin, L.; sun, X.; yao, J.m ; Gerino m.; Amiche, C.; Chamsi, o.; Pinelli, e.; Jean, s.; Charcosset, J.y.; Barret, m.; Attard, e.; Lauga B.; duran, r.; Antiguedad, i.; Zabaleta, A.; martinez-santos, m.; ruiz, e.; Comin, f.; Carranza, f.; español, C.; navarro, e.; Bodoque, J.m.; Ladera, J.; yela, J.L.; Alonso, J.; Brito,d.; neves, r. Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands 15:20 Antigüedad, iñaki; Ane Zabaleta; miren martinez-santos; estilita ruiz; Jesus uriarte; Tomas morales ; francisco Comin; fabian Carranza; Cecilia español; José maria Bodoque; Julian Ladera; Léonard Bernard-Jannin; Xiaoling sun; samuel Teissier; sabine sauvage ; José-miguel sanchez-Perez. The alluvial system as a framework for physical-biogeochemical interactions 15:40 Comín, f.A.; sauvage, s.; Antiguedad, i.; Bodoque J.m.; neves r. ; Brito, d.; sánchezPérez J.m.; Zabaleta, A.; ruiz, e.; Gerino m.; yao, J.m.; Carranza, f.; español, C.; navarro, e.; Ladera, J.; yela, J.L.; Teissier, s. A conceptual model to characterize biophysical and biogeochemical indicators in river water-groundwater interfaces for natural depollution of water pollution 16:00 español, C.; yao J.m; Gerino, m.; Comin, f.A.; sánchez-Pérez J.m.; José Luis yela; Ane Zabaleta; Julian Ladera; fabián Carranza. Invertebrate communities of alluvial groundwaters in relation with water flow dynamics 16:20 yao, J.m; ramburn H; sánchez-Pérez J.m.; sauvage s.; Teissier s.; Attard e.; Lauga B.; durant r.; Gerino m. The role of invertebrate biodiversity in ecosystem purification service of alluvial wetlands 16:40 sun, Xiaoling; Léonard Bernard-Jannin; Cyril Garneau; nancy B sammons; Jeff G Arnold; raghavan srinivasan; sabine sauvage; José-miguel sanchez-Perez. Quantifying the role of the denitrification process in the alluvial aquifer using SWAT model: the case of the Garonne River flooplain (France) 17:00 Break symposium: self-purification capacity in riparian wetlands: the european Project interreg sudoe Attenagua-2 Chairs: José Miguel Sánchez-Pérez and Sabine Sauvage 17:30 Bernard-Jannin, Léonard; david Brito; ramiro neves; sabine sauvage; José-miguel sánchez-Pérez. A modelling tool to simulate water exchanges in floodplain area, application to the Garonne River (SW France) 17:50 Bernard-Jannin, Léonard; sun, X.; sauvage, s.; Teissier, s.; sánchez-Pérez, J.m. Water exchanges, carbon supply and nitrogen dynamic in the shallow groundwater of a riparian wetland zone application to the Garonne River (SW France) 18:10 Chamsi, ousama; navarro enrique; sanchez-Pérez José-miguel ; sauvage sabine; Comin francisco ; Antiguedad iñaki ; Bodoque José-maria ; Pinelli eric. Microalgae as a bio-indicator of the effects of pollutants in groundwaters in riverine wetlands areas 18 International Conference Wetlands 2014 room 2 session: Biological features 1. Chair: David Bart 10:00 dolinar, nataša; Alenka Gaberščik. Primary productivity, decomposition and fungal colonisation in Phragmites australis 10:20 reuter, Hendrik; Jörg Gelbrecht; dominik Zak. Differences in the anaerobic decomposition of Phragmites australis plant tissue in rewetted and near pristine fens as determined by FTIR-Spectroscopy 10:40 Čížková, Hana; Jiří dušek; Jan Květ . Progress in the assessment of primary production by wetland herbaceous plants: a review 11:00 Ágoston-szabó, edit; Károly schöll; Anita Kiss; mária dinka. Leaf litter decomposition in a side arm of River Danube at Gemenc floodplain (Danube-Dráva National Park, Hungary) 11:20 Van onsem, stijn; Ludwig Triest. Macrophyte reproductive fitness and strategy as a response to high Lemna cover 11:40 Kuczyńska-Kippen, natalia; Tomasz Joniak; Barbara nagengast. Do biometric features of a macrophyte habitat reflect zooplankton diversity in various trophic types of small water bodies 13:30 Lunch session: Biological features 2. Chair: Ladislav Hammelik 15:00 Špoljar, maria; Tvrtko dražina; Jelena fressl; Jasna Lajtner; Tea Tomljanović; daniel matulić; dora matijašec; ivana Zrinščak; Biserka Primc. . Influence of submerged macrophytes on metazooplankton community-an in situ mesocosm experiment in the eutrophic lake 15:20 García-roger, eduardo m.; Carlos martínez; manuel serra; maría José Carmona. Bet hedging for variability in diapause duration in a monogonont rotifer: first-produced resting eggs have increased probability of longer diapause 15:40 Wiśniewska, malgorzata; natalia Kuczyńka-Kippen; eugeniusz Pronin. Environmental factors controlling the autumnal similarity of rotifers (Rotifera) in small water bodies. 16:00 Čiampor, fedor Jr; Zuzana Čiamporová-Zaťovičová; darina Šípošová; Katarína Goffová. Genetic structure of the insect populations in the Tatra Mts. alpine ponds and lakes 16:20 Horváth, Zsófia; Csaba f. Vad; Pál Boda; Arnold móra; Adrienn Tóth; robert Ptacnik. Hitchhikers, paragliders and active flyers–the role of dispersal mode in small and large scale spatial patterns of aquatic invertebrates 16:40 roulet, Albertine; Christiane ilg; Beat oertli. Dispersal and colonization of new ponds by freshwater macroinvertebrates: the case of water beetles in alpine landscapes 17:00 Break session: Biological features 3. Chair: Mia Vehkaoja 17:30 Gallardo, Belinda; miguel Clavero; marta sánchez; montserrat Vilà. Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you impact: invasive species’ diet trigger trophic cascades in aquatic ecosystems International Conference Wetlands 2014 19 17:50 Prenda, José; Adrián ramos-merchante; isabel redondo; silvia rubio. Aquatic vertebrates and macrofauna habitat relationships in coastal wetlands from Andalucía (Spain) 18:10 Vehkaoja; mia; stella Thompson. Beaver-created wetlands room 3 session: management-1. Chair: Yosuke Masuda 10:00 Berger, daniela. Long-term monitoring of wetlands north of the Garzweiler opencast brown coal mine in western Germany 10:20 Germ, mateja; urša remic; Vekoslava stibilj. Veronica anagallis-aquatica as a bioindicator for selenium in watercourses 10:40 mudarra-martínez, matías; Bartolomé Andreo-navarro; Luis Linares Girela; francisco Carrasco Cantos. Monitoring network and preliminary results to investigate Andalusian wetlands associated with evaporitic karst aquifers 11:00 Leemhuis, Constanze; Álvarez, miguel; Amler esther; Behn Kai; Beuel sonja; Keissler Kornelia; Kotze donovan; Kreye Christine; Kyallo daniel; Wagner Katrin; Ziegler susanne. A rapid tile approach for wetland degradation assessment in East Africa 11:20 martí-Cardona, Belén; Josep dolz ripollés; Carlos López-martínez. Bio-physical data retrieval in the Doñana wetland from SAR satellite imagery 11:40 solé-senan, X.o; Juárez-escario; A; Pedrol, J; del Arco, C; Conesa, J.A. A functional plant diversity approach of the halophytic communities of Monegros Desert 13:30 Lunch session: management-2. Chair: Emma Goodyer 15:00 Jeffries, michael. Flood, drought and the plough: inter-annual variation to the number and extent of ponds in an English lowland landscape over three years of weather extremes. 15:20 Greaves, H.; C. sayer; C.; H. Bennion; H.; J. Axmacher; J.; i. Patmore. Impacts of management on the biodiversity and chemistry of farmland ponds 15:40 Vad, Csaba f.; Attila L. Péntek; Adrienn Tóth; nastasia J. Cozma; Katalin Zsuga; Bence Tóth; robert Ptacnik; nóra A. Böde8; Arnold Móra3; Zsófia Horváth7. Wartime scars or biodiversity hot-spots? The role of saline bomb crater ponds in aquatic conservation 16:00 Lefebvre, Gaëtan; Christophe Germain; Brigitte Poulin. Development of a web interactive tool to promote sustainable water management and use of Mediterranean marshes under climate variability 16:20 da silva, Carolina Joana; Keid nolan silva sousa; solange ikeda; Célia regina Araújo soares Lopes; Josué ribeiro da silva nunes; maria Antonia Carniello; Paulo roberto mariotti; Wilkinson Lopes; Alessandra morini; Bruno Wagner Zago; Cristiane Lima façanha; ruth Albernaz; elaine Loureiro; iris Gomes; robson flores de oliveira; Weslei Jonatar; Joari Costa de Arruda; nilo Leal sander; djair sergio de freitas Junior; Valcir rogério Pinto; Aldeniza Cardoso de Lima; robert H.G. Jongman. Biodiversity change and conservation in the wetlands of the Pantanal Upper Paraguay-Amazonia Ecotone, Mato Grosso (Brazil). 16:40 Květ, Jan; Jan Pokorný. Fishponds in the Czech Republic–Management Issues 17:00 Break 20 International Conference Wetlands 2014 session: management-3. Chair: Brigitte Poulin 17:30 manton, michael; Per Angelstam; Per milberg. Governance and management for ecological sustainability? - avian predation on waders 17:50 Ciocanea, Cristiana maria; Carmen sorescu; Tania Chincea; steluta manolache. Danube’s Iron Gates wetlands: threats and conservation measures 18:10 masuda, yosuke. Development of a theory for biodiversity offset policy based on the US experience of wetland mitigation policy HALL 18:30 Poster HallPoster session TuesdAy 16 sePTemBer 2014 mid ConferenCe fieLd TriPs 08:00 A B C Departure from Huesca Congress Palace Restoration of freshwater wetlands & saline ponds River Ebro floodplain & wetland restoration Ox-bow and gravel pit lakes in the Gállego and Ebro Rivers (Zaragoza) & Wetland restoration to remove nitrates exceeding agricultural irrigation 19:00 Back in Huesca 20:30 ConferenCe dinner (Huesca Congress Palace) sATeLLiTe session in sAriÑenA-eu Life ProJeCTs 08:00 Departure from Huesca Congress Palace 09:00 salillas, i. Welcome: An Introduction to Monegros Trokanova, Lucie. LIFE for Wetlands-examples and best practices del río, Amanda; eduardo de miguel; Angeles Pontes; Carlos Pérez; ernesto Aguirreruiz; Carlos Zumalacarregui; Blanca Hurtado. LIFE project “La Mancha Wetlands”: restoration of salt flats around 27 endorheic wetland areas in La Mancha martín, miguel; William Colom; mario Giménez; Antonio Guillem; fernando Juan; mª del Carmen regidor. Integrated management of three constructed wetlands in compliance with the water framework, birds and habitats Directives: the LIFE+12 ALBUFERA project Giralda Carrera, Gloria. Wetlands restoration and creation for European mink: Ten years of work in Navarre (Spain) simčič, matej. Conservation and management of freshwater wetlands in Slovenia-WETMAN 11:00 Break rodríguez rodríguez, miguel; francisco moral martos; mario Parra Cachada.Hydrological monitoring of “Los Tollos” playa-lake (Andalusia, Spain) in the context of its restoration (Life+ “Los Tollos”) morató, Jordi; Lorena Aguilar; Ángel Gallegos; Carlos Arias; Patricia Caro; santiago sahuquillo; Carlos Pérez. Reagritech LIFE11 ENV/ES/579. Constructed wetlands for diffuse pollution control of agricultural runoff International Conference Wetlands 2014 21 14:00 16:00 19:00 20:30 Teixeira, José; Vicente sancho; Bruno martins; fábia Azevedo; Ana Cruz; ignacio Lacomba. Is it possible to eradicate invasive freshwater turtles from de European wetlands? Results and prospects from LIFE Trachemys project Pinto-Cruz, Carla; Ana Lumbreras Corujo; Anabela Belo; rita Alcazar LIFE Charcos: Temporary Ponds Conservation in the Southwest Coast of Portugal. masip, Adriá; francisco A. Comín; Victor Guirado; Javier rodriguez; Alfonso Calvo; francisca Gallego; ricardo sorando; Gema Cacho; Ana Loriente; nadia darwiche; mercedes García; silvia Gutiérrez; Alberto Barcos. EU Life CREAMAgua: Restoring wetlands for water quality and biodiversity improvements in irrigated agricultural territories Bankovics, András. Restoration of Pannonic sodic wetlands in Hungary Lunch field trip: visit to restored freshwater wetlands to remove nitrates from water exceeding agricultural irrigation and to improve biodiversity Back in Huesca ConferenCe dinner (Huesca Congress Palace) WednesdAy 17 sePTemBer 2014 AudiTorium 08:30 Plenary Lecture Van Halsema, G. Integrating Wetlands Management and Conservation into the socioecological development 9:30 Break AudiTorium session: Geo-eco-Hydrology. Chair: Carmen Castañeda 10:00 Luna, estela; Carmen Castañeda; rafael rodríguez. Soils diversity along a toposequence within intermittently flooded habitats in Gallocanta Lake, Spain 10:20 Kalettka, Thomas; marielle neyen; uwe-Karsten schkade; Andreas Kleeberg. Sediment accumulation in glacially created kettle holes on arable land, Uckermark, NE Germany 10:40 López-Vicente, manuel; Cristina Pérez-Bielsa; Teresa López-montero; Luis Javier Lambán; Ana navas. Runoff production and water content in soils of the Estaña Lakes Catchment (Huesca, NE Spain) 11:00 Grima, J.; Bruno José Ballesteros; José manuel murillo; Juan José durán. Groundwater and its relationship to wetlands at Jucar Pilot River Basin 11:20 rodríguez-ochoa, rafael; José ramón olarieta. Soils in endorheic depressions in northern Monegros, Spain 11:40 rosset, Véronique; Albert ruhí; Thibault datry. How ponds differ-or not-from streams in their biotic responses to drying? 12:00 Panel discussion: integrating wetlands into the social-economic landscape: from theory to practice moderator: Jos Verhoeven, Utrecht Univesity, SWS-Europe President 22 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Panelists: Tania Runge (COPA-COGECA, Brussels); Noelia Vallejo Pedregal (European Commission D.G. Environment Unit ENV B.3-Nature); Jan Kvet (Institute of Landscape Ecology, Trebon, Czech Republic). 13:30 Lunch AudiTorium symposium: Biodiversity, ecology and management of mediterranean ponds-1 Chairs: Susana Romo and Laura Serrano 15:00 Gascón, stéphanie; dani Boix; Ana inés Borthagaray; Jordi sala; matias Arim; núria Àvila; susana romo; rocío López-flores; Xavier d. Quintana. The use of lipids as an energy storage strategy for taxa inhabiting climatic-contrasted habitats: M e d i t e r ranean vs. high mountain temporary ponds 15:20 Caria, maría Carmela; simonetta Bagella; Alessandro niedda; salvatore Virdis . Longterm monitoring of Mediterranean temporary pond dynamics through remote sensing: a case study in western Mediterranean 15:40 Bagella, simonetta; Caria maria Carmela; rossella filigheddu; Pier Luigi nimis. An interactive guide to the vascular plants of Mediterranean temporary ponds in Sardinia (Italy) 16:00 Briffa, Kelly; sheryl sammut; sandro Lanfranco. Morphometric heterogeneity of temporary pools in Malta and its effect on species and life-form richness: implications for management and restoration 16:20 sammut, sheryl; sandro Lanfranco. ‘Proximity’ and its effect on community assembly in temporary freshwater pools in Malta 16:40 Quintana, Xavier d.; matías Arim; Anna Badosa; José maría Blanco; dani Boix; sandra Brucet; Jordi Compte; Juan J. egozcue; elvira de eyto; ursula Gaedke; stéphanie Gascón; Luis Gil de solá; Kenneth irvine; erik Jeppesen; Torben L. Lauridsen; rocío López-flores; Thomas mehner; susana romo; martin søndergaard. Trophic interaction effects on size distributions in aquatic communities 17:00 Break AudiTorium symposium: Biodiversity, ecology and management of mediterranean ponds-2 Chairs: Susana Romo and Laura Serrano 17:30 Van den Broeck, maarten; Laila rhazi; Patrick Grillas; mohammed el madihi; mouhssine rhazi; Luc Brendonck; Aline Waterkeyn. Faunal and floral community patterns in Moroccan temporary ponds along climatic and anthropogenic disturbance gradients 17:45 díaz-Paniagua, Carmen; david Aragonés; Javier Bustamante. Threats of desiccation of permanent and temporary ponds in Doñana National Park (SW Spain) 18:00 olmo, Carla; deborah fandos; Xavier Armengol; raquel ortells. Ecological requirements of Tanymastix stagnalis (L., 1758) (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in a comparative framework: the case of Malladas de El Saler (Valencia, Spain) 18:15 ortells, raquel; manuel serra; maria José Carmona. Should I stay or should I go? Hatching decisions under high population densities 19:00 european Pond conservation network meeting International Conference Wetlands 2014 23 room 1 symposium: self-purification capacity in riparian wetlands: the european Project interreg sudeo Attenagua-3 Chairs: José Miguel Sánchez-Pérez and Sabine Sauvage 10:00 Carranza f.; sánchez-Pérez J.m.; sauvage s.; Comin, f.; Antiguedad, i.; Zabaleta A.; Teissier s.; navarro e.; español C. Relationship between bacterial community diversity, carbon supply and denitrification processes in riparian areas 10:20 Brito, d.; Bernard-Jannin, L; sauvage, s.; Zabaleta, A.; Comin, f.; Bodoque J.m.; neves r.; sánchez-Pérez J.m. Modeling the hydro-biogeochemistry functioning in alluvial wetlands 10:40 Bodoque, J.m.; Ladera, J.; Alonso-Azcárate, J.; yela, J.L.; sánchez-Pérez, J.m. Self-purification capacity in a highly man-modified wetland 11:00 sauvage, s. Discussion on Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands 11:20 sánchez-Pérez, J.m. Synthesis and perspectives on Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands: the European Project Interreg Sudoe Attenagua 13:30 Lunch symposium: The role of wetlands and buffer zones as green infrastructure elements of agricultural landscapes in watershed management-2 Chairs: Ülo Mander and Julien Tournebize 15:00 masip A.; Gonzalez e.; Castellano C.; Jaime r.; Comín f.A. Improving riparian woodland restoration with case-by-case performance modeling in R language based on groundwater distance. 15:20 Tournebize J.; Chaumont C. ; Vincent B ; mander Ü.; soosaar K.; Hansen r.; muhel m. Removal efficiency of pesticides and nitrates in an artificial wetland treating drainage water from an agricultural watershed 15:40 schachtschneider, K.; Jessica Chamier; Chavon Walters; Vernon somerset. Metal sequestration by indigenous vegetation in riparian zones; an ecosystem service to improve water quality 16:00 Pappalardo, salvatore; maurizio Borin. Water purification from nitrogen as an ecosystem service from a constructed surface flow wetland treating agricultural drainage water 16:20 Pinardi, monica; elisa soana; mariano Bresciani; Paolo Villa; marco Bartoli. Nitrogen removal in a fluvial wetland: macrophyte-bacteria interactions and relevance at the basin scale 16:40 Kasak, K.; Järvi Järveoja; martin maddison; mikk espenberg; Ülo mander. Greenhouse gas emissions from tropical peatlands in French Guiana 17:00 Break symposium: Wetlands processes and metabolism: from functioning to functions-1 Chairs: Pier Luigi Viaroli 17:30 Chen, yi; yue Wen; Qi Zhou; Jan Vymazal. Sulfur transformations in subsurface-flow constructed wetlands treating secondary effluent. 24 International Conference Wetlands 2014 17:50 edwards, Keith r.; Hana Čížková; eva Kaštovská; Jiří Barta; Tomáš Picek. Impact of fertilization on plant and soil processes in wet grasslands 18:10 Gilbert, Peter; michael Jeffries; dave Cooke; michael deary; Geoff Abbott; scott Taylor. Capturing the aquatic breath: Examining ecological variations, diurnal fluctuations and extrapolations of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from small aquatic systems in Druridge Bay, England. room 2 session: Biological related to physical features-1. Chair: Belinda Gallardo 10:00 serrano, L.; C. díaz-Paniagua; C. Gómez-rodríguez; m. florencio; m. A. marchand; J. G. m. roelofs; e. C. H. e. T. Lucassen. Amphibian egg mortality associated to the groundwater decline of the Doñana aquifer (SW Spain) 10:20 Hamerlík, Ladislav; milan novikmec; marek svitok; richard Hrivnák; michal Hlávek; Judita Kochjarová; Zuzana matúšová; Jozef oboňa; Helena oťaheľová; Peter PaľoveBalang; Barbora reduciendo-Klementová; radovan stupák; marta Veselská; Andrea Zapriháčová. Does importance of chironomids as indicators of pond diversity change along environmental gradients? 10:40 reduciendo Klementová, Barbora; marek svitok; milan novikmec; Zuzana matúšová. Diversity and distribution of aquatic Heteroptera in Slovakia: the importance of small standing waters 11:00 Pätzig, marlene; Thomas Kalettka. Functional diversity of macrophytes in kettle hole types 11:20 Campo-Bescós, miguel A.; rafael muñoz-Carpena; david A. Kaplan; Jane southworth. Physical drivers of vegetation change in the Okavango Delta 11:40 Bensaci ettayib; nouidjem yacine; saheb menouar; Bouzegag Abdelaziz; Houhamdi moussa. Waterbirds diversity and importance of Saharan wetlands of Algeria for their conservation 13:30 Lunch session: Biologial related to physical features-2. Chair: Stijn Van Onsem 15:00 Triadó-margarit, Xavier; emilio o. Casamayor. An overview on the biodiversity of planktonic protists across environmental gradients 15:20 matúšová, Zuzana; marek svitok; richard Hrivnák; Ladislav Hamerlík; michal Hlávek; Judita Kochjarová; milan novikmec; Jozef oboňa; Helena oťaheľová; Peter PaľoveBalang; Barbora reduciendo Klementová; radovan stupák; Andrea Zapriháčová. Weak correlation in diversity and community composition among multiple taxonomic groups: a failure of surrogate idea in Central European ponds 15:40 Benito, Xavier; rosa Trobajo; Carles ibàñez. Modelling habitat distribution of Mediterranean coastal wetlands: the Ebro Deltas as case study 16:00 Goodyer, emma; Johan schutten; debbie spray; Kenny mcdougall. Development of hydroecological guidelines for Scottish wetlands 16:20 dinka, mária; Károly schöll; Anita Kiss; Árpád Berczik; edit Ágoston-szabó. Spatial and temporal changes in physical and chemical properties of an oxbow lake of the Danube River (Nyéki-Holt-Duna, Danube-Dráva National Park, Hungary) International Conference Wetlands 2014 25 16:40 estupiñán Torres, sandra mónica; sara Lilia Ávila de navia. Water quality and bacterial diversity in the wetland Córdoba, Colombia 17:00 Break session: Biologial related to physical features-3. Chair: Michael Manton 17:30 Lopes Lázaro, Wilkinson; Carolina J. da silva; Áurea r.A. ignácio; sergi díez; Jean r.d.Guimarães. Distribution of net mercury methylation potentials in a tropical wetland: lateral connectivity of water bodies as a factor of variance in the waterscape contexto 17:50 Zhao, Wenzhi; Hu Liu; shoubo Li; Bing Liu. Ecohydrology of wetlands ecosystems in a desert oasis in arid Northwestern China 18:10 Joniak, T.; natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen. Can the biological and physical-chemical features of water be the indicator of type of land use and origin of small water bodies? room 3 session: socio-ecological issues. Chair: Michael Jeffries 10:00 felipe-Lucia, maría r.; francisco A. Comín. Ecosystem services-biodiversity relationships depend on land use type in floodplain agroecosystems 10:20 seják, Josef; Jan Pokorný. Deriving systemic national values for biodiversity and ecosystem services 10:40 Guerrero moreno, naret; dianne scott; Johannes Kollmann; Jan sliva. Understanding of socio-economic and traditional values of Manguzi Wetlands (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) as a pre-condition for their conservation, restoration and wise use 11:00 Poddar, Parthendu. Agronomic utilization and nutritional enrichment of wetlands through cultivation of Aeschynomene aspera (L.) 11:20 Jiménez Castilla, T.; netty Huertas. Wetlands and their contribution to Sustainable Human Development: Opportunities for improvement the life´s quality in rural population. Three Cases study in National Natural Parks in Colombia 11:40 fernández-rodríguez, m.J.; A. Jiménez-rodríguez; m. medialdea; n.mazuelos; L. serrano. Aquaculture in Veta la Palma (Doñana Natural Area, SW Spain): a successful coupling of ecological and socio-economic values. 13:30 Lunch session: Climate change. Chair: Jorge A. Herrera 15:00 sánchez, Berta; Ana iglesias. Implications of climate change for rice farming in the Doñana wetland (SW Spain) 15:20 Taylor, scott; david Cooke; michael Jeffries; michael deary; Geoff Abbott; Peter Gilbert. Ponds, productivity and probes: An experimental approach to carbon capture 15:40 Bolpagni, rossano; marco Bartoli; Pierluigi Viaroli. CO2 and CH4 fluxes in permanent and temporary aquatic environments in the lowland of the Po River, Italy 16:00 dušek, Jiří; stanislav stellner. Methane emission from a sedge-grass marsh under different environmental conditions. 16:20 Ward, raymond; niall Burnside; Christopher Joyce; Kalev sepp; Phillip Teasdale. Modelling the impacts of sea level rise on coastal wetlands: a case study in micro-topographical Baltic wetlands in Estonia 26 International Conference Wetlands 2014 16:40 Calvo-Cubero, Juan; Carles ibáñez; Albert rovira; Peter J. sharpe; enrique reyes. Marsh elevation and carbon accumulation in a Mediterranean restored marsh (Ebro Delta, Spain) 17:00 Break Workshop: Wetlands as new stages of modern ecotourism Chairs: Kirsi Laurén and Minna Tanskanen 17:30 Tanskanen, minna. Ecotourism on the Finnish peatlands-theoretical prospects 17:50 Laurén, Kirsi. Mires and wilderness in national parks 18:10 Tolvanen, Anne: Social sustainability of the use of peatlands-implications on traditional and modern livelihoods in northern Finland HALL 18:30 Poster Hall. Poster session THursdAy 18 sePTemBer 2014 AudiTorium 08:30 society of Wetland scientists-europe meeting 09:30 Break Auditorium: symposium: Wetland processes and metabolism: from functioning to functions-2 Chairs: Jan Vymazal & Carl Christian Hoffmann 10:00 stephansen, diana Agnete; Asbjørn Haaning nielsen; Thorkild Hvitved-Jacobsen; Carlos Alberto Arias; Hans Brix; Jes Vollertsen. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments and invertebrates of stormwater detention ponds 10:20 Longhi, daniele; marco Bartoli; daniele nizzoli; Pierluigi Viaroli. Oxic-anoxic transitions constrain benthic metabolism in freshwater wetland in the Po river floodplain 10:40 Vymazal, Jan; Tereza B_ezinová. Seasonal dynamics of heavy metals in Phragmites australis growing in a constructed wetland 11:00 oliver, núria; miguel martín; sara Gargallo; Carmen Hernández-Crespo. Influence of operational parameters on nutrients removal in surface-flow constructed wetlands treating eutrophicated water. Experience in L’Albufera de Valencia Lake 11:20 Litaor, m. iggy. The impact of ornithogenic inputs on P hydro-geochemistry in altered wetland environs in East Mediterranean Ecosystem 11:40 Hoffmann, Carl Christian; Charlotte Kjaergaard. Testing of horizontal and vertical cw’s with mixed matrices of woodchips and mussel shells for removal of nutrients in agricultural drainage water 13:30 Lunch International Conference Wetlands 2014 27 AudiTorium symposium: Wetland processes and metabolism: from functioning to function-3 Chairs: Pier Luigi Viaroli 15:00 negrin, Vanesa L.; sandra e. Botté; Paula d. Pratolongo; Gabriela González Trilla. Biogeochemical cycles in salt marshes from the Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina): an overview 15:20 Bomfim, eudes; marie-Paule Bonnet; Anne-elisabeth Lagues; daniel Araújo; Jérémie Garnier; Leonardo Gomes; Ludgero Vieira; ricardo Paiva; stéphanie nasuti; Geraldo Boaventura. Biogeochemistry and Lago Grande Curuaí’s aquatic sustainability in the Amazon Basin, Brazil 15:40 Catelotti, Katharine; Bino, G; Kingsford, r.T.; Bacon, P. Inundation requirements for persistence and recovery of river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), a keystone species in a Ramsar listed Wetland in semi-arid Australia 16:30 Closure session Plenary lecture by Vallejo-Pedregal (EU D.G.Enviroment-Unit ENV B.3-Nature) Guest Editors of Special Issues of Journals offered for publication (Mander & Tournebize, Viaroli & Bartoli, Boix) Conference Summary (Comín-Wetlands2014 Chairperson) Prespectives (Verhoeven-Presidente SWS-Europe) 18:00 farewell room 1 symposium: Peatlands: ecology, sustainable use and contributions to socio-ecological development-1 Chairs: Tania G. Bravo and Eduardo González 10:00 Bravo, Tania A.; maria strack; Line rochefort. Forest plantation on cutover peatland in Alberta: Evaluating methods and carbon stocks 10:20 González, eduardo; Line rochefort; stephanie Boudreau; monique Poulin. Using Linear Discriminant Analysis to predict restoration success in peatlands 10:40 López-días, Veneranda; Ángeles G. Borrego; Carlos G. Blanco; Achim Bechtel; Wilhelm Püttmann. Significance of the widespread occurrence of triterpenoid acetates in North Spain bogs from Asturias 11:00 urbanczyk, Justyna; Veneranda López-días; Angeles G. Borrego. Chemical biomarker assemblage in the 15000 cal. yr BP Comeya peat profile of Picos de Europa National Park, North Spain 11:20 Bart, d.; Tara davenport. Impacts of agricultural legacies on calcareous fen communities: how the past informs the future 11:40 Tolvanen, Anne. Towards sustainable use of boreal peatlands 13:30 Lunch 28 International Conference Wetlands 2014 symposium: Peatlands: ecology, sustainable use and contributions to socio-ecological development-2 Chairs: Tania G. Bravo and Eduardo González 15:00 León, Carolina A; Gisela oliván; maría Puelles; José maría Gabriel y Galán. Mitigation bank and payments for ecosystem services, a tool for conservation of Patagonian peatlands 15:20 Giannini, Vittoria; nicola silvestri; Tiziana sabbatini; Chiara Pistocchi; enrico Bonari. Growth and nutrients uptake of perennial crops and spontaneous vegetation in a Mediterranean drained peatland: preliminary results. 15:40 Zak, dominic; rudy van diggelen; Jörg Gelbrecht; Alvaro Cabezas; rob mcinnes. Managing phosphorus fluxes from rewetted peatlands room 2 session: Land use related biological features. Chair: Hana Čižková 10:00 Bart, david. Can incorporating agricultural practices into wetland restoration result in win-win situations? 10:20 novikmec, milan; marek svitok; dušan Kočický; Ladislav Hamerlík; richard Hrivnák; Judita Kochjarová; Helena oťaheľová; Peter Paľove-Balang. Chemistry of water and soil in Central European ponds: relationship with land use and morphology 10:40 remm, Liina; Asko Lõhmus; riinu rannap. Temporal and small water bodies in modern forests: a landscape-scale assessment in Estonia 11:00 Casamayor, emilio o; Xavier Triadó-margarit; Carmen Castañeda; Juan Herrero. The microbial value of shallow saline lakes 11:20 minelgaite, Greta; Asbjørn Haaning nielsen; morten Lauge Pedersen; diana Agnete stephansen; Jes Vollertsen. Phytoplankton and benthic diatom diversity in urban stormwater ponds compared to natural shallow lakes 13:30 Lunch 15:00 Workshop: new quantitative tools for the assessment of anthropogenic eutrophication in shallow water bodies under increasing human Chairs: Laura Serrano and Susana Romo room 3 session: restoration-1 . Chair: Mc Innes 10:00 Koren, Aleksander; matej simčič. Modern challenges in wetlands management in the case of ponds and oxbow lakes restoration in Slovenia 10:20 menichino, nina; Laurence Jones; Christopher evans; Peter Jones; Janine Guest; Andrew Pullin; nathalie fenner. Botanical response to restoration in degraded rich fens 10:40 Teutli-Hernández, C.; Comin, f.A.; menendez, m.; Herrera-silveira, J.A. Mangrove’s restoration: ecological and economic perspectives 11:00 yamashita, H.; mcinnes, r.J. Social perception of the risks and benefits of tidal wetland restoration: A case study from the UK 11:20 Peralta, Javier; Patxi Heras; marta infante; Asun Berastegi. Results of a mire monitoring (2008-2013) in Navarre (NE Spain) after fencing to control livestock and ditch damming to re-install hydrological balance International Conference Wetlands 2014 29 11:40 miguel-Chinchilla, Leticia; dani Boix; stéphanie Gascón; eduardo González; francisco A. Comín. Mining impacts on manmade ponds located in reclaimed opencast coal mines 13:30 Lunch session: restoration-2. Chair: María Felipe 15:00 Herrera-silveira, Jorge; Teutli-Hernández Claudia; Caamal-sosa Juan; Zaldívar Jiménez Arturo; Pech daniel; Andueza Tersa; Pérez-Ceballos rosela; Adame Vivanco ma. fernanda; Hernández Héctor; Torres ricardo. Carbon stocks and flows in mangroves of the Yucatan Peninsula, research and monitoring 15:20 motamedi, shervin; roslan Hashim; song Ki-iL. Mangrove plantation and breakwater systems for shoreline protection: Long-term assessment of the mangrove rehabilitation project at Sungai Haji Dorani, Malaysia 15:40 rodríguez, mauricio; Tania Jiménez Castilla; netty Huertas. Economic and ecological evaluation of Cartagena´s urban mangroves forest and proposals for sustainable human development HALL 12:00 Poster session 30 International Conference Wetlands 2014 ACComPAnyinG Persons ProGrAm sundAy 14 sePTemBer 2014 17:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 Registration Meeting Accompanying persons (Registration desk) Inauguration (Auditorium) Snack evening meal (Spanish tapas & wines) mondAy 15 sePTemBer 2014 09:00 Visit to Loarre Castle (Set of The Kingdom of Heaven by Ridley Scott, 2005) 18:00 Guided visit to Huesca City TuesdAy 16 sePTemBer 2014 Mid-Conference field trip WednesdAy 17 sePTemBer 2014 09:00 Visit to Jaca City THursdAy 18 sePTemBer 2014 Free time in Huesca City International Conference Wetlands 2014 31 mid ConferenCe fieLd TriPs Mid Conference field trips will take place on Tuesday 16 September 2014. A- Mid-Conference Field trip A: Restoration of freshwater wetlands & saline ponds Topics of interest and sites to visit: Restored and constructed wetlands, Monegros playalakes and saline depressions, Lake Sariñena. route: Huesca-Monegros (Sariñena-Bujaraloz-Sariñena)-Huesca interest The route starts from the Conference Venue in Palacio de Congresos (Huesca) in SE direction towards the agricultural county of Monegros (2765 Km2, population density 7.4 inh./km2). The north part of the county has been intensively transformed into irrigation, being an area highly productive of corn, wheat, barley, rice, and vegetables. In contrast, wetlands were degraded, including floodplains of the River Flumen. Natural wetlands were restored and also some wetlands were constructed and monitored (Life Programme CREAMAGUA, http://www.creamagua.com) for improving the quality of the return flows from irrigation and hence, biodiversity. Lake Sariñena, originally an endorheic salt lake, was transformed a few decades ago to a freshwater pond of 2 km2 (lake shoreline 8 km and maximum water depth is 5-10 m) by fresh and polluted water flows from agricultural surplus. The water level of the lake is controlled by a drain. In the south part of Monegros County, one of the most arid regions in Europe, more than a hundred saline wetlands occur in small closed basins (from < 1 to 200 ha). These ecosystems are located in solution dolines formed by karstification of the gypsum-rich bedrock and by deflation. Playa lakes and other saline wetlands provide habitats for breeding birds, and host animals, plants and microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions such as hypersalinity, high solar radiation, temperature extremes, and irregular, alternating periods of drought and flooding. B-Mid-Conference Field Trip B: River Ebro floodplain & wetland restoration Topics of interest and sites to visit: Middle Ebro River floodplain downstream Zaragoza, including oxbow lakes; restored and constructed wetlands in Monegros for improving irrigation return flows and biodiversity -Lake Sariñena. route: Huesca-Zaragoza (La Cartuja)-Monegros (Sariñena)-Huesca. interest The route runs from the city of Huesca in the Huesca depression towards the south through the Tertiary continental materials of the Ebro River depression, including limestones, gypsum, and marls, and crosses the Ebro River floodplain (a large Mediterranean river) close to Zaragoza city. We will be visiting the Natural Reserve of Galachos (oxbows) where preservation and restoration works were performed and where there are ongoing studies focusing on surface and subsurface biodiversity related to river connectivity. Riparian woodlands and oxbow lakes will be visited. 32 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Lake Sariñena (an officially preserved site for wild fauna) in Monegros County and its visitor center will be visited. Lake Sariñena was originally an endorheic salt lake. Now, after decades of water flows from irrigation it became a freshwater pond of 2 km2 (lake shoreline 8 km; maximum depth 5-10 m). Then, restored and created wetlands in Monegros County will be visited. Sixteen wetlands and riparian zones were restored (some of them can be considered as created wetlands) were worked out for improving the quality of the irrigation water flows and biodiversity under the Life Programme CREAMAGUA. C-Mid-Conference Field Trip C: Ox-bow lakes and gravel pit lakes in the Gállego and Ebro Rivers (Zaragoza) & Wetland restoration to remove nitrates exceeding agricultural irrigation Topics of interest and sites to visit: Early stage of an ox-bow lake formation in River Gállego and advanced aggradation of ox-bow lake in the Middle Ebro River floodplain upstream Zaragoza; and restored wetlands to remove nitrates discharged with the water exceeding irrigated agricultural areas in Monegros County (Huesca province) . route: Huesca-Zaragoza (Juslibol)-Monegros (Sariñena)-Huesca. interest The route runs from the city of Huesca in the Huesca depression towards the south through the Tertiary continental materials of the Ebro River depression, including limestones, gypsum, and marls, down to the left margins of Rivers Gállego and Ebro just upstream Zaragoza city where, respectively, an oxbow lake is being formed (Gállego River) and another one was created during a big flood in 1960 but it is now in an advanced stage of colmatation. Also naturalized gravel pits and an artificial shaloow lake will be visited in this last floodplain (Juslibol). Two restored wetlands to remove nitrates exported with the irrigation water exceeding agricultural areas will be visited in Monegros County (Huesca province). International Conference Wetlands 2014 33 BioGrAPHiCAL noTes of PLenAry LeCTurers Prof. edward maltby is Professor of Wetland Science, Water and Ecosystem Management & Director Institute for Sustainable Water, Integrated Management and Ecosystem Research University of Liverpool. Previous positions were as Professor of Environmental and Physical Geography Department of Geography Royal Holloway University of London Director, Royal Holloway Institute for Environmental Research (RHIER) and Director of Wetland Ecosystem Research Group (WERG). Over 40 years of experience in scientific research and environmental project management, providing both technical and policy advice for Supragovernment, government and non-government bodies. These include the European Commission, UK Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, House of Commons Select Committee on European legislation, the United States Federal Government, Belgian and Netherlands governments, the World Wide Fund for Nature, IUCN - The World Conservation Union, UNEP and the Biodiversity and Ramsar Conventions. Currently Prof. Maltby is advisor to the Secretary of State for Environment on the UK National Ecosystem Assessmment amd and formally Chair IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and of the IUCN Wetlands and Water Programme. dr.ir. Gerardo e. van Halsema, editor & lead author of the Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture Wetlands Interaction (FAO/Ramsar Publication WR#33), is (since 2007) Asst. Prof. Water Resources Management at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Throughout his professional life at Wageningen University and FAO-Rome, he is working on questions around sustainability of Agricultural Water Management, with a clear aim and focus of placing this field in its wider system surroundings. As coordinator Water for Food and Ecosystems at FAO he has been a key organiser of the FAO/Netherlands international conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems, which culminated in the work on sustainable agriculture-wetlands interactions with FAO/Ramsar/WUR. More recently, he is the leading author of the Mekong Delta Plan, which provides a long-term vision and strategy for sustainable adaptation of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta to climate change – a field in which the integration of agriculture, regulating services and environment are applied to field of climate change adaptation at the landscape level. noelia Vallejo Pedregal is Environmental Sciences Graduate and High Technical Officer (20062012) of the Spanish Ministry of Environment. At present, she is Desk Officer of Nature UnitD.G. Environment of European Commission in Brussels. 34 International Conference Wetlands 2014 PAneL disCussion 1) Linking the wise use of wetlands with the challenges for sustainable development (Auditorium, 15th Monday at 12:00) moderator: Robert Mc Innes, Ramsar representative Panelists: Edward Maltby (University of Liverpool); Brigitte Poulin (Station Biologique Tour du Valat); Anne Tolvanen (Finnish Forest Research Institute and University of Oulu). Established in 1971, the Convention on Wetlands, which is commonly called the “Ramsar Convention”, is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to plan for the “wise use”, or sustainable use, of all of the wetlands in their territories. The Convention text recognizes the interdependence of Man and his environment and has at its core the concept of “wise use” – which makes clear that human uses of natural resources on a sustainable basis are entirely compatible with the Ramsar principles and wetland conservation in general. However, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, published in 2005, declared that inland and coastal wetlands were still being lost at a rate faster than any other ecosystem and that the pressures on wetlands continue to increase. Therefore the vital role that wetlands can play in delivering sustainable development – and maintaining and improving human well-being – continues to be underplayed and in some cases actively ignored. This Panel Discussion will explore some of the reasons why the wise use of wetlands has not been more closely embedded in sustainable development decision-making and make recommendations on how this challenge can be overcome in the future. 2) Integrating wetlands into the social-economic landscape: from theory to practice Auditorium, 17th Wednesday at 12:00) moderator: Jos Verhoeven, Utrecht University, SWS-Europe President Panelists: Tania Runge (COPA-COGECA, Brussels); Noelia Vallejo Pedregal (European Commission D.G. Environment Unit ENV B.3-Nature); Jan Kvet (Institute of Landscape Ecology, Trebon, Czech Republic). Wetland protection and wise use have to be promoted in socio-economic discussions alongside other options for current and future land and water use. Wetland ecosystem services have been demonstrated to result in tangible economic benefits. Identification and quantification of these benefits can result in a major opportunity to guarantee wetland protection and wise use in the socio-economic landscape. Ecotourism in s’Albufera wetland in Mallorca and restoration of carbon sequestration in Estonia are two examples where theory is put into practice. International Conference Wetlands 2014 35 ABsTrACTs of PLenAry LeCTures Wetlands in the 21st century: From research to practical actions to maintain and restore wetland ecosystem services edward maltby Emeritus Professor of Water, Wetland Science and Ecosystem management, University of Liverpool, UK. The unique and seminal role played by wetlands in Earth and human history as well as societal development serves as the background to the growing evidence supporting their continued importance at both global and local scales. Whilst there has been loss of at least half the world’s wetlands in previous centuries, the last 50 years have witnessed some remarkable changes in attitudes to wetlands that have prioritized them increasingly on scientific and political agendas. Governments are apparently realizing the value of the natural capital and ecosystem services of wetlands to the wider human economy. The challenge now to wetland science, our economic and political systems is to adapt to the new needs of civil society. Wide ranging examples from around the world are used to illustrate how there is still an important intimate relationship between wetlands and human communities and conversely to illustrate the progressive loss and degradation that has taken place. The benefits that were appreciated by early human cultures and current traditional users historically has been either ignored or dismissed as less valuable by more powerful sectorial interest groups. Key features of recent changes are outlined and include raised awareness of the socio-economic significance of wetland functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services; opportunities for wetlands to deliver improvements in the welfare and livelihoods of local people; and progressive recognition of the potential or actual role of wetlands to achieve wider objectives of sustainable development and human benefit. Findings from the international project on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) are highlighted to illustrate the potential for changes in government perspectives and policy. The need for a more holistic and integrated approach to the natural environment and our socio-economic framework, as embodied in the Ecosystem Approach, underpins proposals of the social, economic, political and legislative actions necessary at different scales to safeguard our wetland heritage and resources. Integrating Wetlands Management and Conservation into the socio-ecological development. Gerardo e. van Halsema Asst. Prof. of Water Resources Management. Wageningen University. The Netherlands Wetlands are typical rich ecosystems that may provide a wide diversity of ecosystems services across the spectrum of provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services (MA), as well as a rich and unique biodiversity. Where the MA has been instrumental in pinpointing us to the benefits these services can provide for human kind and human wellbeing – providing a renewed mandate for the preservation and wise use of these valuable ecosystems – the dy- 36 International Conference Wetlands 2014 namics of socio-ecological development highlights society’s contestations on which services and which benefits to particularly appreciate and derive from a particular wetland ecosystem in question. This has particular bearings on the sustainability of wetland ecosystems that tend to be appreciated and valued by society for their particular benefits in provisioning and regulating services: i) sustainability is an outcome of continuous contestation and accommodation of differing appreciations and valorizations; ii) the state of the wetland ecosystem to maintain and use is negotiable in socio-ecological development. The socio-ecological developments and management of wetland ecosystems are the key factors that derive the specific benefits from the ecosystem and its services, and therewith the resulting state of the system used. From a social-ecological perspective it is critical to refine the MA ES framework from a societal point of view: ecosystems have intrinsically multiple services and benefits to offer for human wellbeing, but these differ widely in their nature and character; services need to be derived and valued by society in order to reap their benefits; ecosystem services differ in their provision of public and private benefits. Social-ecological development strategies need to explicitly account for these differences by acknowledging which services are valued by and providing benefits to whom, and how these benefits and management strategies are bounded to specific livelihood activity domains. In deliberating and negotiating socio-ecological management strategies for wetlands wherein new configurations of ecosystem services are contemplated, the implied shifts in benefits – across services, beneficiaries and livelihoods – need to be explicitly accounted for, as a re-configuration of eservices equates to a re-configuration of benefits and wealth across the sociological domain. Not only in terms of private benefits and livelihoods, but also across segments of society through shifts in public benefits. Where agriculture has been traditionally a strong and prominent societal drive for the valorization of private benefits derived from provisioning services, the growing awareness for the need to adapt to climate change impacts provide a new impetus to the valorization of public goods derived from regulating services. Thus providing openings and opportunities for new, society supported, reconfigurations of the ecosystem services and the wetland ecosystem. International Conference Wetlands 2014 37 orAL PresenTATion ABsTrACTs of ConCurrenT sessions, symPosiA, sPeCiAL sessions And WorKsHoPs Leaf litter decomposition in a side arm of River Danube at Gemenc floodplain (Danube-Dráva National Park, Hungary) Ágoston-szabó, edit1; Károly schöll1; Anita Kiss1; mária dinka1 1Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Leaf litter is an important energy input for floodplain waters and its breakdown is an important ecosystem process. The decomposition of five leaf litter species was investigated in Rezéti-Holt-Duna, permanently flowing side arm at Gemenc forested floodplain, stressing to the importance of mesh size and site effect. A litter bag experiment was performed, by using litter bags with 1 mm and 0.04 mm mesh sizes; leaves of the Salix alba, Populus hybrids were placed in the depositional and of the Quercus robur, Fraxinus angustifolia, Ulmus laevis in the erosional part of the side arm. Ash leaves in 1 mm mesh bags were exposed at both sites in order to evaluate the site effect. The dominant macroinvertebrate taxon in 1 mm mesh bags was the Chironomidae in larval stage. Higher breakdown, carbon and nitrogen release rates were found in 1 mm than in 0.04 mm mesh bags. There were also significant differences between the decay and carbon release rate of ash decomposing at both sites. We concluded that the mesh size influence the leaf litter associated breakdown and nutrient dynamics and the site effect was more pronounced on the decay and carbon release rate than on the nutrient release rates. The alluvial system as a framework for physical-biogeochemical interactions Antigüedad, iñaki1 ; Ane Zabaleta1 ; miren martinez-santos2; estilita ruiz2 ; Jesús uriarte1 ; Tomás morales1 ; francisco Comín3 ; fabián Carranza3 ; Cecilia español3 ; José maría Bodoque4 ; Julián Ladera4 ; Léonard Bernard-Jannin5,6 ; Xiaoling sun5,6 ; samuel Teissier5,6 ; sabine sauvage5,6 ; José-miguel sánchez-Pérez5,6 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Geodynamic, 48940 Leioa (Basque Country), Spain. 2 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 48013 Bilbao (Basque Country), Spain. 3 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC); Avda Montañana 1005, 50050 Zaragoza, Spain. 4 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Department of Geology and Mine Engineering, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 5 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 6 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 1 Attenagua project aims to integrate the knowledge on physical-biogeochemical interactions of four alluvial wetlands (Tajo, Ebro, Garonne, Bidasoa catchments) of SUDOE region in a method able to identify the best places with good quality groundwater. Bearing that in mind, a comparative study between sites was conducted following the sequence Observation - 38 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Conceptualization - Modeling. This paper deals with the first two steps. Observation was founded on a detailed monitoring; 10 piezometers and 2 river points were sampled in each site once a month (water, pesticides) during a year ensuring sampling at high and low water levels. Four of the campaigns included sediment and biota sampling. Water level was continuously registered in both, the riparian zone and the river, so the hydrologic context is well known. Conceptualization was based on the integration of all observed data. Special emphasis was put on site-specific attributes (landscape, alluvial thickness, upland-alluvial-river link, land cover, pollution sources). A key point of the conceptual model was the connectivity with the river, including space- and time- variability. Principal Component Analysis was used in each site to make different groups of waters visible and put in evidence key parameters that can identify potential “hot-spots (important zones of natural biodegradations). This didn’t necessarily inform about water origin. Therefore, site-specific knowledge was needed to define the end-members to be used in EMMA and obtain mixing-maps, which in turn allowed deriving pollutant degradation maps. From these maps hotspot areas were identified being these the reference for modeling. Hatching patterns of microinvertebrates in temporary ponds from Campo de Calatrava (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) Armengol, Xavier1; maría rodrigo1; Luis Valls1; Andreu Castillo-escrivà1; silvia díez1; Carlos rochera1; José A. Gil-delgado1; rafael u. Gosálvez2; Ángel Velasco3; máximo florín3; Antonio Camacho1; francesc mesquita-Joanes1 1 2 3 Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Spain. Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Department of Environment Science, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. [email protected] Temporary ponds are common in steppe habitats, such as those located in Castilla La-Mancha region, at the center of the Iberian Peninsula. In summer, the low precipitation, warm temperatures and wind, act together to completely dry out most shallow lakes on this area. Many invertebrates, inhabiting these ponds, are adapted to overpass dry periods through several strategies. Most microinvertebrates, including rotifers or microcrustaceans, not being able to fly, present the strategy to produce resting eggs. These eggs are laid on sediments and form an “egg bank” analogous to the “seed bank” of terrestrial plants. These eggs can survive for one or several dry seasons, being capable to hatch when the ponds are flooded again and conditions are adequate. In order to evaluate the diversity of species in such egg banks, we performed an experiment to study hatching from the sediment of three ponds in Campo de Calatrava (Castilla-La Mancha): Nava Grande (NG), Zahurdones (Z) and El Pardillo (EP), collected in summer 2012 (dry period). Pond invertebrate samples were also taken during the flooded season from these and other ponds in the area. Three replicates containing 50 g of sediment each, were filled with distilled water in 1L aquaria and were cultured at a constant temperature (20 ºC) and photoperiod (10h light :14h dark), mimicking autumn lake-filling conditions. During one month, water was periodically sampled, hatched individuals were collected (crustacean larvae were grown apart to adult stages), fixed with 4% formaline, counted under an inverted microscope and identified to species level if possible. In Z, 20 rotifer and 14 crustacean species were identified; in EP, 19 rotifers and 9 crustaceans and only 2 rotifers and 4 crustaceans in NG. The results of the experiment showed different hatching patterns and different “assemblages” which have been compared with the assemblages obtained in samples taken from the ponds. This work was supported by the project ECOLAKE (CGL2012-38909). International Conference Wetlands 2014 39 Lessons learned? Simulated nutrient reduction by wetlands constructed 1996-2006 in Sweden Arheimer, Berit; Charlotta B. Pers Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), 60176 Norrköping, Sweden Water authorities are currently preparing measure plans to improve water status in Europe according to the Water Framework Directive. In Sweden, one of the major problems for surface water is eutrophication caused by diffuse pollution of nitrogen and phosphorus. For the whole country, some 2,500 constructed wetlands are now suggested to improve the water status. However, this is a very small number for a large country as Sweden. This study presents detailed calculations of effects from previous wetland constructions during the years 19962006, in which 1,574 wetlands (in total 4,135 ha) only reduced the load to the sea by 0.2% for nitrogen and 0.5% for phosphorous. Even with more optimal allocation, the maximum effect on the total river load would have been small. The paper explains the calculations, uncertainties and robustness of results, scale effects and spatial variability in wetland efficiency for nutrient removal across Sweden. The cost of wetland constructions so far is compared to other societal costs. Finally, the on-going efforts of wetland constructions are related to historical efforts in draining land and lakes. It is shown that Sweden still is very far from reconstructing natural conditions, and that more radical measures are probably needed to achieve the goals of good water status. An interactive guide to the vascular plants of Mediterranean temporary ponds in Sardinia (Italy) Bagella, simonetta1, 2; Caria maria Carmela1; rossella filigheddu1, 2; Pier Luigi nimis3 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Nucleo Ricerca Desertificazione, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy 3 Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy [email protected] Despite their relevance for conservation, Mediterranean temporary ponds are poorly known and their importance is not appreciated, which makes them vulnerable to unintentional destruction. The need for stimulating protection measures through the improvement of public perception is thus urgent. This neglected habitat, however, is ideal for engaging public in practical actions, which could be strongly encouraged with the support of interactive identification guides. The aims of our research were: i) to implement a checklist of vascular plants, and ii) to create an interactive guide for the identification of plants growing in the Mediterranean temporary ponds of Sardinia. Data collected in about 60 ponds were integrated with published plant inventories and the revision of herbarium material. The online interactive guide, created with program FRIDA (FRiendly IDentificAtion), consists of two query interfaces: a multi-entry query permitting to specify several easily observable characters is followed by a richly illustrated dichotomous key to the species sharing those characters. Experts can also use the first interface to create keys to all species of a given taxon. The key is also available as a standalone application for Apple and Android mobile devices. The system is open to new findings and can be extended to other areas. 40 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Restoration of Pannonic sodic wetlands in Hungary Bankovics, András1 1 Kiskunság National Park Directorate, H-6000 Kecskemét, Liszt F. u. 19, Hungary, [email protected] Pannonian salt steppes and salt marshes occur only in a few countries of the European Union, mainly in the Pannonian bio-geographical region. The largest surface area and the centre of distribution of this habitat type could be found in Hungary. Sodic pans surrounded by salt steppes and their associated salt-tolerant herbaceous communities of the Carpathian basin are the western representatives of the continental alkaline vegetation in the Pontic region. Sodic wetlands with open water surface have special nutrient cycle which is of utmost importance for the conservation of their characteristic and valuable flora and fauna. Böddi-szék is a sodic pan with open water surface, the extent of its area is significant with 18% of the open water surface sodic pan subtype of 1530 habitat type in Hungary. The sodic pan and its catchment area changed to a significant extent due to anthropogenic effects. The construction of a main drainage canal and its ditches had caused significant damage on the sodic lake, as the canal literally halved the lakebed. Eutrophication and spreading of the marsh vegetation is a great threat. The canal and the spreading marsh vegetation cause serious habitat fragmentation. These negative effects are strengthened by the lack of sufficient number of grazing animals in the area. A LIFE-Nature project was granted in year 2013 (LIFE12NAT/HU/001188) with the aim to restore the original water dynamics and natural habitats. The main element of the project is the translocation of the bisecting canal to help the natural water cycles be operational again. The sustainable model of grazing will be set up and will be operational, converting previously neglected biomass to bioproduct. Scientific-based monitoring of the project’s efforts and socio-economic impacts is the background of the management planning, hence helps us to cope with rapid shifts in climatic, ecological, and socio-economic conditions. Can incorporating agricultural practices into wetland restoration result in win-win situations? Bart, david1 1 Department of Landscape Architecture and Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 42B Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, [email protected] Abandoned agricultural practices might have benefitted floral diversity and invasive-species management in many wetlands, and there has been increased interest in returning these activities to fulfil a variety of ecological and socio-economic purposes. Here I summarize three case studies of using or adapting abandoned haying practices to manage wetland plant invasions (Phragmites australis control in New Jersey salt marshes, Phalaris arundinacea invasion prevention and control in Wisconsin sedge meadows, shrub encroachment control in WI fens) to determine the potential and problems of re-introducing agricultural practices to manage wetlands. In all cases, evidence suggested that some abandoned activities could prevent or control unwanted invasions. However, several problems made the return of these activities improbable. These included: (i) changing markets; (ii) variable efficacy of uncommon or idiosyncratic practices; (iii) changes in equipment, and; (iv) inexorable ties between the agricultural history of a site and the management efficacy of an activity. Abandoned activities were abandoned for a reason, and until these reasons are addressed, farmers will not likely return to these activities for the benefit of management. Managers could accomplish these practices themselves, but stand the risk of failure when these practices are taken out of an agricultural context. International Conference Wetlands 2014 41 Impacts of agricultural legacies on calcareous fen communities: how the past informs the future Bart1, d.; Tara davenport2 1 Department of Landscape Architecture and Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 42B Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706 USA, [email protected] 2 Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 25V Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706 USA, [email protected] Midwestern calcareous fens in part owe their existence to past grazing and burning. However, legacies of abandoned intensive agriculture continue to impact current plant communities and restoration outcomes. Here we contrast current vegetation communities, hydrology, nutrient status, seed banks, and soil-hydrologic properties in plowed and never-plowed fens decades after abandonment. Field surveys of fens in southern Wisconsin revealed that plowed fens had greatly diminished abundance and richness of native graminoids and fen specialists, and an increase in herbaceous invaders. Plowed fens also exhibited diminished groundwater influence and higher available N and P, even when never fertilized. Greenhouse experiments suggest that plowed fens’ seed banks remain depleted of key native gramimoids, even when adjacent to source populations. Water-retention curves and hydraulic conductivity measures of plowed layers differed significantly from never-plowed surface soils and soils below the plow-line, suggesting that plowing could cause diminished groundwater influence. In turn, modelling of field data found that diminished groundwater influence lowers invasion resistance. Our data suggest that plowing induces an alternate stable state, with persistent lower groundwater influence and seed-bank depletion resulting in a weed-dominated, nativespecies-poor system. While agricultural burning and grazing maintained fens in desired states, more intensive practices should be avoided. Soil seed bank evaluation: a tool for temporary pond recovery Belo, Anabela; Ana Lumbreras Corujo; Carla Pinto-Cruz 1 ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal Soil seed banks constitute reservoirs for future plant communities and can persist over long time periods. They ensure the preservation of plant genetic resources of the Mediterranean Temporary Ponds, a threatened habitat classified as priority habitat (3170*) for conservation by the Directive Habitats. Soil seed banks can protect species against perturbations by allowing plants to store propagules until appropriate germination conditions are met. The study was conducted in Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park located along the southwestern coast of mainland Portugal. Soil samples were collected in 3 belts (central, intermediate and outer) of 21 ponds. The propagules (seeds and spores) of characteristic species of Mediterranean temporary pond were identified and quantified in a 100g soil sample. The species quantified were: Isoetes histrix, I. setacea, I. velata and Eryngium corniculatum in every belt, Eleocharis palustris and Glyceria declinata in central belt, Baldellia ranunculoides in intermediate belt, and Juncus capitatus, Lotus subbiflorus e Cicendia filiformis in outer belt. The aboveground vegetation was studied to compare to soil seed bank. It was carried out in visually homogenous plots where each species percent cover was recorded, sampling ponds’ vegetation belts. Preliminary results point out that soil seed bank composition, in comparison with aboveground vegetation, mirrors the pond conservation status. Therefore the soil seed bank evaluation is a valuable tool to design less disturbing restoration strategy. 42 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Modelling habitat distribution of Mediterranean coastal wetlands: the Ebro Deltas as case study Benito, Xavier1; rosa Trobajo1; Carles ibàñez1 1 IRTA, Aquatic Ecosystems Program. Carretera poble Nou km 5, 5. 43590 St. Carles de la Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain. [email protected] Present-day altered distribution of the natural habitats in the Ebro Delta is consequence of intensive human settlement in the last two centuries. We developed spatial predictive models of potential natural wetland habitats of the Ebro Delta based on ecogeographical predictors and presence/ pseudo-absence data for each habitat. The independent variables (i.e elevation, distance from the coast, distance from the river and distance from the inner border) were analysed using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). Elevation and the distance from the coast appeared as key predictors in most of the coastal habitats (coastal lagoons, sandy environments, Salicornia-type marshes and reed beds), whereas distances from the river and from the inner border were relevant in the most terrestrial or inland habitats (salt meadows, Cladium-type marshes and riparian vegetation). Our findings suggest that the most inland habitats (i.e. Cladium-type marshes, salt meadows and riparian vegetation) would have undergone a severe reduction (higher than 90%), whereas in the most coastal habitats (coastal lagoons, sandy environments, Salicornia-type marshes) the reduction in relation to their potential distribution would be around 70%. This modelling approach can be applied to other deltaic areas, since all them share a similar topographic. Waterbirds diversity and importance of Saharan wetlands of Algeria for their conservation Bensaci, ettayib1, 4; nouidjem, yacine1, 4; saheb, menouar3; Bouzegag, Abdelaziz2, 4; Houhamdi, moussa2, 4 Département SNV, Université de M’sila. Algérie Département de Biologie, Université de Guelma. Algérie 3 ISN. Département de Biologie, Université d’Oum El-Bouaghi. Algérie 4 Laboratoire de Recherche « Biologie-Eau-Environnement » Université de Guelma. Algérie E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 1 2 The wetlands of Algerian Sahara represented by a number of sites have different characteristics of undeniable importance. They contains many very large salt pans (Chott Melghir and Chott Merouane…), classified as wetlands of international importance according to the RAMSAR convention and other small temporary wetlands such as: Chott Hamraïa and Chott Tindle, and other permanent sites: Lac Ayata, Gueltates Afilale, Oasis de Tamentit and Ihrir Valley. These aquatic ecosystems have a great biological diversity due to their size, salinity and substrate, but they remain very poorly studied in Algeria. Regular monitoring of the bird fauna of these wetlands (2004-2010) allowed us defining the status and phenology of these species. A total of 56 species representing 16 families were assessed. They are dominated by the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus, Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferriginea and Teal Anas crecca crecca. Some species were observed with relatively large numbers and other breeding species are listed as endangered and vulnerable according the IUCN Red List and such as: Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris, Ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca., on the other hand we determined the key sites and habitats used for wintering, as stopover during transSaharan migration and for breeding of this avifauna. International Conference Wetlands 2014 43 Long-term monitoring of wetlands north of the Garzweiler opencast brown coal mine in western Germany Berger, daniela Erftverband, Am Erftverband 6, 50126 Bergheim, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] In the Rhenish brown coal mining area of western Germany, pumping out of groundwater to permit lignite extraction in large open pit mines causes vast groundwater depression. Consequences for wetlands are potentially dire. Effects stemming from the Garzweiler mine near Mönchengladbach reach over 30 kms to the wetlands of the Schwalm- Nette reserve. Under regulations in force an extensive program of re-infiltration is operated to conserve these wetlands. To optimise the effectiveness of the measures, a monitoring program has been established which includes spatial surveillance along with control and assessment of relevant hydrological and ecological parameters. In this context, vegetation monitoring is performed systematically. Measurements are taken at hundreds of permanent plots and at over thirty transects along topographical gradients. In an innovative evaluation procedure, changes in number of various wetland indicator species and disturbance indicators are noted and evaluated within each plot and each meter of transect. Numerical results are calculated for each plot and displayed on a map with a color-coded grading system to distinguish satisfactory from unsatisfactory species development. Results clearly show the influence of variations in groundwater recharge on wetland vegetation. In over ten years of use the evaluation procedure has proven effective for detecting vegetation changes in the Schwalm-Nette reserve. A modelling tool to simulate water exchanges in floodplain area, application to the Garonne River (SW France) Bernard-Jannin, Léonard1,2; david Brito3; ramiro neves3; sabine sauvage1,2; José-miguel sánchez-Pérez1,2 1 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 3 MARETEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal In alluvial floodplains, the interface between surface water and groundwater (hyporheic zone) supports large river-aquifer exchanges and previous works have shown the key role of these areas on biogeochemical processes. In order to provide knowledge on contaminants transport and transformation, and to quantify the role of the hyporheic zones in alluvial floodplains on biogeochemical processes, a modelling approach has been used. The fully-distributed and eco-hydrological model MOHID has been adapted to meet the specificities of floodplain areas and applied to a study site located in a meander of the Garonne River floodplain, (South-West France). A large network of 25 piezometers installed within the study-site was monthly monitored during 1 year and provides a good calibration dataset of groundwater level and contaminants concentrations within the aquifer. The model simulates the porous media (3D Richards equations) and surface runoff (2D St Venant equations) and the interaction between both. It also includes transport of properties. In addition, a simple module for denitrification has been implemented integrating the role of organic carbon concentrations and water saturation of the medium. Results show the ability of the model to represent hydrodynamic within the floodplain area. Simulations of river-aquifer exchanges show that the organic carbon coming from the river and the water table variation can explain the spatial and temporal 44 International Conference Wetlands 2014 heterogeneity of observed denitrification rates in this area. The model will be used to quantify the denitrification processes in space and time and to simulate the impact of different hydromorphological conditions on denitrification processes in floodplains areas. Water exchanges, carbon supply and nitrogen dynamic in the shallow groundwater of a riparian wetland zone application to the Garonne River (SW France) Bernard-Jannin, L. 1,2; sun, X. 1,2; sauvage, s. 1,2; Teissier, s. 1,2, sánchez-Pérez, J. m. 1,2 1 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France. 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France Nitrates are a form of water pollution in wetlands areas located at the interface between rivers and agricultural alluvial areas. In these riparian areas, denitrification process mainly contributes to the mitigation of nitrate pollution. Groundwater denitrification process is heterogeneous at the riparian scale. This is partly due to environmental conditions, such as carbon availability that depends on the distance from the river. This study highlights the role of interactions between surface and sub-surface water of the riparian zone of a large river (the Garonne, SW France). Information is given about the role of surface water in supplying Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) to the riparian zone for nitrate removal processes. Spatial variations in organic carbon and nitrate content in groundwater at the site studied are correlated with exchanges between the groundwater and the river, from the upstream to the downstream part of the meander. Nitrate and decreasing organic carbon concentrations follow the same pattern. These results suggest that, in this kind of riparian wetland, nitrate from alluvial groundwater influenced by agricultural practices may be denitrified by bacteria in the presence of organic carbon from river surface water. Self-purification capacity in a highly man-modified wetland Bodoque, J. m.1; Ladera, J.1; Alonso-Azcárate, J.1; yela, J. L.1; sánchez-Pérez, J. m.2, 3 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Environmental Science Faculty, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 2 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 1 3 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France The Tagus watershed is one of the most regulated in the world. So, it has 283 reservoirs and 40 diversion channels, among which stands out the Tajo-Segura inter-basin water transfer system, from which an average annual volume of 350 Hm3 is derived. As a result, river dynamics has been drastically reduced, having significantly increased the frequency of what yesteryear were ordinary floods, while agriculture has expanded to almost cause the disappearance of the riparian forest. In this context, and within the framework of the ATTENAGUA project, the natural water purification processes in a alluvial aquifer of the Tagus river have been assessed. To do this, for over a year a systematic sampling both in 10 piezometers located in the alluvial aquifer and in the river has been made. Each month, we have characterized the physico-chemical parameters, major ions, pesticides and other complex molecules in relation to pharmaceuticals and degradation products of cocaine. On a quarterly basis, International Conference Wetlands 2014 45 metals have been analyzed and macroinvertebrates and diatoms existing in the hyphorreic environment have been characterized, as well as the existence of denitrification. Preliminary results indicate that the hydraulic connection between the river and the alluvial aquifer is insignificant. The entry of water from the river to the alluvial aquifer is due to irrigation, being also irrigation the main transport path to the aquifer of complex molecules (e.g., Irbersartan, Benzoylecgonine). The main source of pollution is associated with farming and associated management practices. So, we have detected the presence of metolachlor at concentrations above those allowed by the EU, as well as high concentrations of copper and zinz as a result of the massive application of pig manure. CO2 and CH4 fluxes in permanent and temporary aquatic environments in the lowland of the Po River, Italy Bolpagni, rossano1; marco Bartoli1; Pierluigi Viaroli1 1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, V.le G.P. Usberti 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; [email protected] Carbon metabolism was measured in the lowland sector of the Po River in summer. Six field campaigns aimed to measure CO2 and CH4 fluxes across the water-atmosphere and sandbar-atmosphere interfaces in five different ecosystems: the main river course (PO); a backwater system in the river bankfull (LP); an oxbow lake (LA); and two quarry lakes, one no longer in use (LG) and the other one under excavation (BL). All the sampled sites exhibited a CH4 oversaturation in the water column; similar results were recorded for the CO2, with the exception of LG that exhibited a constant CO2 under-saturation. At all sites water was O2 under-saturated. All the emerging sandbars were sources of CO2 with the exception of the fluvial site (PO) that exhibited negative CO2 consumption, but only for the measurements collected at the river shoreline. This work demonstrates the existence of significant gradients of CO2 and CH4 across interfaces. In general, the emergent sandbars, especially at the waterterrestrial interface, are important regulators of the C cycle; the variation in flow regime and moisture content of emerging deposits regulates the biological activity and thus their ability to fix or release CO2 by primary producers; accordingly, the stabilization of the emerging deposits encourages the release of CO2. Biogeochemistry and Lago Grande Curuaí’s aquatic sustainability in the Amazon Basin, Brazil Bomfim, eudes1; marie-Paule Bonnet2; Anne-elisabeth Lagues2; daniel Araújo; Jérémie Garnier1; Leonardo Gomes3; Ludgero Vieira3; ricardo Paiva1; stéphanie nasuti1; Geraldo Boaventura1 Universidade de Brasília, IG/ICC Centro, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, 70910-970, Brasília/DF, Brazil, email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), França, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 3 Faculdade UnB de Planaltina, Área Universitária 1, Vila Nossa Senhora de Fátima, 73.345-010 – Planaltina/DF, Brazil, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 1 The floodplains of the Amazon are highly productive ecosystems considered as hotspots of biodiversity. They are also among the most threatened ecosystems by climate change and 46 International Conference Wetlands 2014 anthropogenic pressures. These changes alter the river and plain dynamics and biogeochemical cycles, becoming imperative to understand them and their relation with the biodiversity and sustainable use of the natural resources. This research aims to develop a system of indicators for assessing the sustainability of the integrated socio-ecosystem of the Lago Grande Curuaí located in the Amazon basin, Brazil. The methodology for devising this system is based on Principles, Criteria and Indicators. The guiding principle assumes that aquatic biodiversity is inter-related to the floodplain socio-ecosystem integrity. Such criteria was defined to explain that principles. Indicators were defined too, they represent the peculiar features of the state of the criteria by aggregating correlated data. Preliminary results about the criterion that correlates the biogeochemical balance with the resources of the ecosystem are presented. Efficiency of buffer zones recently inserted as CAP initiative in Italy Boz, Bruno1; Paolo Bazzoffi2; silvia Carnevale2; Bruna Gumiero3 1 Freelance consultant for CRA ABP Agricultural Research Council - Agrobiology and Pedology Research Centre Florence (IT) 2 CRA ABP Agricultural Research Council - Agrobiology and Pedology Research Centre - Florence (IT) 3 University of Bologna Dept of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science (BiGeA) Thanks to their multifunctional role, the use of buffer zones can actively contribute to achieve the objectives of several European Directives. In coherence with this, in Italy, starting from 2012 the use of buffer zones is one of the basic standards required to farmers in application of Cross-compliance mechanism introduced by the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP, council regulation EC n.3/2009) and is included also on the “greening policies”. Buffer zones will be financed also in some specific measures of the coming Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. A specific work package of the MO.NA.CO. project1, leading by CRA (Agricultural Research Council), monitored, at national scale, the effects of the standard 5.2 “buffer strips” in application of the Cross-compliance. Eight experimental buffer zones, distributed in different agricultural areas of Italy, have been compared in term of hydrological dynamics and nitrogen removal effectiveness. Results demonstrates which buffer zones with the same vegetation structure and the same dimensions have very different capacity in term of nitrogen removal. This is strictly related to the hydrological dynamics: the direction, the depth, the temporal fluctuation of the groundwater which connects the farmlands to buffers zones and then to the adjacent rivers are the key factors on driving the nitrogen removal processes. The new policies have to consider this evidence in a more rigorous way. Project realized with the contribution of the EAFRD (European Fund for Agriculture and Rural Development) as part of activities under the National Network program 2007-2013 Forest plantation on cutover peatland in Alberta: Evaluating methods and carbon stocks Bravo, Tania A.1; maria strack2; Line rochefort2 1 2 3 GRET, University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) E-mail: [email protected] GRET, University of Waterloo (Canada) Department of Plant Sciences, University of Laval (Quebec, Canada) After horticultural peat extraction by vacuum-extraction, peatland restoration is a good option to recover ecological functions in this wetland ecosystem including carbon storage, biodiver- International Conference Wetlands 2014 47 sity support and hydrological and biogeochemical cycling. The residual peat is often too poor to allow for adequate plant community growth, because cutover peatlands are low in nutrients and devoid of seed bank. To prioritize restoration goal is one of the key elements that defines successful techniques is the recovery of ecohydrological conditions in damaged wetlands. This project assesses the potential of forest plantation as restoration technique on abandoned peatlands to return ecosystem functions. Forest plantation may be an appropriate after-use option in Western Canada, where many undisturbed peatlands have extensive forest cover. The project focuses on black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) plantation, and evaluates the effect of fertilization treatment and the impact of paper birch (Betula papyrifera (March.)) colonization on black spruce growth and carbon exchange. Installation of plots investigating establishment of understory species will also be discussed. Results determined that forest plantation of cutover peatlands decreased the net release of C to the atmosphere in comparison to bare peat in similar areas; it is an alternative technique to reduce greenhouse gas emissions though C storage in biomass. In addition, the highest dose of fertilizer is the most effective in supporting biomass production through forest growth, and therefore offers the large C storage capacity. However, fertilizer has a significant effect on birch colonization. Although this may increase evapotranspiration and heterotrophic soil respiration in the peat profile by influencing the site’s hydrology, no substantial differences in respiration between fertilizer doses were observed in this study. Morphometric heterogeneity of temporary pools in Malta and its effect on species and life-form richness: implications for management and restoration Briffa, Kelly; sheryl sammut; sandro Lanfranco* Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The effect of morphometric heterogeneity of pool basins on the diversity of microcrustaceans and macrophytes was investigated in 39 cupular pools from six pool landscapes across the Maltese Islands. Each pool basin was characterised on the basis of its primary axis and secondary axis, maximum morphological depth, depth of the sediment layer and the maximum water level. The depth parameters were used to sub-divide each basin into ordinal depth classes which were subsequently used to calculate a Heterogeneity Index for each basin. The macrophytic species colonising each depth-class of the study basins were noted on a presence/absence basis whilst the proportionate coverage of life-forms (hydrophytes, amphiphytes, terriphytes) in each depth-class was also recorded. Microcrustaceans, in terms of both species and functional group, were recorded on a presence/absence basis. Life-form diversity of macrophytes was positively correlated with morphometric heterogeneity of basins (p=0.01) and with sediment-depth heterogeneity (p=0.001) whilst species richness was negatively correlated with these factors (p=0.007 and p=0.002, respectively). The interaction of pool surface area with sediment depth was a significant determinant of microcrustacean species richness (p=0.045). The results suggest that morphometric heterogeneity is an important determinant of species richness in such habitats and should be given due consideration in management programmes. 48 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Modeling the hydro-biogeochemistry functioning in alluvial wetlands Brito, d. a; Bernard-Jannin, L b, c; sauvage, s. b, c; Zabaleta, A. d; Comín, f. e; Bodoque, J. m. f; neves, r. a; sánchez-Pérez , J. m. b, c a Maretec-Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1000-049 Lisbon. Corresponding author: David Brito [email protected] b University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France c CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France d Hydrogeology and Environment Group, Science and Technology Faculty, Univ. of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Basque Country (Spain) e Pyrenean Institute of Ecology-CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain f Departamento de Ingeniería Geológica y Minera, Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Fábrica de Armas, 45071 Toledo The increasing population growth in urban areas and the development of intensive agriculture (to feed the cities) in recent decades, led to an increase in pressures and pollution on the rivers (point sources from waste water plants or industry or diffuse sources from agriculture). Riparian areas connecting with the river (mostly in meanders) promote the fast input of river water in an extended area and the conditions for natural depuration of river pollution and groundwater coming from the agricultural areas (dynamic of water exchanges, accumulation of nutrient and organic matter, saturation of soil, efficiency of river/aquifer exhanges) driven by physical processes and biological activity. To understand the key hydrological and biological processes occurring in the riparian areas at alluvial scale and to quantify the degradation potential, a modeling tool was used-MOHID Land in the context of Attenagua project. MOHID Land is a physically based, distributed, continuous, variable time step model that solves water and property movement and property transformation and can tackle both flood wave interaction and biological activity described above in riparian areas. MOHID Land model was implemented in the 4 alluvial areas of the project (Garonne river near Toulouse, France, Bidasoa river near Irun, Basque Country, Spain, Ebro near Zaragoza, Spain and Tagus river near Toledo, Spain) using as boundary conditions measured river flow and concentrations and aquifer level and concentrations. Modeling results were compared to field data collected in piezometers (water levels and concentrations) during one year continuously for water level and at monthly time step for concentrations of nitrates, conductivity and chloride as conservative elements. The results were used to quantify the alluvial nitrate decay potential. The hydrodynamic modeling results got to represent the piezometer level trends and values during floods and no-flood conditions and integrated results gave the same trends as the derived from data analysis. The water quality modeling results got to represent the same order of magnitude of properties and major trends. Modeling results show that even that the biological processes are slow (compared to flood dynamics), during floods the processes speed-up (saturation, nutrient input) and the most important factor for achieving higher degradation are flow duration and substrate presence (in case of denitrification processes use carbon for nitrates uptake). The results obtained in comparison to field data show that the modeling approach is valid for alluvial plains and can be transferred to other areas where aquifer are controlled by river dynamic. International Conference Wetlands 2014 49 Marsh elevation and carbon accumulation in a Mediterranean restored marsh (Ebro Delta, Spain) Calvo-Cubero, Juan*1; Carles ibáñez2; Albert rovira2; Peter J. sharpe3; enrique reyes1 1 2 3 Dept. of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA. Aquatic Ecosystems Program, IRTA. St. Carles de la Ràpita (Catalonia, Spain) US National Park Service, 200 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 The Ebro Delta (Spain) is among the most important marsh areas in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Fluvial sediment reduction by dams in a relative sea-level rise (RSLR) scenario has increased the delta plain flooding risk. The objective of this study was to assess factors controlling of marsh elevation and C accumulation in a Mediterranean oligohaline restored marsh. We conducted a 3-year experimental field study in a newly established restored marsh using two different freshwater input types, riverine irrigation water (IW) and rice field drainage water (DW) and three water levels (10, 20 and 30 cm depth). This study indicates that Mediterranean restored marshes might deal with flooding risk due to high mean rates of vertical accretion (11.5±0.8 and 15.5±0.6 mm yr-1) and elevation change (9.1±1.4 and 8.8±2.8 mm yr-1) in both IW and DW treatments. Rice field drainage waters provided higher sediments to the restored marsh, which in turn promoted C accumulation showing in both water type treatments (99.44 and 126.10 g m-2 yr-1) similar values to global estimates for freshwater marshes. This research supports that the use of rice field drainage waters as a source of sediments as beneficial for marsh restoration focused on marsh elevation and C accumulation. Functional ecology of Laguna de Talayuelas, a model Mediterranean temporary pond Camacho, Antonio; nayeli murueta; elena Blasco; stefano Colelli; Anna C. santamans; Antonio Picazo University of Valencia, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology & Department of Microbiology and Ecology, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain. [email protected] 1 Mediterranean temporary ponds and lakes show an ecological behaviour that is largely determined by the specificity of the Mediterranean climate. Its water level depends on the balance between precipitation and evaporation, as they commonly have very small catchments and are often endorheic. All these determine annual varying periods of flooding, with filling within fall to spring, then summer desiccation. In this work we present the main aspects of the functional ecology of Laguna de Talayuelas, a small (5.6 Ha) temporary freshwater lake (conductivity 0.18–0.8 mS/cm), lying on siliceous bedrock, that we selected as a representative model of this type of Mediterranean ecosystems to model its ecological functioning. It is located in Eastern Spain (39º48’59.8’’N, 1º14’24.73’’W), in an area of transition MediterraneanContinental climate. Its hydrological pattern is encompassed with the development of aquatic vegetation during the growing period, both hydrophytes and helophytes, whose metabolism, mainly through primary production, respiration and nutrient acquisition/release, largely governs the ecological functioning of the lake. Small Mediterranean shallow lakes, such as that studied here, are extremely sensitive to hydrological anthropogenic alterations that change their natural ecological patterns, since these modify their functional features and affect the biological community, thus degrading the ecosystem health. 50 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Physical drivers of vegetation change in the Okavango Delta Campo-Bescós, miguel A.1,2; rafael muñoz-Carpena2; david A. Kaplan3; Jane southworth4 1 2 3 4 Dpt. Projects and Rural Engineering, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain, [email protected] Dpt. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, email: [email protected] Dpt. Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, email: [email protected] Dpt. Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, email: [email protected] In southern Africa, long-term changes in the ecosystem structure and productivity of savannas is thought to be driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic drivers, and may represent irreversible landscape degradation. Identifying the main drivers responsible for vegetation transition is critically important for land management, particularly in the context of significant climate variability in the region. We applied Dynamic Factor Analysis (DFA), a multivariate times series dimension reduction technique, to investigate the shared dynamics of spatially variable vegetation coverage across three large watersheds in southern Africa over ten years and to identify the most important physical drivers of vegetation change in the region. NDVI across the region is described by a pattern of cyclic seasonal variation, with distinct spatiotemporal variation in different physio-geographic regions. For the subregion in which Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) < 750 mm our NDVI model was most strongly influenced by soil moisture and precipitation, with much smaller effects of fire, evapotranspiration, and temperature. On the other hand, in regions with MAP > ~900 mm, fire and temperature began to dominate, followed in importance by evapotranspiration. While a number of previous studies of NDVI in southern Africa have focused on the relationship between NDVI and one or two explanatory variables, in this work we quantified the combined spatio-temporal effects of a suite of environmental drivers on NDVI across a diverse and sensitive savanna region, improving our ability to evaluate and understand landscape level changes in vegetation. Long-term monitoring of Mediterranean temporary pond dynamics through remote sensing: a case study in western Mediterranean Caria, maría Carmela1; simonetta Bagella1,2; Alessandro niedda1; salvatore Virdis3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Nucleo Ricerca Desertificazione, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy. 3 Istituto di Biometeorologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Traversa La Crucca 3, 07100 Sassari, Italy, [email protected] 1 This study integrates the use of multi-source, multi-resolution remote sensing images (1972 to 2014) and field survey based datasets to quantify the spatio-temporal dynamics of temporary ponds. It was performed in an area located in SW Sardinia, Giara di Gesturi, characterized by a large number of temporary ponds. Our aim is to analyse the possible correlations between pond’s surface extent changes and environmental and physiographic parameters (e.g. temperature, rainfall, nature of soils, geology, exposure). We examined 170 LANDSAT MSS, TM, ETM+ and L8 images checking for possible variation in pond’s surface extent. For each epoch under consideration, the extension of wetlands was delineated by visual interpretation and results validated by cross-comparison with coeval pond’s extension measured with handheld GPS receiver. We used the external boundary as reference proxy. Temporary International Conference Wetlands 2014 51 ponds were mapped for each epoch and classified into extension classes. Losses and gains of pond’s extension were also mapped and quantified. Correlation of extension changes with environmental parameters were assessed and results interpreted also with compared to main changes occurring in the area in the last 40 years. Relationship between bacterial community diversity, carbon supply and denitrification processes in riparian areas Carranza f1.; sánchez-Pérez J.m.2; sauvage s.2; Comin, f.1; Antigüedad, i.4; Zabaleta A.4; Teissier s.2; navarro e.1; español C.1 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC). Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain. University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France. 3 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Department of Geology and Mine Engineering, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 4 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Geodynamic, 48940 Leioa (Basque Country), Spain. 5 MARETEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal 1 2 Alluvial floodplains are ecosystems with a great space-temporal variability. The human influence has largely limited this areas’ dynamism and thus they are severely menaced, and the loss of some of their natural functions is patent. Controlling the flow and metabolism of nutrients and other compounds is one of the most important roles developed by those areas. In order to assess the importance of carbon supply, groundwater connectivity and geomorphological patterns in the denitrification processes in this kind of environment, an extensive bacterial community study involving four meanders in four different rivers (Bidasoa, Ebro, Garonne and Tajo) was made. During twelve months (May 2013 – April 2014), we quarterly sampled interstitial sediments from the bottom of piezometer nets constructed in the four sites, and incubated an extract of those sediments in EcoplatesTM in order to have a measure of the potential carbon metabolism of each bacterial community. The statistical analysis of the growth curve parameters from each plate along with physicochemical and hydrological data collected in the study sites leads to the conclusion that piezometers that show high surface and subsurface connectivity with the main channel tends to have a steady carbon supply that boosts denitrification processes performed by the bacterial communities. The microbial value of shallow saline lakes Casamayor, emilio o1; Xavier Triadó-margarit1; Carmen Castañeda2; Juan Herrero2 Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group-Dep of Continental Ecology, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEABCSIC, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300 Blanes, Spain [email protected] 2 Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, CSIC, Zaragoza, Spain 1 Saline lakes usually occur in endorheic drainage basins, which approximately cover 1/10 of the Earth’s surface area, and account for a similar proportion of world water than freshwater lakes. They are numerous and distributed worldwide in semi-arid or arid areas constituting a unique landscape of great scientific and ecological value. In Europe, they are rare and threatened with probably the highest number present in Spain developed on salty geologic materials. Only very recently, the genetic diversity of microorganisms inhabiting saline lakes is 52 International Conference Wetlands 2014 being unveiled. Such microbes are an excellent source to obtain biotechnological products, and to study evolutionary adaptations and potential strategies of life on other planets. However, we are still far to understand how many different species exist in saline lakes, what are their functions and adaptations, and which environmental conditions promote the highest and the lowest diversity. Here, we present the first study of microbial biodiversity from the three domains of life inhabiting several salt lakes in the Monegros Desert, ranging from <1% to >30% salinity, and temperatures < 0°C to > 35°C. We analyzed bacteria, archaea and protists by ribosomal RNA genes fingerprinting and sequencing. Unexpectedly, the highest diversity was found in protists and the lowest in archaea. Protists showed higher ecological diversity at intermediate salinities. The highest genetic novelty was found in Archaea at the lowest saline concentrations. Recurrent presence of bacterial phylotypes closely related to bacteria isolated from polar marine habitats, was observed. Saline lakes contained chlorophyta, among other new groups, substantially different from green algae previously reported in marine or freshwater. Overall, any saline lake in the Monegros Desert was susceptible to contain a substantial microbial novelty. The great scientific and ecological value found for macroorganisms can be extended to the idiosyncratic microbes inhabiting such unique habitat in Europe. Inundation requirements for persistence and recovery of river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), a keystone species in a Ramsar listed Wetland in semi-arid Australia. Catelotti, Katharine1*; Bino, G. 1; Kingsford, r. T.1; Bacon, P.2 Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of NSW, NSW 2052, Australia, [email protected] 2Woodlots and Wetlands, [email protected] 1 Increasing demand for freshwater is severely degrading the world’s river and wetlands ecosystems. Often, dependent organisms respond nonlinearly in their condition. Linking hydrology with ecological responses can highlight the causes for a transition to poor functional condition. Significant reductions in inundated areas and frequency of floods have degraded ecological assets in the Macquarie Marshes, a Ramsar-listed wetland the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. We investigated long-term changes in the condition of 212 river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), at 17 sites in 1993, 1994, 2004 and 2011. Over this period, significant decline in condition was recorded, with 56.13 % (119) of the original healthy trees exhibiting no signs of life by 2011. Using historic inundation mapping, we examined how past flooding frequencies best explained variation in condition, persistence and recovery. The probability of inundation in the five years prior to each survey had the strongest explanatory power for condition while persistence and recovery were best explained by the probability of inundation in the previous ten years. There were strong threshold responses of persistence and recovery when probability of inundation in the previous ten years was greater than 0.4 and 0.5, respectively. Predictions of river red gum persistence probabilities had good agreement with the percentage of dead trees, estimated during an independent vegetation survey. For heavily regulated systems, such as the Macquarie Marshes, recovery of flooding regimes using environmental flows is a crucial conservation objective. Identifying quantitative relationships between flow volumes and ecological responses will support informed decision-making of environmental flow and conservation management. International Conference Wetlands 2014 53 Microalgae as a bio-indicator of the effects of pollutants in groundwaters in riverine wetlands areas Chamsi, ousama1,2; navarro enrique3 ; sánchez-Pérez José-miguel1,2 ; sauvage sabine1,2 ; Comín francisco3 ; Antigüedad iñaki4 ; Bodoque José-maría5 ; Pinelli eric1,2 1 University of Toulouse ; INPT, UPS ; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France, [email protected] 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet TolosanCedex, France 3 AgenciaEstatalde Investigacion, CSIC, InstitutoPirenaico de Ecología, Spain 4 Universidad delPais Vasco, UPV, Spain 5 Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, UCLM, Spain Contamination of ecosystems by pesticides, pharmaceuticals and heavy metals become a major environmental problem. Freshwater algae are well known bio-indicators of river pollution, but no studies deal with these species as bio-indicators of groundwater in riverine wetlands. Although microalgae are dominant species in flowing rivers, it is well known that their sensibility to pesticides differ markedly among species, and therefore the toxicity data for multiple species need to be efficiently obtained. In the present work, three river dominant species Desmodesmus subspicatus, Nitzschia palea and Navicula pelliculosa are used. Algal growth investigation was performed by fluorometric microplate assays (Typhoon) for testing groundwater and river quality in four riparian wetlands in the south-west of Europe (Monbéqui (France), Saragossa (Spain), Bidasoa (Spain) and Toledo (Spain).Four campaigns during contrasted hydrological conditions were realized under different pedo-climatic conditions in agricultural area. The pollutants analyzed by HPLC-MS and ICP-MS are pesticides, pharmaceuticals and metals. The first PCAs results showed that algae growth differences were noticed between freshwater and groundwater. The green algae were sensitive to physic-chemical parameters (alkalinity, SO4, O2, pH), metals (co-factors as Co and Ni) and pesticides (essentially s-triazines, metholachlor and their metabolites). Diatoms were sensitive to silica concentrations, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), pesticides (most are metabolites) and pharmaceuticals that induced growth stimulation (the metabolite of cocaine for N. palea and carbamazepine, irbesartan and valsartan for N. pelliculosa). Same notices for pharmaceuticals were observed for three sites, excepted Bidasoa (the cleanest one). All these data supply a new useful bioindicator and efficient method for preliminary investigation of groundwater quality and to predict the best location of quality water for human consumption (ATTENAGUA project). Sulfur transformations in subsurface-flow constructed wetlands treating secondary effluent Chen, yi1; yue Wen2; Qi Zhou2; Jan Vymazal1 Department of Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 16521, Czech Republic. E-mail address:[email protected] 2 Key Laboratory of Yangtze Water Environment of Ministry of the State Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China 1 There is now evidence that bacterial sulfate reduction and re-oxidation simultaneously occur in constructed wetlands (CWs), yet a complete picture of sulfur cycling is still not well understood. Experiments in five different batch subsurface-flow CWs treating sulfate-containing secondary effluent were carried out. The results showed that the presence of Typha latifolia had little effect on sulfate removal, while its litter addition greatly improved sulfate removal in CWs through continuous supply of organic carbon. After sulfate reduction, the produced 54 International Conference Wetlands 2014 sulfide was oxidized via both chemical and microbial pathways, and chemical sulfur oxidation rates were approximately 5 times higher than the bacterial oxidation rates. Further, acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and two valence states of S (-II) and S (0) were discovered from the precipitant attached on gravel, and elemental sulfur and thiosulfate were detected as the intermediates in the pore water. High-throughput pyrosequencing revealed that a diversity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (i.e. Desulfobacter and Desulfovibrio) and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (i.e. Thiobacillus thioparus and Sulfuricurvum kujiense) was respectively involved in the sulfur reduction and oxidation process. Finally, S mass balance showed that AVS was mainly responsible for the sulfate removal (65.4%~77.0%), and elemental sulfur and other unknown sulfur compounds accounted for 4.5%~7.5% and 10.2%~25.9%, respectively. Genetic structure of the insect populations in the Tatra Mts. alpine ponds and lakes Čiampor, fedor Jr.; Zuzana Čiamporová-Zaťovičová; darina Šípošová; Katarína Goffová Department of Animal Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] High mountain glacial lakes and ponds represent isolated and hardly accessible aquatic habitats with patchy distribution across mountain ranges. Although colonized only recently, they are inhabited by very specific and unique species assemblages. The alpine aquatic habitats are very sensitive to even negligible environmental changes, and all species had to accommodate to severe, high-altitude conditions. In the last decades, the changes induced by global warming and other negative effects of human activities might have influenced the fauna of these vulnerable biotopes. The ecological or faunistic research of the alpine lakes has a long tradition, but little is still known about population genetic structure of the natural alpine lake inhabitants. Since 2009 we collected and analysed material of several selected insect species, inhabiting more than 100 lakes and ponds in the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia). Using mitochondrial and nuclear markers we assessed molecular diversity, haplotype composition and possible connections or barriers among studied populations. The results suggested relatively high genetic diversity within the small Tatra Mountain range, reasonable differences among populations from studied lakes and ponds, and also different impact of the geographic barriers on the studied species. Danube’s Iron Gates wetlands: threats and conservation measures Ciocanea, Cristiana maria1; Carmen sorescu2; Tania Chincea2; steluta manolache1 University of Bucharest, Center for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, 1 Nicolae Balcescu, 010041, Bucharest, [email protected] Environmental Protection Agency Caras-Severin, 73 Petru Maior, Resita, Romania, [email protected] 1 2 Danube’s Iron Gates wetlands are located in the south-western part of Romania; ROSPA0026 Danube water course Bazias-Iron Gates is overlapping a large area of priority habitats for protected bird species, such as Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Aythya nyroca, amphibians, reptiles and fishes. The major wetlands are represented by: Nera-Danube pond, Calinovat Island, Divici-Pojejena area, Liuborajdea wetland and Moldova Veche Island. The study is based on several methods involving eco-sociologic survey, assessment of water characteristics and International Conference Wetlands 2014 55 evaluation of degradation sources. Our study revealed that the area is endangered by sever biodiversity threats such as: wetlands eutrophication, aquatic invasive species, birds nesting and resting habitats degradation and wetlands pollution. Also we documented a lack of understanding the importance of Natura 2000 network’s role in the project area. Considering our results we strongly recommend that conservation measures should take into account: ecological restoration of wetlands, invasive species management and information for local communities regarding biodiversity protection and conservation. Progress in the assessment of primary production by wetland herbaceous plants: a review Čížková, Hana1; Jiří dušek2; Jan Květ2,3 1 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, Studentská 13, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 2 Czech Academy of Sciences, CzechGlobe – Centre for Global Change Research, Na sádkách 7. 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 3 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] Production ecological investigations of herbaceous wetland plants and vegetation started and soon became widespread during the International Biological Programme (1965-74). The methods used for obtaining the initial data on the basis of which net primary production by the wetland plants or plant stands is calculated are based either on direct harvesting of plant biomass, or on indirect non-destructive growth assessments calibrated by destructive ones, or on repeated measurements of net photosynthetic rate combined with assessments of the input of photosynthetically active radiation (PhAR). Both the direct and indirect methodology can be refined by the application of the principles of growth analysis. Yield formation of wetland crops can thus be described and interpreted. Allometric measurements relate the growth of various plant parts with one another, thus providing additional useful information. The aerodynamic method of measuring CO2 uptake by plant stands has relatively recently developed into the eddy covariance method which enables direct assessment of CO2 exchange between plant stands and the atmosphere. This method has gained growing attention, mainly in response to the recent interest in carbon sequestration by various ecosystem types (including wetlands) under changing environmental conditions. This review is supported by Project GA ČR no. P504/11/1151. A conceptual model to characterize biophysical and biogeochemical indicators in river water-groundwater interfaces for natural depollution of water pollution Comín, f. A.1 ; sauvage, s.2,3 ; Antigüedad, i.4 ; Bodoque J.m.5; neves r.6 ; Brito, d.6; sánchezPérez J.m.2,3; Zabaleta, A.4; ruiz, e.7; Gerino m. 2,3; yao, J.m. 2,3; Carranza, f.1; español, C.1; navarro, e.1; Ladera, J. 5; yela, J.L. 5; Teissier, s. 2,3 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC). Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain. University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France. 3 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 1 2 56 International Conference Wetlands 2014 4 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Geodynamic, 48940 Leioa (Basque Country), Spain 5 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Department of Geology and Mine Engineering, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 6 MARETEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal 7Dpt. Chemical and Environmental Engineering, High Technical Engineering School, UPV-EHU. Bilbao, Spain. Floodplains are ecological systems mostly regulated by river dynamics and human disturbances which determine the efficiency of the coupling hydrogeochemical functions-biological structure to keep floodplains as integrated systems providing regulating services as removing pollutants. A comparative approach using biophysical and biogeochemical indicators was followed to design a conceptual model of river water-groundwater interfaces for natural depollution of water pollution in four river floodplains located in the rivers Garonne (France), Bidasoa, Ebro and Tajo (Spain) as part of the Interreg IVB SUDOE project ATTENAGUA. Huge differences among the floodplains in river flood dynamics and land use cover were observed. While Garonne and Ebro River still keep a intensive flood regime and have large areas or their floodplains cover by riparian forests, a very low river dynamics and a very narrow riparian forest are observed for Bidasoa and Tajo floodplains. Biodiversity change and conservation in the wetlands of the Pantanal Upper Paraguay-Amazonia Ecotone, Mato Grosso (Brazil) da silva, Carolina Joana1; Keid nolan silva sousa2; solange ikeda1; Célia regina Araújo soares Lopes1; Josué ribeiro da silva nunes1; maria Antonia Carniello1; Paulo roberto mariotti1; Wilkinson Lopes1; Alessandra morini1; Bruno Wagner Zago; Cristiane Lima façanha1; ruth Albernaz1; elaine Loureiro1; iris Gomes1; robson flores de oliveira1; Weslei Jonatar1; Joari Costa de Arruda1; nilo Leal sander1; djair sergio de freitas Junior1; Valcir rogério Pinto1; Aldeniza Cardoso de Lima3; robert H.G. Jongman4 CELBE, PPGCA, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), PPGBionorte-Rede Bionorte, Caceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil [email protected] 2 ICTA, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), PPGBionorte-Rede Bionorte , Santarém, Pará, Brazil, [email protected] 3 PPGBionorte-Rede Bionorte, Universidade Federal da Amazônia (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil, [email protected] 4 Jongman Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands and IDEC, Hiroshima University Japan, [email protected] 1 Besides of the rain in the Pantanal that is formed in Amazon forest, Amazonia and the Pantanal have a link to each other by an ecotone formed by the upstream part of the rivers Paraguay and Guaporé, This zone is the ecological linkage between two areas of high biodiversity importance and is considered important for species exchange processes. In this way it can be considered as an important area to realise the CBD Aichi targets for 2020 at the regional level. The two river wetlands share part of their flora and fauna species with origin in both regions. However, since over twenty years this area is under severe pressure of land conversion and is increasingly threatened by river change, due to building of hydroelectric power stations. This will cause direct and indirect damaging effects on the region and in this way on its role as biodiversity corridor. We carried out a DPSIR analysis of the region. The direct pressures are changes in the river system, as these constitute the river ecotone between the Amazon and Plata basin. If river flows are being blocked, the flood pulse and the migration corridor of fish as well as the transport of plant seeds will be hampered, indirect pressures International Conference Wetlands 2014 57 are opening the land for further deforestation and agricultural developments, building on the on-going developments in the region. This, in combination with the fragmentation of river system can cause changes in biodiversity, preventing species exchange between the two biomes, Amazonia and the Pantanal, preventing fish to spawn upstream and further fragmentation of the remnant forest patches. The response to this could be denial, enforcement of traditional conservation actions or integration of biodiversity targets into land development, developing sustainable land use that reduces fragmentation and integrates biodiversity targets as requested by the CBD to the parties of the convention for the year 2020. In shore and offshore restored wetlands as buffers zones for the improvement of water quality of the water exceeding irrigation in an agricultural territory darwiche-Criado1, n.; f.A. Comín2; A. masip3; m. García2; s. Gutiérrez1; r. sorando2 1-2 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza-Av. Victoria s/n, 22700 Jaca, Huesca. Spain. 3 Parque Científico-Tecnológico Aula Dei. Av. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain. Eleven in-stream and five off-stream wetlands were studied in the southern part of Flumen River basin, an intensively irrigated agriculture area located in NE Spain in order to estimate their efficiency for nitrate removal, which is a major pollutant discharged with the water exceeding irrigation. Sampling was performed during different agricultural periods in order to demonstrate their influence on water quality. Water discharge and nitrate concentrations (NO3-) were determined at the inlet and outlet of each wetland for two years following their completion Removal efficiency was significantly greater during the irrigation season (AprilOctober) but there were no significant differences between in-stream and off-stream wetlands. However, nitrate removal rate was significantly higher in off-stream wetlands during non-irrigation season (November-March). Moreover, nitrate was exported from some wetlands in both seasons. Our results suggest that a strong connection existed between water quality and agriculture seasonality. Unstable hydrological conditions and temperature influenced the biogeochemical processes and, therefore, nitrateremoval. In spite of the short time after restoration, 90% removal of nitrate discharge was observed in some wetlands. This suggests that their ability as buffer zones will increase in later stages of wetland development. LIFE project “La Mancha Wetlands”: restoration of salt flats around 27 endorheic wetland areas in La Mancha del río Amanda1; eduardo de miguel1; Angeles Pontes1; Carlos Pérez1; ernesto Aguirre-ruiz1; Carlos Zumalacarregui1; Blanca Hurtado1. 1 Fundación Global Nature, [email protected] The LIFE project targets the recovery of the Lygeum spartum grasslands and salt steppes in the wetland complex of La Mancha. The project is focus on the Natura 2000 SCI “Humedales de La Mancha” - ES4250010), covering ten municipalities located at Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo. This project is coordinated by Fundación Global Nature (FGN), with the Department of Agriculture of the Castile-La Mancha as partner, and it has a budget of €2,599,274, 75% 58 International Conference Wetlands 2014 funded by the European Commission and 25% by the partners. The project activities include: land purchase; restoration of halophilic flora; closing drainage ditches and salt extraction ponds; creation of hedgerows, copses and restoration of verges with species of trees and bushes; restructuring of paths to define access to sensitive areas; protection by means of railings; control and monitoring by plant mapping; awareness-raising and dissemination activities. The project is currently being developed. There are some results within conservation actions such as the removal of salt extraction ponds and drainage ditches, rubble and waste, followed by the habitat restoration through plantation of native species coming from the nursery created by the LIFE project. More than 800 children have been trained on the value of these rare ecosystems. A GIS tool to monitor the Natura 2000 habitats is being generated. Communication activities include FGN’s help to food producers in Natura 2000 sites, to launch products that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES): packaging products that are sold to organic retailers (certified with the ecolabel and additionally branding BES), and informing consumers about the origin (Natura 2000 sites) and about the benefits for BES. The main project result will be the conservation of an area (SPA, SCI, and Biosphere Reserve), which are an essential alternative habitat for many species endangered by the loss of suitable wetlands. Threats of desiccation of permanent and temporary ponds in Doñana National Park (SW Spain). díaz-Paniagua, Carmen1; david Aragonés2; Javier Bustamante3 1 2 Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n, 41013 Sevilla, [email protected] [email protected] , [email protected] In Doñana National Park most aquatic habitats are temporary. Ponds dry up during the summer, and are filled when phreatic levels rise after heavy rains. The permanent ponds of the park, and a series of long-hydroperiod ponds are formed in an area where discharges of the dune and regional aquifers coincide.In the last decades, groundwater extraction has severely affected the park. Using Landsat images, we have estimated the variation of the inundated area of the largest ponds (1975-2013). All ponds have increased in their dependency of annual rainfall in recent decades. Two seasonal ponds located close to urban pumping stations are currently dry. We detect a general tendency of hydroperiod shortening in the other seasonal ponds, that have dried up in all summers of recent years, including those of very rainy years. The permanent pond had not wide interannual fluctuations in inundated surface in the 1970’s, while its inundation surface is presently very much correlated with annual rainfall, being close to desiccation in years of low rainfall. These results evidence that this pond network is severely threatened with desiccation. It is urgent to control groundwater extraction in this area to preserve the integrity of this important wetland. Spatial and temporal changes in physical and chemical properties of an oxbow lake of the Danube River (Nyéki-Holt-Duna, Danube-Dráva National Park, Hungary) dinka, mária1; Károly schöll1; Anita Kiss1; Árpád Berczik1; edit Ágoston-szabó1 Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-2163 Vácrátót, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 1 International Conference Wetlands 2014 59 Nyéki-Holt-Duna is an oxbow lake of the River Danube at Gemenc floodplain (46°15’N 018°51’E), is an important area of biodiversity with high natural value. Its hydro-chemical properties were investigated and compared with that of the main arm of the Danube in 2009, when the surface connectivity threshold level of the oxbow lake was exceeded during a 16, 24, 21 and 5 day flood pulse, by the water level of the Danube, allowing the inflow. The concentrations of carbon forms were higher, while that of the nitrogen forms and of suspended matter were lower in the oxbow lake water than in the main channel of the Danube. The concentrations of phosphorus forms and of chlorophyll-a were differently related with that of the main arm at each sampling time, the reason for it could be by the interplay of several factors such as the degree of macrophyte cover, water depth, hydrological connectivity. The results of the multivariate statistical analyses showed the different grouping and the sharp separation of the oxbow lake sampling sites from the main arm of the Danube. Our results support the high spatial and temporal heterogeneity of habitats, which is an important prerequisite of the biological diversity. Primary productivity, decomposition and fungal colonisation in Phragmites australis dolinar, nataša1; Alenka Gaberščik2 1 2 Department of Biologyç@gmail.com, [email protected] Water level changes have a great influence on intermittent Lake Cerknica’s biota and processes. We studied the effect of water level changes on primary production, decomposition and fungal colonization of Phragmites australis. Aboveground biomass of P. australis is from 200 to 1600 g/m2 and was influenced by water level in autumn and spring. High water level in autumn shortens the growing season which affects nutrient accumulation into underground rhizomes. High water level in spring caused the prolongation of P. australis culms. Decomposition rate of P. australis litter was fastest in water (kculms=0,049; kleaves=0,385), and slowest when litter was dry (kculms=0,024; kleaves=0,050) and was significantly correlated with number of days when samples were submerged. Fungal root colonization decreased as roots were submerged and an increasing trend toward the end of growing season was observed. The extent of fungal root colonization is usually the greatest in time of largest plant needs for nutrients, which is in line with P. australis autumn accumulation into rhizomes. Methane emission from a sedge-grass marsh under different environmental conditions dušek, Jiří 1; stanislav stellner1 Global Change Research Centre AS CR, v.v.i. Na Sádkách 7 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected], [email protected] 1 Methane is the third most important contributor to the greenhouse effect after water vapour and carbon dioxide. Air concentration of methane is usually around 1.9 ppm. Methane is naturally produced by wetland ecosystems. It is a product of anaerobic decomposition processes of organic matter in water-saturated soils. These processes require synergistic cooperation between anaerobic bacteria and methanogenic archaea. Methane emissions were measured 60 International Conference Wetlands 2014 in an unmanaged sedge-grass marsh. The dominant plant species are Carex acuta L. and Phalaris arundinacea L. Methane emissions were measured using both manual and automatic closed dynamic chambers (non-steady state flow-through technique). Increasing methane concentration inside the closed chamber was continuously analysed with a laser spectroscopic gas analyser (DLT-100 Los Gatos Inc., USA). Gas emissions measurements were carried out under different environmental conditions during the vegetation period and whole year. Methane emissions varied widely between different places on the site and also during the vegetation period. During winter and when the soil was evenly frozen, zero or negligible methane emissions were recorded. The highest emissions were recorded during the vegetation period. We also detected places that can be identified as “hot spots” emitting high amounts of methane (18,554.9 μmol m-2 h-1). The range of methane emissions was -2.1 mg C-CH4 m-2 d-1 (gas consumption) to 5,343.8 mg C-CH4 m-2 d-1 (gas release). Annual emissions of carbon in methane form were within the range of 3.3 to 35 g C-CH4 m-2 year-1. This C-CH4 amounted to 2% to 19% of the total C-CO2 bound by the ecosystem within a year as measured by the eddy covariance technique (the six-year average of the net ecosystem production is 179 g C m-2 year-1). The methane carbon emissions can represent significant carbon losses from the wetland in the long-term run. The sedge-grass marsh is nevertheless capable of binding more carbon than is that released in carbon dioxide and methane form together. Impact of fertilization on plant and soil processes in wet grasslands edwards, Keith r.1; Hana Čížková2; eva Kaštovská1; Jiří Barta1; Tomáš Picek1 Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 1 2 Field and mesocosm experiments were used to determine the impact of changing management regime (nutrient addition, water level, soil type) on plant-soil interactions in wet grasslands with either organic or mineral soil. Plant (photosynthesis rates, above and belowground plant biomass and production, nutrient contents and litter decomposition rates) and soil (physical-chemical parameters, total gas emissions, soil CO2 efflux) were measured in both experiments. Microbial community structure was determined only in the mesocosm. There were weak nutrient effects on photosynthesis rates in both the field and mesocosm plants, but only for those growing in mineral soil. Early on (first three years), aboveground biomass in the field sites differed significantly with nutrient addition, but only in the organic soil wet grassland. These differences disappeared by years five and seven, most likely due to hay removal from the sites, which minimized the chance of eutrophication. Total gas emissions significantly increased with nutrient addition in both field sites, being most likely due to changes in aboveground plant respiration, since soil CO2 efflux was little affected. Nutrient addition significantly affected aboveground plant biomass throughout the duration of the mesocosm experiment, in contrast to the field results. Significant nutrient effects on belowground biomass were observed only in the mesocosm and only at the end of the experiment (after five years). Only a few soil physical-chemical parameters were significantly affected by nutrient addition in both the field and mesocosm sites. Plant presence was a more important factor in the mesocosm, significantly affecting microbial C and N biomass, basal respiration, total gas emissions and microbial community structure. Soil type was the next important factor, significantly affecting soil physical-chemical parameters, while water level only weakly affected microbial community structure. Wet grasslands occurring on organic soils are more sensitive to changing manage- International Conference Wetlands 2014 61 ment practices, at least initially. Other environmental factors, such as site hydrology, may also govern the response of plant and soil components to management changes. Legacy effects resulting from past management regimes may also be important. Invertebrate communities of alluvial groundwaters in relation with water flow dynamics español, C.1; yao J. m2; Gerino, m.2; Comin, f. A.1 ; sánchez-Pérez J.m.2; José Luis yela3; Ane Zabaleta4; Julián Ladera3; fabián Carranza1. Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC). Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain. University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France. 3 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Department of Geology and Mine Engineering, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 4 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Geodynamic, 48940 Leioa (Basque Country), Spain. 1 2 Alluvial floodplains are rich ecotones from the biological viewpoint in a complex ecosystem with intense spatial and temporal changes of structure, dimension and connectivity. The aim of this study is to compare the response of groundwater invertebrate community along lateral gradients of hydrological connectivity in 4 river floodplains (Bidasoa River, Ebro River, Garonne River and Tajo River). Groundwater invertebrate samples, water level, and water samples were quarterly collected in 8-12 piezometers located in each studied floodplain during a year. The floodplains more connected with the river (Ebro River and Garonne River) showed higher values of abundance, richness and Shannon diversity index than the floodplains less connected with the river (Bidasoa River and Tajo River). These diversity indices peaked in sites (i.e. piezometers) with intermediate hydrological connectivity, mainly in the most connected floodplains. Piezometers located in agricultural areas showed the lowest diversity indices values, and they were more influenced by irrigation waters than by river waters. A community ordination related to the hydrological characteristics is inferred from multivariate analysis of invertebrate abundances. These results suggest that a hydrodynamic recovery in degraded floodplains is needed to enhance biodiversity and functionality of the riverine landscape. Water quality and bacterial diversityin the wetland Córdoba, Colombia estupiñán Torres, sandra mónica1; sara Lilia Ávila de navia2 Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca. Grupo Calidad de aguas. [email protected], [email protected] 1 Wetlands are vital ecosystems for biodiversity conservation and welfare of the human population. The importance of wetlands lies in the values of ecological, hydrological and anthropogenic underpinning: reservoir of plant, fauna and genetic, biomass producers, environmental protection and soil, regulation of the hydrological system, purification, reservoir water, and maintaining the moist environment. To determine the microbiological quality 30 samples of water in two samples Promote rainy season and one dry season were taken. Technique was used for membrane filtration and bacterial identification is performed using rapid tests. Wetland waters Cordoba contain a high number of total coliforms therefore should not be used for purposes of human and domestic, agricultural or recreational use, 62 International Conference Wetlands 2014 the Escherichia coli and Enterococcus presence confirms the fecal contamination in the whole ecosystem, this contamination is associated with the dumping of sewage into the wetland. All indicators showed higher counts in time except for rain Aeromonas and Pseudomonas which have higher counts in the dry season. In many wetland organisms that show bacterial diversity and provide information for possible use in the field of biotechnology and biological indications were identified. In addition, bacteria that affects human health that use water resources were identified. Ecosystem services-biodiversity relationships depend on land use type in floodplain agroecosystems felipe-Lucía, maría r.1*; francisco A. Comín2 1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Av. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, s/n. 22700 Jaca, Huesca- Av. Montañana 1005, 50192 Zaragoza. Spain. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Managing agricultural floodplains to meet present and future human requirements without jeopardizing biodiversity conservation is a challenge for land use planners and ecologists. This paper aims to disentangle the relationships between ecosystem services and biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes, such as floodplain agroecosystems, by disaggregating their values across land use types. We measured eight ecosystem services (gas regulation, soil formation, nutrient regulation, habitat provision, food provision, raw materials production, education, and recreation) and six plant diversity indexes (richness, abundance, and true diversity for both plant species and growth forms) in seven land use types identified in the floodplain of the River Piedra (Spain). We observed that all land use types provided services to some extent, but each one was better at providing certain services. Natural or semi-natural habitats provided more services and hosted greater diversity than cultivated land use types. In addition, five diversity indexes were strongly correlated to at least three ecosystem services each one. Habitat provision and education were the ecosystem services positively correlating to most diversity indexes, whereas food provision was negatively correlated to all diversity indexes. Moreover, analyzing the interactions between ecosystem services and biodiversity across land use types, we observed that land use type was the controlling factor regarding the sign and significance of the interaction. The results of this study suggest that policies fostering a mosaic landscape of different land use types, which contribute to maintaining biodiversity while using local resources, can provide higher amounts of ecosystem services in river floodplains. Such land use policies might manage agricultural floodplains at the landscape scale while still being able to accommodate specific measures for each land use type. Moreover, riparian forests should be preserved and restored across the floodplain as they are hot spots for biodiversity and ecosystem services provision. Aquaculture in Veta la Palma (Doñana Natural Area, SW Spain): a successful coupling of ecological and socio-economic values fernández-rodríguez, m. J.1; A. Jiménez-rodríguez1; m. medialdea2; n. mazuelos2; L. serrano3 1 2 3 Faculty of Experimental Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain, [email protected] Pesquerías Isla Mayor, S.A. (PIMSA), Sevilla, Spain, [email protected], Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, [email protected] A two years monitoring study (biweekly sampling for 2009-10) was performed in an aquaculture system which was established in a former marsh zone close to Doñana National Park International Conference Wetlands 2014 63 (SW. Spain) in order to know biogeochemical changes and processes in the water flowing through this system coupled to the productive and economic benefits it provides. This aquaculture system provides high quality fish production as a result of both active management and the preservation of natural trophic interactions. The business is economically successful and provides income to about 100 workers from the surrounding villages. The quality of the input water from the Guadalquivir river estuary was generally poorer than the effluent water discharged back into the estuary, particularly regarding total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Total phosphorous (TP) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations were slightly higher in the effluent than in the input water though still well under the waste-water regulation discharge limits. The concentration of all other pollutants under regulation remained undetected or below discharge limits in that surveillance. The effluent water reflects all production systems for the cultivated species: a) intensive production within the indoor fish hatchery, b) extensive production (mean fish biomass load: ~220 kg ha-1) in each aquaculture pond for shrimp (Palaemonetes varians), eel (Anguilla anguilla) and mullet (Mugil cephalus, Liza ramada), and c) semi-extensive production (mean fish biomass load: ~104 kg ha-1) within the fish maturing ditches (adjacent to each aquaculture pond) for sea-bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), sea-bream (Sparus aurata), meagre (Argyrosomus regius) and sole fish (S. senegalensis). Water flows sequentially through the aquaculture ponds where nutrients are transformed through biological and chemical processes. Up to 96% of incoming N has been estimated to be recycled within these aquaculture ponds. Both nutrient uptake by organisms and P-adsorption on sediment particles could explained the low concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) which together with DIN and TP were significantly lower in the outlet water compared to the inlet water flowing into the study ponds. Despite there was a steady outflow of plankton from the aquaculture ponds, most of the biomass was retained within them as the benthic Chl a was over 10 times larger than planktonic Chl a. Submerged macrophytes (namely, Ruppia maritima L.) grew extensively in these sites. Consequently, detritivores are key elements in the trophic web of these ponds where not only fish but waterbirds also feed on benthic macroinvertebrates and consume about a third of the biomass produced per year. The hydraulic management of the aquaculture ponds, which are drained to harvest the fish every 4-5 years and later dredged before starting a new farming cycle, ensures the renovation of the P-sediment binding capacity which eventually regulates the phytoplankton growth. The variety of primary producers and the multi-trophic food web provided by these ponds are also in accordance with an integrated view of aquaculture resources, particularly in such a highly protected area as Doñana. Variation in the propensity for sexual reproduction among facultatively sexual rotifer populations inhabiting ponds with different degree of environmental unpredictability franch-Gras, Lluis1; eduardo m. García-roger; manuel serra; eva Tarazona; maría José Carmona Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, A.O. 22085, 46071, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] 1 The adaptive response of organisms to unpredictable environments has increasingly been recognized as a central topic in fundamental and applied evolutionary ecology. Monogonont rotifers, which combine asexual and sexual reproduction, inhabiting small water bodies in Eastern Spain are a good study model for this topic. Climate in the Mediterranean region causes randomly-varying environmental conditions, so the persistence of rotifer populations during unsuitable periods requires life_history traits to match environmental patterns. This 64 International Conference Wetlands 2014 is especially true in the monogonont rotifers, where sexual reproduction is linked to the production of resting stages (their only way to survive between growing seasons). The drawback of sex, however, is that reduces the potential for quick clonal proliferation. However, despite its importance, the association between life-history variation in natural populations of rotifers and the degree of habitat unpredictability remains poorly understood. Our hypothesis is that unpredictability impacts on sex-related rotifer traits, selecting for high propensity for sexual reproduction in those the more unpredictable environments. To test this hypothesis, assays have been performed to determine the propensity for sexual reproduction in 270 clones from nine Brachionus plicatilis populations inhabiting a lagoon complex in Eastern Spain. The degree of environmental unpredictability in the ponds and lagoons within this complex has been characterized by satellite imagery analysis, finding them to represent a wide gradient of unpredictability. Clones from different ponds exhibited genetic differences in their propensity for sexual reproduction, and a positive correlation between pond unpredictability and the propensity to sexual reproduction of the inhabiting clones was observed (i.e. the more unpredictable the pond, the earlier the sex). These results suggest the ability of rotifer populations to locally adapt to changing environments, what is of great importance for biodiversity conservation under a predicted scenario of global increase in environmental variability. Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you impact: invasive species’ diet trigger trophic cascades in aquatic ecosystems Gallardo, Belinda1; miguel Clavero1; marta sánchez1; montserrat Vilà1 1 Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC). Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n. Isla de la Cartuja. 41092, Sevilla. Aquatic ecosystems are characterized by strong trophic links that can be profoundly disturbed by the loss or the introduction of species, whose impacts propagate up and down the food web. However, because the majority of investigations evaluating the impacts of aquatic invaders have been small-scale studies focused on particular invaders and single functional groups, it is difficult to determine if and to which extent are the cascading impacts of aquatic invasions universal. This study aims to gather all the available scientific evidence about the ecological and environmental cascading impacts triggered by aquatic invasive species with the objective to discriminate the impact of invaders by their trophic position (primary producer, filter-collector, omnivore and predator). To that end, we conducted a meta-analysis based on 152 published studies from which we retrieved 678 records. We covered a total 70 invasive species with broad representation of fish (N=24), plants (N=23), mollusks (N=10) and crustaceans (N=6). Overall, invasive species caused a strong decrease on the richness (estimate=-0.40; Confidence Interval: -0.69,-0.11) and abundance (estimate=0.34; CI: -0.57,-0.11) of aquatic communities. As expected, the effects of aquatic invasion were dependent on the trophic position of the invader. Primary producers significantly reduced the abundance of fish and produced a notable decrease in benthic inverts, probably because of the lack of appropriate habitat for foraging. Habitat engineers such as filter-collectors produced a very large increase in the abundance and richness of benthic invertebrates and very large increase in the abundance of macrophytes; but their filtering activity largely reduced the abundance of planktonic communities. Omnivores led to very large reduction in the abundance and richness of macrophytes, and a small decrease in the richness of benthic invertebrates. The response of aquatic communities to predation was very variable, although all functional groups showed a tendency to decrease in richness and abundance. By combining multiple trophic and functional levels, this comprehensive study reveals new insights into cascading impacts of invasive species on aquatic ecosystems. International Conference Wetlands 2014 65 Bet hedging for variability in diapause duration in a monogonont rotifer first-produced resting eggs have increased probability of longer diapause García-roger, eduardo m. 1; Carlos martínez2; manuel serra3; maría José Carmona4 1 2 3 4 Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva. Universitat de València (Spain). [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Understanding the adaptive responses that allow species to live in unpredictable environments is essential for assessing how they persist and may respond to future environmental change. Rotifers are common inhabitants of temporary water bodies undergoing more or less predictable episodes of desiccation. To overpass such adverse periods rotifers typically produce diapause, resting eggs, which often show within-population variation in the duration of their diapause period. Such behaviour has been suggested to be a bet-hedging strategy (i.e., a genotype would reduce the risk of complete recruitment failure in an unpredictable environment by spreading hatching over several growing seasons). Notwithstanding, despite the well-developed theory for bet-hedging evolution in the timing of exiting diapause, empirical evidence supporting this is still scarce. This is mainly due to the difficulties in testing the requirements to properly identify bet hedging. According to recent reviews, these requirements are: (1) wide phenotypic variation in the trait, and (2) maternal control over offspring phenotype. In this contribution we revisit the concept of bet hedging and its relationship with other types of adaptive response to environmental change. Moreover, based on a laboratory experiment we propose a mechanistic model of bet hedging for variability in diapause duration in rotifers. We studied a lab population of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis founded from a natural population inhabiting a small lake (Salobralejo, inland Eastern Spain). Not all the viable diapuse eggs of this population hatch when exposed to inducing conditions. The lake has a variable inter-annual hydroperiod regime and intermediate resting egg-hatching rates. We tracked the offspring of controlled crosses within clonal lineages of this population and tested for differences in diapause duration due to (1) clone effect (controlling for genetic polymorphism), (2) mother age, and (3) resting egg laying order (i.e., a proxy of maternal physiological age), the last two being covariates which we predicted to account for maternal effects. We found that the first resting eggs produced by rotifer females exhibited longer diapauses than resting eggs produced later. Our results show the existence of maternal control on the duration of diapause in rotifer resting eggs and suggest that variation in this trait results from the evolution of a bet-hedging strategy. The use of lipids as an energy storage strategy for taxa inhabiting climatic-contrasted habitats: Mediterranean vs. high mountain temporary ponds Gascón, stéphanie1; dani Boix1; Ana inés Borthagaray2; Jordi sala1; matias Arim3; núria Àvila1; susana romo4; rocío López-flores5; Xavier d. Quintana1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Spain, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Univ. del Desarrollo, Chile, [email protected] 1 66 International Conference Wetlands 2014 3 Sección Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay, [email protected] 4 Area de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Valencia, Spain, [email protected] 5 Area de Ecología, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected] Lipid accumulation has been usually related to an energy storage strategy. Thus, scarce nutrient availability induces algal lipid production, increasing at their turn zooplankton lipid concentration. But organisms’ lipid content not only depends on nutrient availability, because its foraging dynamics and biological traits may also influence the lipid content. Therefore, environmental characteristics, as well as organisms’ biological traits, may affect organism lipid content. However which of these factors (environmental vs. biological traits) is the main responsible of taxa lipid content is already unsolved, but of high relevance when analyzing food web functioning. Thus, we present a first approach performed exclusively in temporary ponds with a climatic-contrasted situation: lowland Mediterranean (12 ponds) vs. high mountain (10 ponds). We have selected these systems because high mountain aquatic habitats usually had lower nutrient availability than lowland systems, and so we expected a lower lipid concentration on lowland organisms. Lipid content was estimated using the C:N ratio, and was calculated for the whole aquatic community (from cladocerans to amphibians). Unexpectedly, we did not observe differences in the lipid concentration of the organisms between systems. Moreover, our results suggest that the biological traits had a higher influence on organisms’ lipid content than the environmental conditions. Veronica anagallis-aquatica as a bioindicator for selenium in watercourses Germ, mateja1; urša remic1; Vekoslava stibilj2 1 Department of Biology, Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana, Slovenia, email: [email protected], [email protected] 2 Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, email: [email protected] There is a widespread discharge of soluble selenium (Se) from industrial and agricultural sources. Part of Se supplemented to feed is used by animal body and a part is spilled or excreted and pass to the environment. There is scarce information about the amount of Se in natural watercourses and macrophytes. V. anagallis-aquatica is amphibious plant, growing in stagnant and slowly flowing waters. We measured Se concentration in the samples of water, sediment and V. anagallis-aquatica. We chose 12 locations in watercourses with different land use in their catchment areas. The total Se in plant samples, water and sediments was measured with ICP-MS. The amount of Se was less than 0.12 ng/mL in waters and less than 0.65 µg/g in sediments. The concentration of Se in leaves ranged from 0.03 µg/g to 0.32 µg/g. The highest amount of Se was found in sediments and macrophytes from the Žerovniščica stream in site 1 out of 4 on that stream, which is located in the middle of the village. The Žerovniščica stream flows along a village, dairy farms and fields. Additional study is needed to confirm the usefulness of V. anagallis-aquatica for bioindication for Se in Slovenian watercourses. International Conference Wetlands 2014 67 Growth and nutrients uptake of perennial crops and spontaneous vegetation in a Mediterranean drained peatland: preliminary results. Giannini, Vittoria1; nicola silvestri2; Tiziana sabbatini1; Chiara Pistocchi1,3; enrico Bonari1 1 Institute of Life Sciences - Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento, Via Santa Cecilia 3- 5612, PISA(IT), [email protected] 2 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment–University of Pisa, PISA (IT), [email protected] 3 Group of Plant Nutrition - ETH Zurich, Lindau (CH), [email protected] Combining peatland rewetting with biomass cropping (paludiculture) is one of the strategies to remove nutrient surpluses from water and stimulate peat-forming vegetation. The basin of Massaciuccoli lake (Tuscany, central Italy) is a coastal floodplain, artificially drained for agricultural purposes since 1930s. The draining and exploitation of the land for intensive agricultural use has largely degraded the peat status in the area. In fact, the most relevant issues are: (i) the eutrophication of the lake due to nutrients enrichment (especially phosphorus) in surface- and ground-water and (ii) the subsidence due to compaction and mineralization of peat. An experimental trial was set up in spring 2012 on three perennial rhizomatous grasses (Phragmites australis, Miscanthus _ giganteus, Arundo donax), two woody short-rotationcoppice species (Salix alba, Populus ‘Oudenberg’), two turfgrasses (a mix of Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne and Poa prantensis; Paspalum vaginatum). In 2013, for all species, we measured: (i) dry matter production, (ii) nutrients concentrations (N and P) and (iii) nutrients uptake. Among the grasses, Arundo showed the highest yield (38.4 t/ha d.m) and nutrients uptake (N: 522.2 kg/ha, P: 30.7 kg/ha), while Phragmites showed the highest nutrient tissue concentrations (N: 2.42%, P: 0.13%). The contribution of weeds on biomass production was not negligible. Capturing the aquatic breath: Examining ecological variations, diurnal fluctuations and extrapolations of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from small aquatic systems in Druridge Bay, England. Gilbert, Peter1; michael Jeffries1; dave Cooke; michael deary; Geoff Abbott; scott Taylor 1 Department of Geography, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST. [email protected] Small ponds are highly productive systems and cumulatively have the potential to play an important role in global carbon (C) cycling. Whilst organic C burial rates are amongst the highest in the world, high fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in temporal ponds and methane (CH4) in permanent anoxic systems frequently render small aquatic water bodies as net C sources rather than sinks. Previous research shows organic C content within the sediments of small water bodies varies significantly among varying ecological characterisations. Given the heterogeneous nature of ponds across the landscape it is highly likely that their flux rates will also be equally variable. Floating chambers and a portable FT-IR were used to measure the diurnal fluctuations of CO2 and CH4 from a field of replicate ponds in Druridge Bay, England. Fluctuations varied significantly between ponds in which vegetation variations were the controlling factor causing considerable implications for upscaling the carbon capture potential of wetland systems based solely on spot measurements and disregarding subtle ecological variations between individual pond systems. 68 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Wetlands restoration and creation for European mink: Ten years of work in Navarre (Spain) Giralda Carrera, Gloria Navarra’s Government, [email protected] The European Mink Population in Navarra is one of the most important in the world. This specie is critically endangered according to IUCN. That’s why Navarra’s Government has been working in wetlands creation and restoration for the last ten years. We have implied all the sectors involved: Councils, environmental groups, Confederations River Water, neighbours, etc. Getting new habitats for European mink means more habitats for biodiversity and less problems for villages, because we get more space for water and therefore there is less flood problems in the villages. Special effort has been made with wetlands surrounding river system Arga-Aragón, which is part of Natura 2000 Network, where we have the highest density of European mink known in the world. For financing we have raised own funds, private sponsors and european projects like Interreg or LIFE Nature: we are working right now in the second LIFE project. In this way we’ve got more breeding space for our minks, while we have made people turn around to existing and new wetlands and realize how important they are. As a conclusion we must emphasize the importance of approaching these types of works from a global perspective, taking into account all sectors involved. Using Linear Discriminant Analysis to predict restoration success in peatlands González, eduardo1,2,3,4; Line rochefort1,5; stephanie Boudreau1,6; monique Poulin1,5 1 2 3 4 5 6 Peatland Ecology Research Group, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada, [email protected] Université de Toulouse; INP, UPS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France, CNRS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver. Denver, CO 80209 USA Northern Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, GIV 0A6, Canada Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, Riviere du Loup, QC, G5R 3Y7 Canada We used peatlands restored after horticultural peat extraction in eastern Canada to test a methodological approach that predicts restoration success within the first few years after rehabilitation. Vegetation in a total of 152 plots in 41 post-restored peatlands was monitored every second years since starting at the third year post-restoration. The plots were clustered in three restoration outcome categories: Sphagnum-dominated, bare peat-dominated and Polytrichum-dominated, according to their characteristic vegetation composition at the time of the latest survey for each plot (4 to 11 years post-restoration). Then, vegetation composition of these 152 plots assessed at the earliest survey (that is, three years post-restoration), along with associated key environmental and management variables (meteorological, drainage, fertilization) were analyzed using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to obtain the combination of parameters that best discriminated between the restoration outcome categories. LDA correctly classified 71% of the plots of a calibration database (for which 75% of the plots were used) and 75% of a validation database (for which 25% of the plots were used) into the three outcome categories. Such a LDA model provides an unequivocal (i.e., one new plot assigned to one and only one restoration outcome category) prediction of success based on multiple but simple, easily recognizable indicators and spares managers the complex task of interpreting many individual predictors for establishing a clear diagnosis. International Conference Wetlands 2014 69 Development of hydroecological guidelines for Scottish wetlands Goodyer, emma1; Johan schutten1; debbie spray2; Kenny mcdougall3 1 2 3 Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Stirling Office, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TF Scottish Natural Heritage, Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW EnviroCentre Ltd, Registered Office, Craighall Business Park, 8 Eagle Street, Glasgow, G4 9XA Protecting the ecosystem services that wetlands provide through regulation requires a conceptual understanding of wetland types and a set of generic standards or threshold values for these wetland types. Generic, wetland-type-specific standards or threshold values can be used to determine the likelihood that a proposed activity will have a detrimental impact on a nearby wetland and, thus, will impair the ecosystem services that wetland delivers. The application of these specific standards requires an improved understanding of how the wetlands function hydrologically and how they are affected by the management of the surrounding landscape. There exists already a good conceptual understanding of generic sensitivities for the wetlands that occur in lowland England and Wales, however, the complex geology and hydrology of Scotland means that functionality of wetlands in a Scottish landscape were, until now, poorly understood. The analysis of data from a five year national monitoring project has allowed the establishment of hydroecological thresholds for Scottish wetlands. These thresholds inform the connection between water derived pressures and wetland impacts, improving the effectiveness of our legislative framework, enabling better protection for the wider water environment and informing future strategies for wetland management and conservation. This project was funded by DEFRA, managed by Sniffer, carried out by EnviroCentre Ltd and supported by the UK Technical Advisory Group of ER37. Impacts of management on the biodiversity and chemistry of farmland ponds Greaves, H. 1; C. sayer2; H. Bennion3; J. Axmacher4; i. Patmore5 1 Environmental Change Research Centre (ECRC), UCL Department of Geography, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, [email protected] 2 [email protected] 3 [email protected] 4 [email protected] 5 [email protected] The agricultural landscapes of eastern England are dotted with ponds at a density >10 ponds/km2. However, these ponds are often overlooked as resources for biodiversity, despite agri-environment schemes encouraging regular pond management through tree and sediment removal. Agricultural pondscapes are therefore currently dominated by overgrown, highly terrestrialised ponds. Detailed studies on the possible conservation benefits of management on terrestrialised ponds are largely lacking. To fill this research gap, we studied two ponds at advanced stages of succession before and after restoration with a focus on short-term changes in water chemistry and ecology. Pond management comprised the partial removal of surrounding terrestrial vegetation and of pond sediments in 2011. Monitoring of these ponds and of a third pond as a control was conducted for 17 months pre- and two years post-management, with a focus on physicochemical properties of the water column, macrophytes, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and amphibians. Pond management practices significantly altered pond water chemistry. Pronounced oxygen stratification was 70 International Conference Wetlands 2014 recorded prior to restoration, whereas post-restoration, oxygen reached high concentrations throughout the water column. Additionally, biodiversity was enhanced across multiple taxa. We conclude that pond management plays an important role in increasing aquatic biodiversity within intensively farmed agricultural land. Groundwater and its relationship to wetlands at Jucar Pilot River Basin Grima, J.; Bruno José Ballesteros; José manuel murillo; Juan José durán Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME). Unidad de Valencia. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The Water Framework Directive (WFD) provides the legal and regulatory framework for sustainable use of water resources in Europe. The Directive requires Member States to achieve good status for all EU waters by 2015, mainly through the development and implementation of River Basin Management Plans. Wetland ecosystems play an important role in the accomplishment of sustainable river basin management. However, WFD does not set the role wetlands should have to achieve the environmental objectives. In the framework of a Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD all Member States and Norway agreed on May 2001 to develop a number of Pilot River Basins to check the issues developed in Guidance Documents (GD’s). In Spain, the GD’s were evaluated in the territorial area of the Júcar River Basin District. The Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), in collaboration with the Environment Ministry, characterised 68 wetlands in Jucar Demarcation. Aiming to provide a sound scientific basis to evaluate wetland contribution to river basin management decisions, IGME has selected 22 out of them where additional studies are being carried out. As stated by the Water Framework Directive, wetlands are not considered water bodies, although many of them are groundwater dependent ecosystems. To establish their hydrogeological framework, conceptual models to determine the nature and geometry of the geologic formations that constitute their physical support have been elaborated. The first step has been the identification of those ecosystems that require access to groundwater on a permanent or intermittent basis to guarantee its functionality. At the same time, quantitative and qualitative evaluations are being made by means of different types of wetlands field surveys. The ultimate objective is the establishment of environmental guidelines for management and ecosystem protection. Understanding of socio-economic and traditional values of Manguzi Wetlands (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) as a pre-condition for their conservation, restoration and wise use Guerrero moreno, naret1; dianne scott2; Johannes Kollmann1; Jan sliva1 Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, 85354 Freising, Germany. [email protected] 2 School of Built Environment and Development Studies, University of KwaZulu Natal, 4041 Durban, South Africa. [email protected] 1 Interdunal wetlands in the surroundings of Manguzi have long been used for subsistence and semi-commercial farming by local communities. Recently unsustainable farming prac- International Conference Wetlands 2014 71 tices are leading to wetland degradation. Understanding the local socio-economic characteristics and the community’s understanding of the functioning and value of wetlands would be the basis for sustainable use and conservation. Thus, a structured survey of 65 farming households on 17 wetlands was conducted in 2013 to gather information about socio-economic characteristics, the ownership, use and value of wetland resources. The results show that most wetland farmers are mid-age women dedicated to subsistence farming. They prefer wetlands for their higher fertility compared to the sandy soils in the surroundings. Local wetlands provide multiple values to the local community, including land and water for farming and firewood, and also socio-cultural values. The farmers indicated their willingness to learn alternative farming techniques. The study therefore concludes that for sustainable wetland use, a better understanding of the traditional farming practices and their ecological limitations is necessary. From the farmers’ willingness to learn alternative farming techniques, the implementation of practical demonstration projects and training on wise use of wetlands in the close cooperation with the Local Tribal Authority is recommended. Does importance of chironomids as indicators of pond diversity change along environmental gradients? Hamerlík, Ladislav1; milan novikmec2; marek svitok2; richard Hrivnák3; michal Hlávek2; Judita Kochjarová4; Zuzana matúšová2; Jozef oboňa5; Helena oťaheľová3; Peter PaľoveBalang6; Barbora reduciendo-Klementová2; radovan stupák2; marta Veselská2; Andrea Zapriháčová2 1 Department of Biology and Ecology, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, [email protected] 2 Department of Biology and General Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-96053 Zvolen, Slovakia, [email protected] 3 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] 4 Botanical Garden-detached unit, Comenius University, Blatnica 315, SK-03815Blatnica, Slovakia, [email protected] 5 Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov in Presov, Ul. 17 novembra č. 1, SK-081 16 Prešov, Slovakia, [email protected] 6 Institute of Biological and Ecological Sciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Mánesova 23, SK-040 01 Košice, Slovakia, [email protected] Aquatic biodiversity studies often exclude non-biting midges (Chironomidae) from the analysis because of their difficult identification and increased costs of sample processing; many times chironomids are assigned to subfamily or family-level only. Within the framework of BIOPOND project (www.biopond.sk), we collected an extensive material of aquatic invertebrates (including chironomids) from ponds representing various geographical and environmental conditions all over Slovakia. We were interested in the relationship of chironomid diversity (1) and proportion of chironomids on the total biodiversity (2) to main environmental gradients. In total, the 80 chironomid taxa recorded made up more than 30% of the total macroinvertebrate diversity and chironomids represented an average of 40% of taxa per site. Even though chironomid diversity and its share on total diversity showed some trends along the main environmental gradients, the correlations of chironomid diversity with variables were weak and insignificant. This result suggests that it is difficult to predict, if higher or lower proportion of chironomids on total diversity indicate certain environmental conditions of ponds and vice versa. The present project was funded by the Slovak Research and Development Agency, contract No. APVV-0059-11 72 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Carbon stocks and flows in mangroves of the Yucatan Peninsula, research and monitoring Herrera-silveira, Jorge1; Teutli-Hernández Claudia2; Caamal-sosa Juan; Zaldívar Jiménez Arturo3; Pech daniel; Andueza Tersa; Pérez-Ceballos rosela3; Adame Vivanco, ma. fernanda4; Hernández Héctor5; Torres ricardo6 1 CINVESTAV-IPN Centro de Investigación y de estudios avanzados del instituto politécnico Nacional Unidad Mérida. Km 6 antigua carretera a Progreso, Mérida Yucatán Méxic CP 97310. Autor para correspondencia [email protected]. 2 Facultad de Biología, Depto. De Ecología, Universidad de Barcelona. 3 GoM/UNIDO-ATEC 4 Universidad de Griffith, Australia. 5 CECOSUR. Chetumal. 6 CUniversidad de Quintana Roo. In the Yucatan Peninsula (YP) hydrogeological nature, karst soils, the frequency of storms and hurricanes, as well as the absence of surface water flow and flat topography make mangrove ecosystem with unique and different from other regions of the Neotropics. The mangroves of the Yucatan Peninsula represent the largest area in Mexico with 55% of the total, where the dwarf mangrove type is the most important for their extension. Research on carbon stock and flows in mangroves of YP has been developing for over 10 years, and important advances have been done on the knowledge of these ecosystems. Investigations have focused on the structure and productivity of different ecological types of mangroves under different environmental conditions along the YP scenarios and studies associated with C stores, ecosystem services, and vulnerability to sea level rise, as well as strategies for ecological restoration with strong social participation. Testing of horizontal and vertical cw’s with mixed matrices of woodchips and mussel shells for removal of nutrients in agricultural drainage water Hoffmann, Carl Christian1; Charlotte Kjaergaard2 1 2 Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Vejlsoevej 25, 8600 Silkeborg Denmark, [email protected] Aarhus University, Department of Agroecology, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark, [email protected] The research project SUPREME-TECH initiated in 2010 aims at developing and testing constructed wetlands for treating agricultural drainage water. Six subsurface flow CW’s with the dimensions 10 by 10 m and 1 m in depth and with filter beds consisting of a matrix of crushed mussel shells and willow woodchips were built and put into operation in autumn 2012. The first two cw’s had horizontal flow, the next two had vertical upward flow and the latter two had vertical downward flow. All six units were connected to a 85 ha drainage upland. The horizontal units performed best with an annual removal of TN amounting to 54-55 % of the load, which was around 1.5 kg N m-2 y-1. The removal for vertical units amounted to 44-48 % of the load. International Conference Wetlands 2014 73 Hitchhikers, paragliders and active flyers–the role of dispersal mode in small and large scale spatial patterns of aquatic invertebrates Horváth, Zsófia1; Csaba f. Vad2; Pál Boda3; Arnold móra4; Adrienn Tóth4; robert Ptacnik1 1 WasserCluster Lunz, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, AT-3293, Lunz am See, Austria; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] 3 Department of Tisza River Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Bem tér 18/C, H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary; [email protected] 4 Balaton Limnological Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, H-8237, Tihany, Hungary; [email protected]; [email protected] Dispersal traits represent key aspects of metacommunity dynamics. We tested for the role of dispersal limitation in communities of zooplankton (passive dispersers) and aquatic insects (active dispersers) at two distinct spatial scales, using two independent datasets of the same habitat type (intermittent soda pans). On small scale, stronger spatial signals were visible in passive dispersers than in active, while this difference reversed on the large spatial scale. We concluded that the success of dispersal modes (active vs. passive) was scale-dependent. Over shorter scale, active dispersal was less limited, while passive dispersers showed stronger spatial signals. Besides, we detected small scale directional similarity patterns in the passive communities, corresponding to the main wind direction, which indicated the strong role of directional wind dispersal. Conversely, on the large scale, passive dispersal (presumably by waterbirds) exhibited less spatial limitation than active dispersal. We conclude that analyses of spatial community patterns should try to differentiate not only between dispersal modes but also dominant dispersal vectors, allowing better insight into metacommunity patterns both on small and large scales. Assessing the role of amphibians as surrogates for pond biodiversity ilg, Christiane1; demierre, eliane2; diz salgado, Carmen3; oertli, Beat4 University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, hepia, 150 rte de Presinge, CH-1254 Jussy-GE, Switzerland. Email: [email protected] 2 [email protected] 3 [email protected], [email protected] 1 Surrogate taxa are widely used as indicators for biodiversity in conservation biology, as resources for extensive survey are often limited. In Switzerland, about 800 amphibian breading sites are classified as being of national importance and enjoy a national protection status. Here we aimed at assessing whether ponds belonging to these sites could also contribute to the conservation of several other taxonomic groups (aquatic plants, dragonflies, aquatic beetles and molluscs). Correlations between the species richness, conservation values and species composition of the targeted taxonomic groups and the amphibians were calculated for 93 permanent and temporary Swiss lowland ponds. Overall, a weak concordance was found between species richness and conservation values of the amphibians and the other groups. Species composition also showed a low degree of congruence, as evidenced by Procrustean analyses. Our study illustrates the importance of considering several taxonomic groups in order to evaluate the importance of ponds for biodiversity conservation. 74 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Flood, drought and the plough: inter-annual variation to the number and extent of ponds in an English lowland landscape over three years of weather extremes. Jeffries, michael Department of Geography, Ellison Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, United Kingdom. [email protected] The numbers of ponds and wetlands in intensively managed landscapes have declined significantly throughout the world. Estimates of losses have usually been derived from maps but maps under-estimate the number of ponds because of (1) minimum size thresholds for features to be recorded, (2) cartographers not detecting temporary habitats and (3) variation between years. To explore such variations this study presents an audit of the changing number and extent of ponds recorded by field surveys on a lowland farm in north east England. Surveys were made every 2-3 months between November 2010 and November 2014. The study coincided with a sequence of extreme weather including winter drought (2011/12) and an unusually wet summer (2012). The number and extent of ponds varied significantly between seasons and years, ranging from 12 to 105 in the ~1km2 survey area. These changes were correlated with rainfall. Variation was most marked for ponds in arable and pasture fields. All pond types supported distinct plant communities, contributing to local β diversity. Rainfall variation and ploughing significantly affected the abundance of plant species, although not their overall incidence. These results provide an unusually fine-grained insight into the temporal dynamics of small wetlands and the impact of short-term climate variation. Wetlands and their contribution to Sustainable Human Development: Opportunities for improvement the life´s quality in rural population. Three Cases study in National Natural Parks in Colombia. Jiménez Castilla, T. ; netty Huertas Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, [email protected], [email protected] Colombia is a country rich in biodiversity, is one of the countries with greater availability of water resources of the planet, has 58 protected areas comprising National Natural Parks (NNP), distributed throughout the country, representing 9.98% of land territory and 1.48% of the ocean. In this article we have chosen three of these parks (the Cave of the Guácharos, Sanquianga and Sumapaz) which have common characteristics: engaged in tourism, initiate the process of using alternative energy and wetlands. These cases are analyzed from the integrating elements of the concept of Sustainable Human Development (socio-cultural and economic environmental aspects). First, we review the normative aspects in Colombia; then, it will be emphasized not only the wealth and diversity of wetlands, but in the social, cultural and economic aspects of communities that are associated with these parks. Finally, it is concluded on the progress of the program of Community Ecotourism in the country. The results show that the national government has programs for community involvement in economic activities such as tourism to be developed on the NNP, but still needs further strengthening in the areas of infrastructure and training, to achieve Sustainable Human Development. International Conference Wetlands 2014 75 Can the biological and physical-chemical features of water be the indicator of type of land use and origin of small water bodies? Joniak T.1 ; natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen1 1 Department of Water Protection, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska str. 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, [email protected] Small water bodies create an important biogeochemical barrier, which effectively restricts the free migration of mineral and organic substances. The significant role of small water bodies has greater practical meaning for the planning of landscape management when considering how to control the processes of self-cleansing the environment. This work presents the results of an examination of physical-chemical parameters of water together with an analysis of the chlorophyll-a concentration in more than 300 small water bodies situated in natural and anthropogenically changed landscape (direct catchment) and of three groups of origin: natural – glacial, oxbows, and artificial (as clay-pits). There were zones of open water considered in examination. Water samples were taken during the summers of 20042012. Aim of study was find answer for question, about some parameter or group of parameters possibilities use in role of indicator of type of landscape and origin of small water bodies. 12 parameters were used for the characteristics of the aquatic environment including dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, light conditions measured directly at the sampling sites and analysed in the laboratory: total phosphorus, total phosphates, nitrate, ammonium, total hardness, colour, DOM and chlorophyll. Trophic state was evaluated based on TSI. The studies were supported by the grant: NN302042739. Sediment accumulation in glacially created kettle holes on arable land, Uckermark, NE Germany Kalettka, Thomas1; marielle neyen1; uwe-Karsten schkade2; Andreas Kleeberg3 1 Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Institute of Landscape Hydrology, Eberswalder Str. 84, D-15374 Müncheberg, Germany, [email protected] 2 Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Köpenicker Allee 120, D-10318 Berlin, Germany, [email protected] 3 State Laboratory Berlin-Brandenburg, Department of Geology, Soil and Waste, Stahnsdorfer Damm 77, D-14632 Kleinmachnow, Germany, [email protected] In number and cumulative surface area, small inland water bodies such as glacially created kettle holes are dominant landscape features on both local and global scale. However, the coupling of physical and biogeochemical processes in kettle holes has received little attention, compared to larger and deeper lakes. Sedimentation, sediment accumulation and composition were studied in two permanently water-filled kettle holes on arable land near the villages Kraatz (volume 3998 m3, area 2689 m2) and Rittgarten (1797 m3, 1459 m2) in the county Uckermark, about 80 km north of Berlin, Germany. The sedimentation rate, determined by sedimentation traps, decreased with the decreasing water level during growing season. The downward flux of matter, particularly carbon, fueled the mineralization, i.e. the sulfate reduction as indicated by massive sulfate consumption in the water body. Core dating (210Pb, 137 Cs) revealed a non-equidistant sediment accretion rate which is attributed to different activities and erosional inputs from the agriculturally used catchments. Respective sediment composition (µm X-ray fluorescence), e.g. Fe, Ca, K, was related to agricultural practices in the local catchments. Hence, increased rates of sedimentation from agriculture provide a transport mechanism for agriculturally used components, and shorten the topographic life from sediment infilling, which degrade the ecological functions of kettle holes. 76 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Greenhouse gas emissions from tropical peatlands in French Guiana Kasak, K.1; Järvi Järveoja1; martin maddison1; mikk espenberg1; Ülo mander1 1 University of Tartu, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu, Estonia ([email protected]) This study was aimed to analyse greenhouse gas (CO2, N2O, CH4) emissions from tropical peatlands in French Guiana (South America). Two study sites were analysed in October 2013, one undisturbed peatland and one peatland with drainage influence. Measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using static chambers, groundwater analysis, gas and peat sampling for further laboratory analysis were made. In both study sites 3 transects along the groundwater depth gradient and 3 rows of sampling sites were established. In each transect GHG emissions were measured during 3 days in 6 sessions. Emissions of CO2-C, N2O-N and CH4-C were significantly (p<0.05) different between undisturbed and disturbed peatlands (median values 208.6 and 143.5 mg m-2 h-1 for CO2-C; -0.2 and 8.3 μg m-2 h-1 for N2O; 3865.5 and 5.5 μg m-2 h-1 for CH4-C, respectively). The study showed very high GHG emissions from tropical peatlands and a clear relationship between the emission and water level. In addition, methane emissions from tropical peatlands might be seriously underestimated. Also, additional analysis will be conducted on the relationship between CH4 emissions and the expression of functional genes mcrA, pmoA, and dsrAB regulating methanogenesis. How to enhance animal diversity of ponds used for carp culture Kloskowski, Janusz1; marek nieoczym2 1 Department of Nature Conservation, Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Hunting, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 13, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Carp pond farming is a dominant sector of freshwater aquaculture in Central and Eastern Europe. The shallow, open carp ponds have the potential to be compatible with natural animal populations. We examined correlates of amphibian and avian diversity with respect to pond management practices in common carp Cyprinus carpio ponds in SE Poland. Individual size of stocked fish was the strongest predictor of diversity, with the highest values noted in ponds with young-of-the-year (fry) carp. However, owing to specific water temperature requirements, these ponds are typically filled with water later in the season than those with older fish; moreover, fishpond operators strive to fill the ponds shortly prior to stocking, to preclude development of potential zooplankton predators of fish. Compared to ponds filled in early spring, ponds filled later (late May-June) could not be used by early breeding amphibians, and waterbirds could colonise them only for late breeding attempts. Irrespective of fish size, pond cover by emergent vegetation was positively related to amphibian and avian diversities. Since in EU countries pond farming associated with environmentally-sensitive management may be included in agri-environment programmes, we recommend providing incentives to encourage the biodiversity-friendly practices of early filling of fry ponds and preservation of emergent vegetation beds. International Conference Wetlands 2014 77 Modern challenges in wetlands management in the case of ponds and oxbow lakes restoration in Slovenia Koren, Aleksander1; matej simčič2 1 The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature conservation, Tobačna ulica 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, [email protected], 2 [email protected] Wetlands are one of the most endangered habitats in Slovenia. Especially ponds (small stagnant water bodies, almost exclusively in karst areas) and oxbow lakes (remains of river meanders, usually in flat landscape) which are gradually but surely disappearing are of exceptional importance to endangered, rare and threatened animal and plant species. Despite different formation processes and predominant former use, ponds and oxbow lakes have a lot in common. Their primary use/purpose has changed because of rapid change in use of space during the last decades or centuries. Nowadays they represent one of the last shelters for water dependent animal and plant species. At the same time wetlands and its biodiversity are threatened by increasing number of threats (intensive fish farming, implementation of fisheries, constant presence of human, overgrowing, introduction of allochtonous and/or invasive species, pollution, intensive farming). Majority of these activities/actions is in strong contrast with the ecological needs of animal and plant species that live in the wetlands. In response to these facts, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation launched the LIFE+ Nature project called WETMAN (Conservation and Management of Freshwater Wetlands in Slovenia). With crucial field actions (ponds and oxbow lakes restoration) being already carried out, we are currently putting our efforts in intensive communication with crucial stakeholders. On the one hand, we are trying to awaken the sense of importance of the wetlands among the people. On the other hand we are trying to integrate nature conservation guidelines into national sector plans, which will ensure a sustainable development of project areas. Experiences gained from 2 years with mandatory 10 m buffer strips along all Danish watercourses: do we know enough to evaluate their ecosystem services? Kronvang, Brian1; flemming Gertz4; Annette Baattrup-Pedersen1; Gitte rubæk2; Goswin Heckrath2; Henning Jensen5; sara egemose5; Carl Christian Hoffmann1; Tommy dalgaard2; søren B. olsen3; Henrik B. møller6; irene Wiborg4; marc stutter7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University Department of Food and Resource Economics, Conpenhagen University Knowledge Centre for Agriculture, Denmark Department of Biology, Southern Danish University Department of Engineering, Aarhus University The James Hutton Institute, UK The Danish Parliament adopted in June 2012 a Buffer Strip Act that required 10 m mandatory buffer strips (BSs) to be established along all watercourses and lakes with a surface area greater than 100 m2 from 1st September 2012. The main reasons for deploying BSs was to reduce nitrate-N leaching and phosphorus loss via surface runoff from adjoining fields from 78 International Conference Wetlands 2014 the approximately 50,000 ha of BSs as no farming was allowed in the BS concerning use of fertilizer, manure, pesticides, etc. Buffer strips are among the most well studied and frequently adapted mitigation measure for reducing sediment and P losses to surface waters via surface runoff. It has, however, been questioned if BSs can also reduce N losses. The international literature gives an overwhelming support to their functioning for reduction in sediment and especially particulate P losses. However, their functioning for dissolved P and nitrogen is more questionable when comparing studies from the international literature. In Denmark, many farmers were against the introduction of BSs as a general mitigation measure for several reasons. The most used argument in the public debate was that BSs in general are not very efficient for reducing N and P losses to surface waters which was originally the argument behind the law from the Ministries of Environment and Food and Agriculture. A desk study had been made prior to the adaptation of the law that showed 10 m BSs to be able to reduce the N loading with 40-50 kg N ha-1 of BS and 0.04-0.4 kg P ha-1 BS. The total reduction from the BSs established in Denmark would then amount to ca. 2000-2500 tonnes N and 2-20 tonnes P. In this presentation we will share the experience gained in Denmark on establishing 10 m wide BSs and show results from a newly initiated research project (BUFFERTECH) that studies the ecosystem services provided by buffer strips. Do biometric features of a macrophyte habitat reflect zooplankton diversity in various trophic types of small water bodies Kuczyńska-Kippen, natalia; Tomasz Joniak; Barbara nagengast Department of Water Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Fifty eight field ponds were examined between 2004–2011. Zooplankton diversity measures (number of species and Shannon index) were studied in various habitats (the open water zone, helophytes and elodeids) in respect to trophic conditions of water (evaluated using a combination of measures of water transparency, chlorophyll a and phosphorus concentrations) and macrophyte build. As biometric features of macrophytes play a highly important role (as anti-predator refuge) for zooplankton abundance, as in the case of community diversity trophic conditions seem to have a stronger impact than plant architecture. This partly results from a lack of significant variation of macrophyte biometric features between ponds of different trophic conditions. However, the underwater plant stem density of helophytes (e.g. Phragmites australis) was highest in mesotrophic ponds and lowest in hypertrophic ones, while in the case of elodeids (e.g. Ceratophyllum spp.) the highest density was obtained in the eutrophic ponds and the lowest in hypertrophic water bodies. Plant biomass of both elodeids and helophytes was usually highest in mesotrophic ponds. Zooplankton species diversity was also highest in mesotrophic ponds and lowest in hypertrophic water bodies, reflecting plant biomass distribution in the case of elodeids and plant density in the case of helophytes. This work was supported by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) under grant no. N N305 042739. International Conference Wetlands 2014 79 Fishponds in the Czech Republic–Management Issues Květ, Jan1,2; Jan Pokorný3 1 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; [email protected] 2 Czech Academy of Sciences, CzechGlobe, Global Change Research Centre, Na sádkách 7, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; [email protected] 3 ENKI, o.p.s., Dukelská 145, CZ-37905 Třeboň, Czech Republic; [email protected] The Czech Republic (78,867 km2, 10.5x106 inhabitants) is situated in the basins of 3 seas: the North Sea (the Labe/Elbe + the Vltava River – 433 km), Black Sea (the Morava/March + the Dyje River – in the Danube basin– 306 km) and Baltic Sea (the Odra/Oder River – 135 km). Natural small mountain lakes (total area 14.20 ha; volume 3.517x106 m3) are quite scarce. By now, 118 reservoirs (artificial lakes) have been built in the CR. But about 22,000 fishponds of varying size (<1 to 489 ha, total area 52x103 ha) have been built in the CR since the Middle Ages. They are mostly used for extensive or semi-intensive fish farming and have become integrated into the landscape as a component with various ecological functions. Several fishpond systems are enlisted as Ramsar sites, and all are considered as important landscape elements protected by the Czech law on Nature and Landscape Conservation. They are human-made water bodies and their long-term existence is secured by their management for fish rearing. Finding a sustainable balance between the water quality, economics of fish production, biodiversity, hydrological and other ecological functions and ecosystem services of the fishponds is the most important present task. Mires and wilderness in national parks Laurén, Kirsi University of Eastern Finland. P.O.Box 111, FIN-80101 Joensuu, FINLAND, [email protected] The attraction of mires and peatlands as places for recreation has increased during the last decades. Therefore ecotourism and other outdoor activities on mires in national parks have become increasingly popular as well. Usually mires are difficult terrains and are located in remote and sometimes inaccessible wilderness. However, especially the scenic quality of wilderness is one of the most important factors that make the mires attractive among nature tourists. This presentation focuses on mires in eastern Finland’s natural parks in the viewpoints of the visitors who are mostly hikers. Nature in this area consists of various kinds of forests, mires and peatlands. Patvinsuo national park is one of the largest national parks in Finland, and its landscape is dominated by peatlands. The research questions were: What motivates the ecotourists to visit mires? What are the things that they perceive recreational there? The research is based on writings written by Finns who took part in a national writing collection in 2013 where they were asked to tell about their experiences of visiting and hiking in the national parks of eastern Finland. The writings exposed that the attraction of mires was based on remoteness, experience of peace and solitude and observation of rich biodiversity. In addition, the attraction increased with good accessibility. 80 International Conference Wetlands 2014 A rapid tile approach for wetland degradation assessment in East Africa Leemhuis, Constanze1; Alvarez, miguel2; Amler esther3; Behn Kai4; Beuel sonja5; Keissler Kornelia6; Kotze donovan7; Kreye Christine8; Kyallo daniel9; Wagner Katrin10; and Ziegler susanne11 Institute of Geography, University of Bonn, Germany, [email protected] Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany, [email protected] 3 [email protected] 4 [email protected] 5 Steinmann Institute of Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology, University of Bonn, Germany, [email protected] 6 [email protected] 7 Centre For Environment, Agriculture and Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermarutzburg, South Africa, [email protected] 8 [email protected] 9 Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Germany, [email protected] 10 Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, [email protected] 11 Institute of Organic Agriculture, University of Bonn, Germany, [email protected] 1 2 Wetlands cover an area of approx. 18 Mio hectares in the East African countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, with only a small share currently being used for food production. The main hydro-geomorphic wetland types in Sub Saharan Africa are alluvial floodplains and inland valleys. Current upland agricultural use intensification in these countries due to demographic growth, climate change and globalization effects is leading to an overexploitation of the resource base and the agricultural use of wetlands. Besides presenting potential agricultural production hotspots wetlands provide a range of other ecosystem services. The rapid tile approach for wetland degradation assessment in East Africa is based on the Wet-Health framework of Macfarlane et al..(2009) wit a random sampling tile methodology for the selection of surveyed wetland sites. This implies a delineation of studied wetlands by applying a slope threshold on SRTM based digital elevation models and dividing the delineated wetland area into a grid of 250 m * 250 m tiles. 2 % of each wetland study site is chosen randomly for an on-site survey of wetland degradation. This approach is a framework for a rapid wetland degradation assessment for the wetlands components hydrology, geomorphology, water quality and vegetation and was originally developed as a management tool for South African wetlands. The modified tile based Wet-Health approach has been applied to the semi-arid Ewaso Naroc highland floodplain in central Kenya (10 tiles), the lowland humid Kilombero floodplain in southern Tanzania (14 tiles), inland valleys in Lake Vicoria province along the Mabira Forest – Kampala Road in Uganda (14 tiles) and inland valleys north of Kigali and within the Akagero floodplain south of Kigali in Rwanda (20 tiles). Beside on-site wetland components also external off-site factors that relate to the headwater catchment of the surveyed tile are investigated. The results show the highest variability of wetland degradation for all investigated components for the surveyed tiles in Rwanda. Furthermore the impact of land use on the wetland state is significant for all wetland components. This paper discusses the applicability of the implemented tile based Wet-Health methodology for the selected East African wetlands and provides preliminary analysis of the surveyed tilebased Wet-Health data set. International Conference Wetlands 2014 81 Development of a web interactive tool to promote sustainable water management and use of Mediterranean marshes under climate variability Lefebvre, Gaëtan1 ; Christophe Germain2 ; Brigitte Poulin3 1 2 Tour du Valat Research Center, Le Sambuc 13200 Arles, France, [email protected] [email protected], [email protected] Mediterranean wetlands are dominated by temporary and semi-permanent marshes that naturally dry out during the summer period, which contribute to their specificity and high biodiversity. Water inputs are frequent in marshes exploited for various socio-economic activities (reed harvesting, waterfowl hunting, cattle grazing, fishing, ecotourism). These human interventions are often necessary as wetlands are increasingly disconnected from their catchment area following reclamation and modification of land use. Yet, the contribution of rainfall vs. human intervention to marsh hydrology has rarely been assessed. We used long term monitoring data of water levels in 37 embanked marshes in the Camargue to build a hydrological model: human water inputs contribute to 45% of the marsh water supply and to a 4month increase of the flooded period per year on average. An interactive tool that simulates water levels according to climate data and water volumes according to management decisions has been developed to foster adaptation of wetland managers/users to global changes (http://www.Mar-O-Sel.net). It further allows one to visualize the effect of water management schemes on the evolution of surface and underground water salinity, common reed height and density, submerged macrophyte coverage and composition, as well as abundance/presence of breeding birds. Mitigation bank and payments for ecosystem services, a tool for conservation of Patagonian peatlands León, Carolina A1; Gisela oliván2; maría Puelles3; José maría Gabriel y Galán2 1 Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’ Higgins, Santiago Chile, [email protected]. 2 Departamento Biología Vegetal I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid-España, [email protected], [email protected]. 3 Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid-España, [email protected]. Peatlands play a key role in the conservation of biodiversity, regulation of water cycles, carbon storage, etc. These ecosystems provide important services to humans. Therefore, they are a high-interest natural capital which may be economically valued and commercialized within environmental markets as mitigation banks. In Chile, peatlands have given great weight due to the trading of Sphagnum moss. However, overharvesting has deeply degraded these ecosystems. This study aims to give a tool for management and conservation of peatlands in Chile, in order to counteract environmental impacts produced by extractive activities. For this, a review of models of ecosystem conservation was performed and a survey was conducted to Chilean and Spanish companies to assess the interest of these companies about the environmental market in Chile. Among the main results, an interest of companies to support initiatives related to the care of nature and a willingness to pay for conservation of areas of high ecological value such as peatlands is observed. We conclude that a conser- 82 International Conference Wetlands 2014 vation system based on the valuation of the ecosystem services and natural capital recovery, focused especially for enterprises, would be an alternative for the sustainable development of these ecosystems. Research funding: AECID A/025081/2009 and A/030011/2011, Cooperación-UCM 4138114, and Doctoral Fellowship CONICYT-Chile. The impact of ornithogenic inputs on P hydro-geochemistry in altered wetland environs in East Mediterranean Ecosystem Litaor, m. iggy 1 MIGAL research institute & Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee, Israel. Email: [email protected] Large flocks of Eurasian crane (> 47,000) have begun wintering in an altered wetland located in Northern Israel, a phenomenon that attracts more than 400,000 eco-tourists a year. A 100ha plot has been used to feed the cranes in order to protect nearby fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of this feeding practice on the P status of the wetland. We installed wells at two depths (40 & 90 cm) between two major waterways and monitored the hydraulic heads and conducted elemental analyses. We collected six soil cores and sediment samples from the waterways and conducted sequential P extraction. We found significant increase in groundwater soluble P (> 0.5 mg l-1) compared with lower concentrations (~0.06 mg l-1) in the period prior to the feeding. An increase in the labile P fraction was observed in soils and sediments compared with the period before the feeding. The P input by bird excrement to the feeding area was estimated around 700 kg P per season, while P removal by plant harvesting was estimated around 640 kg P yr-1. Hence, no significant accumulation of P was observed in the wetland despite the increase of wintering birds. Oxic-anoxic transitions constrain benthic metabolism in freshwater wetland in the Po river floodplain Longhi, daniele1; marco Bartoli1; daniele nizzoli1; Pierluigi Viaroli1 1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale G.P. Usberti 11/A – 43124 Parma (Italy) Monitoring and experiments were performed in one of the widest (81 ha) freshwater wetlands in the Po river floodplain (Natural Reserve “Paludi del Busatello”). Reed stands are widespread, while small pools and ponds with stagnant and shallow waters (<1 m) are colonized by floating leaved or submerged macrophytes. Here, sedimentary organic matter up to 30% and frequent anoxia, also in the water column, induce rapid alternation of oxidizing and reducing conditions in the surface sediment. These are typical features of the residual wetlands in the Po River floodplain which control sedimentary biogeochemical processes. In this study the effects of the transition from oxic to anoxic conditions on benthic metabolism are evaluated with core incubation experiments. Intact sediment cores were sampled on a seasonal basis from December 2003 to January 2005 and sediment-water fluxes of O2, DIC, CH4 and inorganic nutrients and denitrification rates were determined under oxic and anoxic conditions. Oxic-anoxic transitions always resulted in enhanced DIC and CH4 effluxes, and denitrification and nutrient regeneration rates. Methane release was strongly regulated by the availability of nitrate. International Conference Wetlands 2014 83 Distribution of net mercury methylation potentials in a tropical wetland: lateral connectivity of water bodies as a factor of variance in the waterscape context Lopes Lázaro, Wilkinson1; Carolina J. da silva1; Áurea r.A. ignácio1; sergi díez2; Jean r.d.Guimarães3 1 Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil [email protected] 2 Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain 3 Laboratório de Traçadores. Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, - IBCCF, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brasil Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most toxic form of mercury (Hg). Freshwater macrophyte roots are a main site of Hg methylation in different wetland environments in the word. The aim of this study was to test the use of connectivity metrics of water bodies, in the context of patches, in a tropical waterscape wetland (Guaporé river) as a predictor of potential net MeHg production by periphyton communities. We sampled 15 lakes with different patterns of lateral connectivity with the main river channel (directly connected, indirectly connected and temporarily disconnected), performing net mercury methylation potential tests in incubations with local water and E. crassipes rhizomes and periphyton complexes, using 203HgCl2 as a tracer. Water data were also collected (dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, DOM, POM and DOC). To get the landscape data (size and shape of the lakes, land use, lateral and longitudinal hidric distances of water bodies) we used GIS resources and field data. To test the variables and their relations we chose to use Generalized Additive Models (GAM). The net Me203Hg production (as % of total added 203Hg) was expressive (6.2-25.6%) showing that periphyton is an important matrix in MeHg production. The model that best explained the variation in the net Me203Hg production (76%) was built by the variables: connection type, total phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon in water (AICC=48.324, p=0.001). Connection type factor was the best factor to model fit (r²=0.32; p=0.008), and temporarily disconnected lakes had higher rates of net mercury methylation. Both DOC and total phosphorus showed significant covariation with the net methylation rates (r²=0.26; p=0.008 e r²=0.21; p<0.012 respectively). Our study suggests a strong relationship between the type of water body, in relation to hydrological connectivity within the waterscape, and rates of net MeHg production in this tropical area. Significance of the widespread occurrence of triterpenoid acetates in North Spain bogs from Asturias López-días, Veneranda1a; Ángeles G. Borrego1b; Carlos G. Blanco1c; Achim Bechtel2; Wilhelm Püttmann3 Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR-CSIC). Aptdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, University of Leoben, Peter Tunner Strasse 5, A-8700 Leoben, Austria, [email protected] 3 Institut für Atmosphäre und Umwelt -Umweltanalytik- J.W. Goethe-Universität. Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, [email protected] 1 Asturian peat bog profiles covering different time spams of the last 10000 cal. yr BP have been studied using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Compound-spe- 84 International Conference Wetlands 2014 cific isotope analysis (CSIA). The abundance of n-alkan-2-ones with medium to high molecular weight and heavier isotopic signature than the corresponding n-alkanes is a characteristic of these profiles. These compounds tended to accumulate in intervals with high concentration of n-C25 and n-C31, typically associated to Sphagnum with affinity for drier habitats. The predominance of triterpenoid acetyl derivatives of compounds with oleanane, ursane, lupane and hopane skeletons is a specific characteristic of these peats. Triterpenoid acetates tended to accumulate at certain depth in the profiles and in specific levels under particularly favourable conditions. The widespread occurrence of acetyl-derivatives, and the fact that they correspond to different compound families of diverse origin, rules out a specific organism source for the acetates, and point towards generalized environmental conditions affecting these peat profiles. The presence of triterpenoid acetates derivatives suggests the existence of a medium enriched in acetic acid, which could be produced by the dominance of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, inhibiting acetoclastic methanogenesis. This phenomenon that has been preferentially described in Sphagnum bogs at high latitudes, and in the deeper layers of peat, appears to be also present in the temperate peats of the Asturian coast. Runoff production and water content in soils of the Estaña Lakes Catchment (Huesca, NE Spain) López-Vicente, manuel1,*; Cristina Pérez-Bielsa2; Teresa López-montero1,3; Luis Javier Lambán2; Ana navas1 1 Erosion, and Soil and Water Evaluation Group, Department of Soil and Water, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (EEAD–CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059 – Zaragoza, Spain 2 Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME), Unidad de Zaragoza, C/ Manuel Lasala 44, 50006 – Zaragoza, Spain 3 Departamento de Infraestructura del transporte y del territorio, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Jordi Girona 1-3, Módulo B1 – 08034 Barcelona, Spain *Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected]; Tel.: +34 976 716161 Numerical modelling and quantification of runoff is a complex task due to the high number of processes involved, the non-linearity response of the soils and the marked spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the input values. In this study, we run the DR2-2013© SAGA v1.1 software (http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/93543) for a 69-month period (Ag’2007 – Ap’2013) to quantify the runoff production to the two main lakes of the Estaña Lakes Catchment (246 ha). The three lakes are called “Estanque de Arriba” (EA, 1.6 ha and 69 ha of contributing area), “Estanque Grande de Abajo” (EGA, 15.2 ha and 109 ha of contributing area) and “Estanque Pequeño de Abajo” (0.5 ha). This software is the second version of the DR22013 (Distributed Rainfall-Runoff) model and it was run using the triangular multiple flow algorithm without threshold value for linear flow. The average precipitation in this area was 457 mm (1994-2013; Canelles weather station). The runoff coefficients were 16.3%, 27.4% and 19.4% for the whole Estaña Lakes Catchment, and the EA and EGA lake catchments, whereas the coefficients of runoff production to the EA and EGA lakes were only 0.191% and 0.246%. The remaining volume of water, 83.7% from the total rainfall depth, was mainly infiltrated in the soil during the runoff events and in a minor way intercepted by canopy and infiltrated before soil saturation. International Conference Wetlands 2014 85 Soils diversity along a toposequence within intermittently flooded habitats in Gallocanta Lake, Spain Luna, estela1; Carmen Castañeda1; rafael rodríguez2 1 Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, EEAD-CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Lleida, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain, [email protected] Intermittent flooding is particularly striking in the eastern portion of Gallocanta Lake, where a mosaic of wet environments forms numerous habitats that host endemic species. Our objective was to characterize the soils in those habitats, particularly, their relationship to flooding and saline conditions. Four pedons, each within one of four CORINE habitats, were sampled along a linear transect: salt-pan (15.12), salt-marsh (15.54), non-saline grassland (15.57), and cropland (87.1). Groundwater salinity ranged from 4.9 dS m-1 to 87 dS m-1 and was slightly alkaline (pH = 7.6). Soil samples (n = 27) were collected from a maximum depth of 3.5 m. Soil salinity, measured as the electrical conductivity of saturated paste extracts, ranged from 0.4 dS m-1 to 60 dS m-1, and soil pH ranged from 7.5 to 8.7. Soils were strongly saline in the root zone (up to 51 dS m-1 in the upper 50 cm), except the cropland and grassland soils. The salt-marsh soil had the maximum organic matter content (3.1%). Calcium carbonate equivalent content ranged between 0.2% and 64%. Loam and sandy-loam soils formed calcium carbonate accumulations in the grassland soil, mostly as soft nodules (5-15 mm), and almost continuous centimeter cemented bands. Gypsum accumulated in the upper horizons (≤ 4%) and, occasionally, deeper (16%, > 2 m). Weathered siliciclastic, fine gravels with carbonate coatings were common in subsurface horizons at the lowest elevations. In the soil profile, the Mg/Ca ratio increased in subsurface horizons, and was highest (18.1) in the soils most frequently flooded. Soils in the toposequence included Calcic Aquisalid, Typic Aquisalid, Aquic Calcixeroll, and Typic Xerorthent. Variation in soil composition along the transect and throughout the soil profile reflected different edaphic and geomorphic processes that are associated with the fluctuations in the water level of Gallocanta Lake. Study of patterns of movement in Emys orbicularis and connectivity between ponds inside the PAVT magalhães, sónia1; José Teixeira2; Pedro segurado3 Faculty of sciences,Universty of Oporto-CIBIO-InBio, R. Padre Armado Quintas 4485-661Vairão Portugal, [email protected] 2 Faculty of sciences,Universty of Porto-CIIMAR, Rua dos Bragas,289 4050-123Oporto,Porto,Portugal 3 Agronomy Institute,Center of Forest Research, Tapada da Ajuda, P-1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal 1 The increasing fragmentation of habitat is a major consequence of human actions in the landscape and one of most relevant threats to biodiversity; thus, maintaining the connectivity between habitats is essential. The aim of this study is to create means to conserve Emys orbicularis, a turtle species occupying scarce habitat patches, which can only be done through the protection of their habitats. Ponds and wetlands provide shelter to many species and here is where Emys orbicularis finds its perfect habitat. Turtle movements among ponds have been widely reported and recognized as crucial for population’s persistence. In Northern Portugal, specifically in the extreme North of Boticas, some ponds exist with these animals. The area of study belongs to PAVT, Archaeological Park of Terva Valley. We use mark-recapture techniques to understand the composition of this population as well as spa- 86 International Conference Wetlands 2014 tial data, ArcGis, to create a spatial network structure to help decision-making in landscape management. At the end of this study we expect to have a network that explains the movement between patches and the efforts that these distances represent, as well as ecological corridors that allow the preservation of the species, as well as the maintenance of their ponds and linkages. Green infrastructure, a key of future watershed management mander, Ülo1,2; Julien Tournebize2; Bernard Vincent2 1 2 University of Tartu, Estonia National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment & Agriculture (Irstea), Antony, France Due to global warming, severe changes in hydrological regime of catchments are forecasted with different impacts in different regions of Europe. Together with increasing anthropogenic pressure (intensive land use, fertilization, and pesticides use), global-warming-driven changes in hydrological regimes will significantly alter the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in agricultural landscapes, creating potential threats to the quality of groundwater. Agriculture and food processing, the combustion of fossil fuels, and other human activities have altered the cycle of N substantially, generally increasing both the availability and the mobility of N over large regions of Earth. As one of the key characteristics of these alterations, the availability of reactive nitrogen in the environment has greatly increased, considerably changing the N cycle locally, regionally and globally. On the other hand, due to intensive agriculture and erosion processes, soil carbon losses worldwide are significantly increasing. This all reflects in worsening of water resources quality and quantity. Through watershed (catchment) planning and ecological engineering measures, an optimal pattern of green infrastructure of buffering ecosystems (artificial wetlands and riparian buffer zones) may be created. In combination with carefully planned agrotechnology, this green infrastructure will help stakeholders to mitigate alterations in C and N cycling, i.e. minimizing N leaching and runoff, maximizing C sequestration, and minimizing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in landscapes. Simultaneously, the multifunctionality of the green infrastructure and the better use of all ecosystem services (provisioning – biomass production, regulating – water quality and GHG, habitat improvement and cultural services) will help landscapes to better adapt to climate change. Several examples on design, performance and management of artificial wetlands and riparian buffer zones from agricultural regions in Europe will be presented. Governance and management for ecological sustainability? avian predation on waders. manton, michael1; Per Angelstam2; Per milberg3 Forest-Landscape-Society Research Network, School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 739 21 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden, [email protected], 2 [email protected] 1 3 IFM Biology, Conservation Ecology Group, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden, [email protected] This presentation explores how the governance and management of wet meadows influences waders. Predation on nests and young is proposed as one contributor to the decline of breeding wader in Europe. We explored this hypothesis by comparing landscapes with different wader population trends and management status in Southern Sweden and Eastern Europe. Specifically, we explored three predictions linked to the predation of waders; (1) the relative International Conference Wetlands 2014 87 abundance of avian predators and waders at patch level, (2) the avian predator abundance at the landscape scale, and (3) the predation rate on artificial wader nests, should all be higher in declining vs. stable populations. All predictions were supported. Nevertheless, predation may not be the ultimate factor causing wader population declines with the cumulative effects of landscape change linked to increased food resources for predators, reduced wet meadow patch size and quality. We argue in favour of holistic analyses of social-ecological systems at multiple scales and landscapes, including processes such as predation, other factors affecting waders, and how governance and management can be improved. Additionally, different approaches to landscape governance and management need to be examined to understand if and how wader populations can be managed and sustained for future generations. Bio-physical data retrieval in the Doñana wetland from SAR satellite imagery martí-Cardona, Belén1; Josep dolz ripollés1; Carlos López-martínez2 1 Institut Flumen, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)–CIMNE; Jordi Girona 1 D1-208, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; [email protected] 2 Remote Sensing Lab., Dept. of Signal Processing and Communications, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC); Jordi Girona 1 D3-208, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; [email protected] The Doñana National Park wetland, in southwest Spain, undergoes annual cycles of inundation and helophyte vegetation growth. Waterfowl in Doñana depends on the extent and duration of flooding, and on the development of helophyte meadows for successful breeding. Between 2006 and 2010 the Institut Flumen analyzed over 100 satellite images of Doñana acquired by the radar sensor Envisat/ASAR. This analysis enabled to monitor the flood extent with a high temporal frequency, not impeded by the presence of clouds. The large influence of the wind drag action over the wetland hydrodynamics was corroborated. Images acquired before and after rainfall events provided synoptic observations of the precipitation effects over the flooded area. The spatial reach of the Guadalquivir River tidal inflows into Doñana was clearly observed on the ASAR scenes when the marshes were dry.Temporal backscattering signatures showed great sensitivity of the ASAR data to the Doñana’s helophytes phenological stage, pointing to the possibility to map biomass from the satellite images. Recently acquired Radarsat-2 data over Doñana, with increased polarimetric and resolution capabilities compared to those of the ASAR sensor, have shown enhanced sensitivity to the structure of plant communities and to the presence of flooding under the vegetation canopy. Integrated management of three constructed wetlands in compliance with the water framework, birds and habitats Directives: the LIFE+12 ALBUFERA project martín, miguel1; William Colom2; mario Giménez3; Antonio Guillem4; fernando Juan5; mª del Carmen regidor6. Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] 2 Acció Ecologista-Agró. c/ Portal de Valldigna, 15, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] 3 SEO/BirdLife, c/ Tavernes Blanques 29, Alboraia, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] 4 Fundación Global Nature, c/ Juan Ramón Jiménez 38, Valencia, Spain. [email protected]. 1 88 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterráneas (ACUAMED, Pasaje Doctor Serra, 2, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar (CHJ), Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 48, Valencia, Spain. MariadelCarmen. [email protected]. 5 6 Water bodies in Natura2000 (RN 2000) areas must be managed to allow compliance with the ecological objectives set in the Water Framework Directive (WFD), together with the conservation objectives for Special Protection Areas for Birds and Sites of Community Importance. In the Albufera in Valencia, a wetland of high ecological value, measures have been implemented to try to comply with the WFD, by focusing on aspects of water quality improvement. But just one of these measures –the creation of constructed wetlands (CWs) - might as well help to directly improve the status of habitats and bird conservation. Since 2009 a total of 89 ha of rice fields located at the border of the lake l’Albufera have been restored to recreate the wetlands lost long time ago. The CW Tancat de la Pipa, (40 ha), the CW Tancat de Milia (33 ha) and the CW Tancat de l’Illa (16 ha) are a combination of free water surface constructed wetlands (FWSCWs) with horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands (HSFs) and shallow lagoons. The main objectives of the project are establishing the most adequate management rules in constructed wetlands in order to jointly optimise water quality and habitat and biodiversity improvement; establishing a methodology to determine good status indicators for bird conservation to apply in other RN 2000 wetlands; and providing recommendations addressed to the administrations to set a basis in the development of management plans for RN 2000 areas and hydrological management plans. EU Life CREAMAgua: Restoring wetlands for water quality and biodiversity improvements in irrigated agricultural territories masip, Adriá1; francisco A. Comín2; Victor Guirado3; Javier rodriguez4; Alfonso Calvo5; francisca Gallego6; ricardo sorando2; Gema Cacho7; Ana Loriente8; nadia darwiche2; mercedes García2; silvia Gutiérrez2; Alberto Barcos2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Parque Científico-Tecnológico Aula Dei Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC KV Consulting Tragsa Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro Comarca de Los Monegros Institut for the Studies and Research of Comarca de Los Monegros Foundation for Promoting Youth and Sports in Comarca de Los Monegros. Sixteen in-stream and five off-stream wetlands were restored just facilitating water retention by diking to improve the quality of the water outflowing irrigated agricultural fields in the Flumen river watershed (NE Spain). For two years after restoration, no differences of nitrate retention were observed between in – and off-stream wetlands. Increased NO3 retention during the irrigation period, particularly for some in-stream wetlands which reached up to 96% of the nitrate inputs, took place in relation with the hydraulic loading rate. Biodiversity improvement is observed in planted riparian forests. Biodiversity in restored wetlands didn´t show a clear trend. CREAMAgua is successful with respect to dissemination at local, regional and international scales, and also with educational actions. Inappropriate planning delayed restoration works early in the project, but the technical objectives of the project are being achieved International Conference Wetlands 2014 89 clearly at the late phase of the project. The development of this project was clearly favored by the Life label which created an acceptable perception by the local population. However, some rigid project verification processes caused confusion with respect to the development of different actions. Also the period of duration of the projects (4 years for most of the projects) may be short for projects involving restoration of complex ecosystems. Improving riparian woodland restoration with case-by-case performance modeling based on groundwater distance masip A.1; Gonzalez e.2,3,4; Castellano C.1; Jaime r.1; Comín f.A.1 1 2 3 4 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, Spanish National Research Council. 50080 Zaragoza, Spain Université de Toulouse; INP, UPS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver. Denver, CO 80209 USA CNRS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France Riparian forests are one of the most threatened habitats in Europe, mainly because of the extensive use of floodplains by traditional agriculture due to the high value of the riverbanks for crop growing. This let the present riparian areas to be unable to achieve most of the ecological functions expected as flood control, energy dissipation, carbon sequestration, habitat creation, water temperature regulation and many more. One of the biggest efforts concerning riparian restoration that has been done in the past decades is reforestation, in an attempt to recover part of the functionality of this ecosystem. Nevertheless long term survival has proven to be generally low or even extremely low (less than 10%) in some cases. The different performance of riparian species is mainly driven by its dependence on the groundwater, so the vertical distance of the final plantation point is of great importance for survival improving of the plantation. Here a model for phreatophyte woody species development is presented, based on the performance of each species at given distance to the groundwater. Field data is used to generate Markov chains probabilities linked to the vital status of each individual plant. R language is used to create a function that performs the calculations needed for the iterations; this allows the researcher and the manager to evaluate the performance of the different species directly and also to contribute to the work-in-progress development of a greater complexity model. Development of a theory for biodiversity offset policy based on the US experience of wetland mitigation policy masuda, yosuke1 1 Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA, [email protected] Biodiversity offset system recently has got attention as a policy tool to balance economic development and biodiversity conservation, and many countries and regions introduced or are trying to introduce this system. To help policy developers and implementers, many researchers are trying to develop conceptual frameworks and practical guidelines for biodiversity offset policy. These frameworks and guidelines, however, do not include the chronological change of the policy. This research tries to develop a hypothetical theory which explains how biodiversity offset policy changes overtime. To develop this theory, this study 90 International Conference Wetlands 2014 analyses chronological changes of and interrelationships between problems and approaches of wetland mitigation policy in the US, which has the longest history among biodiversity offset policy in the world. The hypothetical theory developed in this research shows that the chronological change of policy approaches from the ecological focus (effectiveness) to the administrative focus (efficiency) and the administrative focus (efficiency) to the community focus (equity). The theory also demonstrates that the approach for one problem interrelates to the other problem. This research is the first step to develop a theory explaining chronological changes of biodiversity offset. Additionally, this research provides the framework to understand and analyse the US wetland mitigation policy. Weak correlation in diversity and community composition among multiple taxonomic groups: a failure of surrogate idea in Central European ponds matúšová, Zuzana1; marek svitok1; richard Hrivnák2; Ladislav Hamerlík3; michal Hlávek1; Judita Kochjarová4; milan novikmec1; Jozef oboňa5; Helena oťaheľová2; Peter PaľoveBalang6; Barbora reduciendo Klementová1; radovan stupák1; Andrea Zapriháčová1 1 Department of Biology and General Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-96053 Zvolen, Slovakia, [email protected] 2 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] 3 Department of Biology and Ecology, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, [email protected] 4 Botanical Garden–detached unit, Comenius University, Blatnica 315, SK-03815 Blatnica, Slovakia, [email protected] 5 Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences, University of Presov in Presov, Ul. 17 novembra č. 1, SK-081 16 Prešov, Slovakia, [email protected] 6 Institute of Biological and Ecological Sciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Mánesova 23, SK-040 01 Košice, Slovakia, [email protected] In conservation biology, surrogate taxa are used as a shortcut to monitor and predict biodiversity and to solve other conservation problems. Biodiversity indicators are surrogates that could be used for predicting variation in the biodiversity of other taxonomic groups. Here we investigate efficiency of biodiversity indicator taxa and cross-taxon congruence in species richness and assemblage composition patterns in small standing waters of Central Europe. Under the project BIOPOND (www.biopond.sk), we gathered material on multiple groups of invertebrates and aquatic plants from 94 ponds scattered across Slovakia. In general, weak correlations in species richness and assemblage composition among groups emerged. Species richness of submerged macrophytes appeared as the best predictor of total species richness. However, this model showed relatively low predictive power (cross-validated root mean square error ~ 6 species). We focused more closely on the relationship between dragonflies and aquatic macrophytes as popular flagship groups. Neither presence nor richness of those groups were significantly related regardless of using red-list species or all species in the analyses. Surrogate species approach does not appear to be particularly relevant for biodiversity prediction and conservation in Central European ponds. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-0059-11. International Conference Wetlands 2014 91 Botanical response to restoration in degraded rich fens menichino, nina1; Laurence Jones2; Christopher evans2; Peter Jones3; Janine Guest3; Andrew Pullin1; nathalie fenner1 1 Bangor University, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor, U.K. LL57 2UW, U.K, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre, Wales, Bangor, U.K. LL57 2UW, [email protected], [email protected] 3 Natural Resources Wales, Bangor, U.K. Maes y Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, U.K. LL57 2DW, [email protected] Globally important UK fens are in poor condition; this is principally due to abandonment (cessation of mowing and grazing). Dereliction causes reduced species richness and threatens ecosystem services, as ecosystem function is partially reliant on biodiversity. In order to halt further succession, restoration intervention (machine mowing and hand cutting) was adopted to study botanical response. Management reintroduction was evaluated over three sites, on the rich fens of Anglesey, North-west Wales. Two plant communities were chosen due to their rarity and degraded condition and in 2011 a baseline vegetation survey was undertaken. A one-off mowing event took place in the autumn/winter of 2011/2012 followed by two more annual surveys. Results show a significant increase in bare ground, between the un-mown and mown, calcareous (0.2%, 16.2%) and alkaline (8.88%, 17.78%) plant communities, which has enhanced conditions for target species colonisation. This is evident in the calcareous plant community, which exhibited a 50% increase in species richness, driven by a 79% increase in herbs and 33%, 28% decrease in sub-shrub and graminoid cover respectively, compared to the control in 2013. Annual mowing in alkaline fens and a three year rotation for calcareous fens is needed to increase species richness and maintain ecosystem function. Mining impacts on manmade ponds located in reclaimed opencast coal mines miguel-Chinchilla, Leticia1*; dani Boix2; stéphanie Gascón2; eduardo González3,4,5; francisco A. Comín1 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología CSIC, Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17071 Spain 3 Université de Toulouse; INP, UPS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France 4 CNRS; EcoLab; 31062 Toulouse, France 5 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver. Denver, CO 80209 USA * e-mail: [email protected] 1 2 The study of the impacts of opencast coal mining on water and aquatic ecosystems have usually focused on the downstream effects. However, it is also important to evaluate the mining effects on water bodies located within the mining areas over the time. How intense is metal pollution? How is the macroinvertebrate community being affected? Ultimately, are mining reclamations effective from the perspective of on-site water bodies? To answer these questions we sampled the macroinvertebrate community, the water and the sediment of 19 manmade ponds of different ages since its construction (from 1 to 22 years) located at reclaimed opencast coal mines in northeastern Spain. To evaluate the degree of mining pollution, we compared these data to those from a pit-lake created in a local un-reclaimed mine, as well as reference toxicity levels in aquatic organisms found in the literature. The runoff ponds showed toxic concentrations of Al, Cu and Ni in the water and As and Ni in the sediment, which were maintained over the time represented by the chronosequence. There was a weak increase of macroinvertebrate community complexity, but no successional 92 International Conference Wetlands 2014 phases were detected and diversity was low. The pit-lake showed higher metal concentrations than the manmade ponds and no aquatic macroinvertebrates were found. Overall, this study suggests that the isolated manmade ponds constructed in the reclaimed opencast coal mines are a limiting environment to the development of the aquatic community. But also reveals the importance of mine reclamation for the development of functional ecosystems. Phytoplankton and benthic diatom diversity in urban stormwater ponds compared to natural shallow lakes minelgaite, Greta*; Asbjørn Haaning nielsen; morten Lauge Pedersen; diana Agnete stephansen; Jes Vollertsen Aalborg University, Department of Civil Engineering, Sohngaardsholmsvej 57, DK-9000, * [email protected] Stormwater ponds are constructed in urban areas as one of the means to protect surrounding terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems from elevated loads of pollutants. Such ponds act as a sink for certain hazardous substances received with the runoff from impermeable surfaces. Therefore, a significant amount of contaminants are retained both in the water column and sediments of such ponds. Despite that, stormwater ponds also become habitats for various species of fauna and flora. However, these ecosystems have not received much attention, for example in terms of the degree to which organisms are inhibited by elevated loads of contaminants. As algae form the basis of aquatic ecosystems, they become a relevant object to investigate in order to later describe the relationships among them, higher organisms and processes present in the ecosystem as a whole. This study aims to describe and compare the composition of phytoplankton and benthic diatom communities in three selected urban stormwater ponds and three natural shallow lakes. Water and sediment samples are collected at 5 spots in each lake and pond. Samples for phytoplankton identification are taken 20 cm below the water surface, mixed and preserved. Sediment samples are collected using sediment cores at a water depth of about 50 cm. The top 1 cm of sediment is extracted, mixed with the other core samples from that location and preserved for later sample treatment and species identification. A number of factors, such as e. g., chemical water composition, weather conditions, location or light availability influence the formation and composition of algae communities in a certain water body. In this study, samples are taken close in time and under comparable conditions. The study will hence lead to initial observations on whether there are differences in phytoplankton and benthic diatom diversity between natural shallow lakes and stormwater ponds receiving urban runoff. Reagritech LIFE11 ENV/ES/579. Constructed wetlands for diffuse pollution control of agricultural runoff morató, Jordi1; Lorena Aguilar1; Ángel Gallegos1; Carlos Arias2; Patricia Caro3; santiago sahuquillo3; Carlos Pérez4 UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, TR1, EET, 08222, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. jordi.morató@[email protected] - [email protected] 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Ole Worms All´e, Building 135, 8000, Arhus C., Denmark. [email protected] 3 Grupo TYPSA, C. Roselló i Porcel 21, 3ª A, 08016, Barcelona, Spain. [email protected] - [email protected] 4 LEITAT Technological Center, C. de la Innovació 2, 08225, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. [email protected]. 1 In recent decades, the agricultural practices have increased their performance through intensification of production methods. The most significant impacts are water consumption International Conference Wetlands 2014 93 and increased load of nutrients in aquifers. Between 50 and 80% of nitrogen in water is contributed by nitrogen fertilizers from agriculture runoff. This pollution has produced a sharp increase of nitrate vulnerable zones. To minimize these impacts, a constructed wetland system was designed to treat the agricultural runoff. In order to decrease the diffuse pollution from nitrate fertilizers, a 100% of the effluent will be recirculated in the wetland and reused for crop irrigation. The biological sizing of the constructed wetland was done with the PKC* method. The system will be built in the 2014 summer and the first results will be obtained during the fall. The design objective is to obtain effluents with a 95% reduction of the organic pollution (BOD5), and a decrease of 50 % in the nitrogen content. The use of constructed wetlands with a 100% recirculation of the effluent, is effective for diffuse pollution control of runoff, in order to be reused for crop irrigation and, at the same time, to reduce the agricultural water consumption. Mangrove plantation and breakwater systems for shoreline protection: Long-term assessment of the mangrove rehabilitation project at Sungai Haji Dorani, Malaysia motamedi, shervin1; roslan Hashim2; song Ki-iL3 1 2 3 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Malaya, Malaysia, [email protected] Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, Malaysia, [email protected] Department of Civil Engineering, University of INHA, South Korea Republic, [email protected] Shorelines routinely experience enormous brutality of nature. Nearly one-third of the world’s population resides in coastal areas, and, as the sea level continues to rise, protecting shorelines has become essential. The conventional approach for protecting shorelines would be to use “Hard Structures” such as dikes, revetments, and breakwaters. However, the introduction of artificial measures might remarkably damage the coastline ecologies. This paper presents an approach that combines “Soft Intervention” with “Hard Structures” for coastal protection. Hard engineering measures together with ecological development involving the cultivation of mangrove plantations were implemented to assess their contributions to shoreline protection. Further, a review of the trends in Malaysian coastal protection since 1950 is presented. An example of the implementation of eco-engineering technologies at Sungai Haji Dorani (SHD), Selangor, Malaysia, is discussed through post-assessment methods with regard to sedimentological stratum, mangrove establishment, cross-section profile, and cost estimation. Finally, we discuss the extent to which the mangrove replantation project was successful. The beach at SHD is muddy and flat and was found to be biologically suitable for future replantation of mangroves. Monitoring network and preliminary results to investigate Andalusian wetlands associated with evaporitic karst aquifers mudarra-martínez, matías1; Bartolomé Andreo-navarro1; Luis Linares Girela2; francisco Carrasco Cantos1 Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga (CEHIUMA), Malaga, 29071, Spain. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Academy of Science of Malaga. [email protected] 1 2 The hydrogeological characterization of aquifers related to evaporitic rocks and associated wetlands is a fundamental aspect to know the origin and functioning of these areas, to im- 94 International Conference Wetlands 2014 prove their management, as well as to propose measures of restoration and water protection. In Andalusia (southern Spain), a wide extension of terrain constituted fundamentally by clays and evaporite rocks (gypsum and salt) exists. All these materials, termed Chaotic Subbetic Complexes (CSC) constitute an aquifer by dissolution/karstification processes, which together collapse and subsidence phenomena, sinkholes and surface depressions, are favorable places for wetlands formation. Wetlands and springs placed at lower altitudes are associated with large (regional) groundwater flows, of greater residence time within the aquifer, and they normally drain high salinity waters. Wetlands located in these contexts turn into discharge places of groundwater (discharge wetlands), where the period of seasonal flood is generally prolonged or even permanent. If phreatic groundwater level remains below the bottom of wetlands, this constitutes a recharge component in the water balance of the aquifer (recharge wetlands); they are generally ephemeral and with low salinity water. Finally, wetland areas located in an intermediate position between recharge and discharge zones (transit wetlands) do not constitute the last destination of groundwater flows, but rather those go towards other wetlands and springs situated at lower altitudes. We present preliminary results of a monitoring network established to characterize the functional geological-hydrogeological context of wetlands and saline springs existing in the Andalusian evaporitic karst aquifers. With these aims, three main pilot sites have been selected, distributed in different sectors of CSC. In each of them, a climatic control of the wetlands is performed by means of meteorological automatic stations (hourly record), equipped with evaporimeter tank. In thçe most representative wetlands of each pilot site, data logger devices with hourly record have been installed in order to control water level variations. Likewise, the most relevant springs of each sector have been monitored with data logger devices, providing an hourly record of discharge, water temperature and electrical conductivity. In several springs, it has been necessary to adapt gauging stations equipped with V-notch weir for an accurate measuring of outflows. Other endorheic areas and water points (minor springs and wells) located in the CSC are regularly monitored (discontinuous measurements). Water samples are being taken in all points (springs and wetlands) for subsequent chemical analysis in the laboratory. Biogeochemical cycles in salt marshes from the Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina): an overview negrin, Vanesa L.(a,b); sandra e. Botté(a,b) ; Paula d. Pratolongo(a,b) ; Gabriela González Trilla Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO, CONICET, CCT-Bahía Blanca), Camino La Carrindanga km 7,5, Edificio E-1 CC 804, (8000) Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (c )(a) Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), San Juan 670,(8000) Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (d) Laboratorio de Ecología, Teledetección y Eco-Informática, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Ambiental (3iA), (1650) San Martín , Argentina (b) Salt marshes are recognized worldwide for their key role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements. The Bahia Blanca estuary (Argentina) is a mesotidal system subjected to a unique combination of large interanual climatic variations and a transgressive rising sea level during the Holocene. This estuary holds the largest system of deep water ports in Argentina and is surrounded by cities and industries. Salt marshes are well-developed. We offer an insight on the biogeochemical cycles of heavy metals and nutrients in salt marshes based on the International Conference Wetlands 2014 95 research which is being carrying out since 2000. The main halophytic species in the area, Spartina alterniflora and Sarcocornia perennis, accumulate some heavy metals in their tissues, but the former shows a higher allocation of them in belowground biomass and the later in aboveground biomass. Both species are modifiers of the distribution of inorganic nutrients in porewater, although tidal flooding is also a significant factor. Even though primary productivity is low, decomposition rates, especially from S.perennis, suggest an adequate recycling of elements through their tissues. Observed patterns are being altered due to changes in land cover, through S.perennis erosion and S.alterniflora expansion. Ongoing research will shed light of the complex patterns in this dynamic ecosystem. Chemistry of water and soil in Central European ponds: relationship with land use and morphology novikmec, milan1; marek svitok1; dušan Kočický2; Ladislav Hamerlík3; richard Hrivnák4; Judita Kochjarová5; Helena oťaheľová4; Peter Paľove-Balang6 1 Department of Biology and General Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-96053 Zvolen, Slovakia, [email protected] 2 ESPRIT, Ltd., Pletiarska 2, PO BOX 27, SK–969 27 Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Biology and Ecology, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, [email protected] 4 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] 5 Botanical Garden – detached unit, Comenius University, Blatnica 315, SK-03815Blatnica, Slovakia, [email protected] 6Institute of Biological and Ecological Sciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Mánesova 23, SK-040 01 Košice, Slovakia, [email protected] Ponds, unlike large water bodies, are known to have small catchments. As a consequence, physicochemical attributes of ponds are thought to reflect primarily local conditions (geological, hydrological and microclimatic, vegetation, anthropic influence, etc.). For better understanding the relationship between water and soil chemistry of ponds and characteristics of their catchments, we sampled almost 100 ponds in Slovakia (Central Europe). The studied ponds were located from lowland to mountain zones across the complex gradient of different geographical and ecological conditions. Detailed characteristics of soil and water chemistry were analysed in relation to data on ponds morphology and GIS-derived data on catchment size and land use. We tested a widely cited assumption that catchment size increases in parallel with increasing pond size. We also assessed the relationships between water and soil chemistry and the proportion of land-use categories (e.g. agricultural land, forests, meadows, urban and industrial areas) in their catchments. Relationship between pond size and catchment area was found to be weak, meaning that small ponds do not necessary drain small catchments and vice versa. Water and soil chemistry of studied ponds was found to be related to the catchment land use and pond area. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-0059-11. 96 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Promoting biodiversity in urban ponds: identification of the major determinants of species richness and implications for pond management oertli, Beat1; demierre eliane2; ilg Christiane3 1 2 hepia, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, [email protected] [email protected], [email protected] Urban ponds are often characterised by a low biodiversity, hosting mainly generalist species. An appropriate management can nevertheless optimize the biodiversity and promote for example flagship groups as dragonflies or amphibians. Here we aimed at identifying the main parameters explaining the species richness of contrasted taxonomic groups (aquatic plants, dragonflies, aquatic beetles, molluscs, amphibians) in about hundred ponds of a large European city (Geneva, Switzerland). At pond scale, richness of most taxonomic groups was positively correlated with the surface area, the pond naturalness (i.e. vegetated shoreline), the coverage of the water surface by vegetation, and the naturalness of the substrate. Fish and waterfowl occurrence, a disturbance frequent in urban ponds, led to a decrease in species richness. Sealed areas (e.g. roads, buildings) located in the surroundings of the ponds also negatively influenced richness of all taxonomic groups. Based on our results, we produced an “Urban Pond Management Guide” providing recommendations for pond creation and management in cities. As an example, a new urban pond should be large and located in a “green” environment in order to host potentially a high biodiversity. Further, diverse aquatic vegetation structures should be favoured and the development of fish and waterfowl population restricted. Influence of operational parameters on nutrients removal in surface-flow constructed wetlands treating eutrophicated water. Experience in L’Albufera de Valencia Lake oliver, núria; miguel martín; sara Gargallo; Carmen Hernández-Crespo. Instituto Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Cno. de Vera s/n. Valencia. Spain. [email protected] Operational parameters influences on nutrient removal were evaluated from April 2009 to October 2012 in a surface-flow constructed wetland (CW) treating eutrophicated water from Lake L’Albufera de Valencia (Valencia, Spain). This CW received among 0.014 and 0.160 m d1 of water with significant seasonally variable concentration of N and P species. Inflow nitrogen was mostly dissolved inorganic nitrogen [DIN] (61% of TN), and more concretely nitrates (76% of DIN). On the contrary, phosphorus was mainly in particulate form (77% of TP). The main mechanism for nitrogen removal was nitrification-denitrification and for phosphorus it was sedimentation. Average removal rates (mean±SD) were 58.23±53.98 gN m-2yr1 for TN, 8.68±22.15 gN m-2yr-1 for NH4+, 38.36±38.85 gN m-2yr-1 for NO3-, 6.96±8.30 gP m-2yr-1 for TP and 2.87±6.95 gP m-2yr-1 for PO43-. The mass efficiency was 47% for TN, 57% for NH4+, 62% for NO3-, 54% for TP and 71% for PO43-. Nitrogen and phosphorus removal were seasonally dependent, with greater nitrogen removal rates and efficiencies in spring and higher phosphorus removal rates and efficiencies in autumn. It was mainly due to different inflow concentration and dissolved oxygen concentration in the wetland among seasons, rather than temperature. Phosphorus removal efficiency increased with increasing HLR up to 32 m yr-1. In contrast, HLR did not affect nitrogen removal. Other external factors such as vegetation cover, presence of birds or drying of the CW also had influence in removal rates. International Conference Wetlands 2014 97 Ecological requirements of Tanymastix stagnalis (L., 1758) (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in a comparative framework: the case of Malladasde El Saler (Valencia, Spain) olmo, Carla; deborah fandos; Xavier Armengol; raquel ortells Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva. Universitat de València. Valencia Spain, [email protected] Knowledge on the ecological requirements of a species is essential to determine its distribution at a local or regional scale which should provide invaluable information allowing for the development of appropriate conservation management policies. Malladas de El Saler is a mosaic of peridunal ponds in the Mediterranean region with a stepwise restoration during the past 20 years. Studies in the area have shown that the only anostracan present, T. stagnalis, is restricted to one, or very few ponds. It is not clear why it has not become established in more of the similar and, apparently suitable, temporary water bodies. Understanding the most important ecological parameters constraining the presence of this species is the main objective of the present work. Aiming at testing two contrasting hypothesis (limited dispersal vs. habitat unsuitability), we combined field observations and laboratory experiments to determine the ecological requirements of this large branchiopod and the possibility of future establishment in nearby ponds. First, we compare the typical habitat of T. stagnalis to two more ponds in the vicinity. Second, we used translocation experiments with eggs and adult individuals in small mesocosms in the lab to measure life span and egg production. Our results suggest that conductivity is a key factor explaining the presence of T. stagnalis. In the field the species is restricted to low conductivity levels, and in the lab, fertility and hatchability are limited when conductivity increases. This explains the absence in one of the tested ponds but not in the other. We discuss possible explanations for these results and suggest several measures in order to contribute to the species establishment in the area. Should I stay or should I go? Hatching decisions under high population densities ortells, raquel; manuel serra; maria José Carmona Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i biología Evolutiva. Universitat de València. Valencia Spain, [email protected] Diapause is an adaptation to escape unfavorable environmental conditions and disperse in space and time. Entering and terminating diapause are thus important life history switch points, whose timing affects fitness. A selective advantage in the ability of diapausing stages to respond to signals indicating likely adverse or favorable conditions is expectable. Delayed hatching decisions must be suitably hedged against the costs that arise from staying dormant in the sediment. However in unpredictable environments such as temporary Mediterranean ponds, this decision is not straightforward because environmental cues may be misleading. Alternatively, some organisms such as cyclically parthenogenetic rotifers use biotic cues for switching phases in the life cycle. In the genus Brachionus, the induction of sexual diapausing egg production is induced by a chemical signal produced by the rotifers themselves, which accumulates in the environment during crowding. We tested whether rotifer diapausing eggs from two sympatric species can also detect these infochemicals from the presence of conspecific and co-generic high population densities and if that affects diapausing eggs hatching strategies. Using a random block design, we isolated diapausing eggs from B. plicatilis and B. 98 International Conference Wetlands 2014 manjavacas in three treatments: 1) filtered medium from a crowded culture of conspecifics, 2) filtered medium from a crowded culture of congenerics and 3) filtered algal food medium acting as control. Results showed that at least one species could assess environmental quality by sensing infochemicals during dormancy, and adjust hatching strategies accordingly. B. plicatilis preferred overcrowding conditions to mortality hazards in the sediment. This suggests an adaptation to unpredictable environments in arid regions, where rainfall is scarce and the probability of having consecutive good years is smaller than the probability of burying in the sediment and deteriorate. Pond with life-an environmental education campaign for pond conservation and pedagogical exploration in Portugal Palhas, Jael1; Armando Alves2; eunice sousa3; José Teixeira4 1 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal, [email protected] 2 [email protected] 3 [email protected] 4 [email protected] “Ponds with Life” (“Charcos com Vida”) is a pond conservation and environmental education campaign. This project encourages the inventory, adoption, construction, conservation and pedagogical exploration of ponds. It also aims to contribute to public awareness about these important and threatened habitats, and the contact and exploration of its biodiversity. In this communication we resume the results of almost 4 years of the project. From November 2010 to mid-June 2014 the project had 1740 ponds recorded in the Pond Inventory, 191 participating entities and 40 adopted ponds. The project expanded to Spain with the collaboration of ADEGA, which is coordinating the campaign in Galicia and developed new ways to work with the schools and general public. The project is in constant evolution, and several challenges involve the capacity of finding long-term funding programs and evaluating the project accomplishment to design more effective ways to communicate Ponds in future. The project communication effectiveness is being evaluated through queries to different target public and in this presentation we’ll also discuss some preliminary results. Water purification from nitrogen as an ecosystem service from a constructed surface flow wetland treating agricultural drainage water Pappalardo, salvatore 1; maurizio Borin1 University of Padova, DAFNAE – Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment – Agripolis Campus, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16 – 35020 Legnaro (PD) Italy, [email protected] 1 The framework of ecosystem services embodies, at present time, a powerful tool both to ecologically-economically assess values of agro-ecosystems and to concretely convey operativeapplicative models for a more sustainable rural development. Among all, an essential ecosystem service is water purification, mostly provided by natural and semi-natural wetlands International Conference Wetlands 2014 99 at multiple scales. In fact, even if wetland systems play a crucial role in supplying all of ecosystem services, the efficiency in nutrient and sediment retention, and water purification, so that they can trap and retain 80 to 90% of sediment from runoff and eliminate 70 to 90% of entering nitrogen (N). The natural ability of wetlands to trap nutrients is also well mimed by constructed wetlands which may assume even more importance, at territory scale, in treating agricultural drainage water, by reducing N load and protecting surface and ground water. The aim of this work is to evaluate a long term field experiment of a 0.32 ha constructed surface flow wetland, vegetated with Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. and Typha latifolia (L.), in abating diffuse N contamination from a 6 ha of intensive cropping system (12 plots), located in NE of Italy. The analysis is based on a in an ongoing experiment (1998), structured on a factorial combination of two farmland drainage systems (conventional and controlled drainage) and two management criteria (surface by ditches and subsurface by plastic pipes) with three replicates. Preliminary results confirm again relevant abating both N-NO3 and total N with an apparent removal efficiency of about 90%. The major quantity of removed N seems to be stored in vegetation and soil; on contrast only 6% was estimated as being lost by denitrification processes. These agricultural constructed wetlands may also provide several ancillary regulating ecosystems services such as phosphorus and sediment retention, but also enhance biodiversity and landscape values. Functional diversity of macrophytes in kettle hole types Pätzig, marlene1; Thomas Kalettka2 1 Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Institute of Landscape Hydrology, Eberswalder Str. 84, D15374 Müncheberg, Germany, [email protected], [email protected] Kettle holes are hotspots of biodiversity in the preferably agricultural used young moraine landscape of North-East Germany. These small pond-like depressional wetlands are highly variable ecosystems, mainly due to their diverse hydrogeomorphic characteristics, which in turn leads to a diverse macrophyte occurrence. The characteristics of kettle holes have been independently classified into both, hydrogeomorphic (HGM) types and succession (SUC) types of dominant vegetation. So far, there are neither studies which addressed the distribution of succession types within HGM-types nor about the macrophyte assemblages in succession types. Our study was based on 144 kettle holes of a large dataset from the federal state of Brandenburg including 9 HGM-types and 9 SUC-types. Functional diversity of macrophytes was determined on the basis of plant life- and -growth forms. Frequency distribution showed significant dependency of succession types on hydrogeomorphic types of kettle holes. Although, we found no differences in taxa- and growth form richness, significant differences were obtained for species composition and composition of growth forms between succession types. Based on these results we suggest that a combination of hydrogeomorphic and succession types showing different macrophytes communities might be possible. Such profound classification of kettle holes would help to establish effective conservation strategies. 100 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Does pond size matter? Breeding site use of amphibian communities in a mixed landscape of Central Europe Péntek, Attila L.1; Csaba f. Vad2; Katalin Zsuga3; Zsófia Horváth4 1 Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Szent István University, Páter Károly u. 1, H-2103 Gödöll_, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Fácán sor 56, H-2100, Gödöll_, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 4 WasserCluster Lunz, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, AT-3293, Lunz am See, Austria, [email protected] Pond-breeding amphibians occupy distinct habitat patches, often by covering relatively large distances, hence they are excellent subjects for metapopulation and metacommunity studies. In two years with contrasting rainfall (2012 and 2013), we recorded the presence of amphibian species in more than 100 waterbodies in a mixed landscape (mosaic of deciduous forests, natural grasslands and agricultural fields) of Central Europe, along with local habitat characteristics. Data were evaluated within the metacommunity framework. We found 10 amphibian species in 87 waterbodies. Local variables, landscape factors and space all appeared to be significant determinants of the metacommunity structure. We found greater influence of local factors on the amphibian metacommunities, but dispersal among breeding sites also mattered. Our results were highly similar for the two years. Species richness was only driven by local and spatial variables. Most species preferred waterbodies with large surface area and dense vegetation in both years. We found positive species-area relationships, and the correlation was stronger in the wet year of 2013 than in 2012. Similar studies are necessary to gain essential knowledge for conserving endangered amphibians. Results of a mire monitoring (2008-2013) in Navarre (NE Spain) after fencing to control livestock and ditch damming to re-install hydrological balance Peralta, Javier1; Patxi Heras2; marta infante2; Asun Berastegi3 Departamento de Ciencias del Medio Natural, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadia, 31016 Pamplona, Spain, [email protected] Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, c/ Siervas de Jesús 24, 01001 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Spain, [email protected] 3 Gestión Ambiental de Navarra, S.A., c/ Padre Adoain 219, 31015 Pamplona-Iruña, Navarra, Spain, [email protected] 1 2 Belate mire (NE Spain) displays a diverse vegetation consisting of three mire habitats, wet heaths [Habitats Directive type 4020], Molinia meadows [6410] and transition mires [7140], and two wet facies of grasslands: acidophilus Danthonia decumbens [6230] and mesic Cynosurion cristati pastures. It is located in an area extensively used for livestock grazing that has been profoundly altered throughout time by drainages, grazing and manuring. In 2008 began a reclamation project to enhance mire habitats and species by controlling livestock entrance with fences and increase waterlogging by blocking ditches with 11 wooden dams. 14 plots of 1 sq m were established to monitorize possible changes. In each of them were recorded all the species, their cover, and vegetation maximum height, both before (2008) and after measures were implemented (2009-2013). Univariate analysis by repeated measures ANOVA International Conference Wetlands 2014 101 and Friedman’s test applied on plant cover, number of species and vegetation height through time, showed an increase in overall vegetation cover and that of hydrophytic species, as well as of vegetation maximum height. Multivariate analysis by canonical constrained ordination revealed a floristic turnover through time with expansion of hidrophytes and changes in vegetation from wet pastures towards Molinia meadows and helophytic plant communities. Nitrogen removal in a fluvial wetland: macrophyte-bacteria interactions and relevance at the basin scale Pinardi, monica1,2; elisa soana1,3; mariano Bresciani2; Paolo Villa2; marco Bartoli1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma Italy; [email protected]; [email protected] National Research Council, Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, CNR-IREA, Milano Italy; [email protected]; [email protected] 3 Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara Italy; [email protected] 1 2 The Mincio River (northern Italy) hosts ~23 km2 of wetlands including common reed (Phragmites australis), sedges (Carex spp.), floating leaved (Nelumbo nucifera, Nuphar lutea, Trapa natans) and submerged plants (Vallisneria spiralis, Ceratophyllum demersum). Such relict area (~3% of the Mincio watershed), laying within an heavily exploited basin for agriculture and animal farming, is protected as Site of Community Importance, Regional Park and Natural Reserves, and part of World Heritage by UNESCO. Due to its metabolic capacity, it can process a large amount of nitrogen via combined uptake, temporary retention, burial and denitrification. This can be relevant in the context of the nitrate directive, as mass budget reveal a large nitrogen surplus (~7500 t N y-1). We performed experimental measurements and calculation by means of biogeochemical and remote sensing approaches and literature data, to estimate N uptake in different groups of macrophytes and phytoplankton, and denitrification rates in sediments. Our results suggest that ~1600 t y-1 of N surplus is exported outside the Mincio basin. The major part of the N is retained in the watershed, mainly due to primary producers uptake, in particular by reeds (40% of N surplus) followed by pelagic (macrophytes and epiphytes) and benthic denitrification. LIFE Charcos: Temporary Ponds Conservation in the Southwest Coast of Portugal Carla Pinto-Cruz, Carla1; Ana Lumbreras Corujo2; Anabela Belo1; rita Alcazar3 Portugal ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal 2 ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554 Évora, 3 LPN – Liga para a Protecção da Natureza, Centro de Educação Ambiental do Vale Gonçalinho (CEAVG), Apartado 84, 7780-909 Castro Verde, Portugal 1 Mediterranean Temporary Ponds (MTP), are classified as priority habitat (3170*) for conservation by the Habitats Directive. LIFECharcos project is ongoing since July 2013 until December 2017, in the coastal plain of southwest Portugal, classified under the European Natura 2000 Network as Site of Community Importance (SCI Costa Sudoeste). This area hosts a large number of MTP, as a consequence of climatic and edaphic characteristic. In the last two-decade, modern industrialized agriculture and tourism are causing a steep decline of this habitat in this area. Traditionally seen as non-productive areas, MTP are nowadays subjected to strong anthropogenic pressures, such as deep soil turning, accelerated drainage, 102 International Conference Wetlands 2014 flattening the surface topography or transformation into permanent reservoirs for irrigation. Therefore, it is urgent to act in order to halt this decrease trend and assure their long-term protection. Thus, the main aim of LIFECharcos project is to enhance the MTP conservation status in SW Portugal. We expected to undertake conservation and restoration actions in at least 16 MTP. Preparatory actions, like the biodiversity assessment and cartography, are now almost complete. Since MTP are privately owned, agreements with landowners are being settled to pursue the demonstration of best practices on MTP restoration. The most important challenges are the temporary ponds ecological restoration, as well as the increase of public awareness. Concrete conservation actions include grazing management, MTP seed bank establishment, increase pond connectivity and a didactic pond for awareness. Agronomic utilization and nutritional enrichment of wetlands through cultivation of Aeschynomene aspera (L.) Poddar, Parthendu Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (North Bengal Agricultural University), Pundibari, Coochbehar, West Bengal, INDIA-736165 Wetland comprises 6.4% (855.8 million ha.) of the World’s total land area. Survival of human civilization is intimately linked with wetlands since 4500 B.C. In India, a vast geographical area (about 25-30% of the coast and North- Eastern plains) in low-lying situations is exposed to water logging during rainy season every year. During peak rainy months floods make them swampy/marshy and almost they get turned to out of cultivation. The economy of the poor marginal and sub-marginal farmers of wetland areas in eastern India can be improvised through the cultivation of different crops. Several food crops like deep water rice, water chest nut (Trapa bispinosa), taro (Colocasia esculenta), makhana (Euryale ferox) comprise an integral component of this eco-system. The aquatic medicinal plants—bramhi, kesuti, Ipomoea, kulekhara, Enhydra, thankuni, water cress are being used in a wide scale commercially across the globe to produce various human bio-medicines. Another category is aquatic food cum ornamental plants like lotus, water lily, royal water lily etc. Besides this, the aquatic plant diversity includes non-food commercial crops like hogla, matreed, calamus, shoal (Aeschynomene aspera) and aquatic fodder crops like water grass, coix etc. It is also to be mentioned here that aquatic weeds cum plants of biomass like water hyacinth, Pistia, Hydrilla, Azolla and algae can profitably be used for succeeding arable crops like rice, wheat, oil seeds as resourceful biomass. The present study concentrated on making profitable utilization of waste wetlands through cultivation of Aeschynomene aspera, which is a highly profitable genus. Preliminary survey with the farmers proved that this crop is raised only as per their traditional practice without much care. With a view to evaluate the most economically viable nutrient source with dose and most feasible method of planting, two separate field experiments were fitted in Randomised Block Design with four replications and five treatments each. In Experiment I treatments were P1 : Control, P2 : FYM @ 2 t / ha, P3 : Vermicompost @ 2 t / ha, P4 : N: P2O5:K2O :: 20:40:20 kg/ha and P5 : FYM @ 2 t/ha + N: P2O5:K2O :: 20:40:20 kg/ha. In Experiment II treatments were T1 : Direct seeding , T2 : Transplanting with spacing 50 X 50 cm, T3 : Transplanting with spacing 70 X 70 cm, T4 : Transplanting with spacing 90 X 90 cm and T5 : Transplanting with spacing 110 X 110 cm. From the present findings, it can be concluded that raising of nursery and transplanting in the main field with a spacing 70 cm X 70 cm & application of N:P:K::20:40:20 kg/ha in the transplanted main field may be advocated for maximization of profit and higher return-cost ratio of 1.63:1. Approx- International Conference Wetlands 2014 103 imately, Rs.9500.00 per hectare can be earned net from the cultivation of Aeschynomene and thus poverty of poor marginal and sub marginal farmers of wetland areas can be alleviated to some extent. Role of wetlands in aater cycling and local climate formation in agricultural landscapes Pokorný, Jan1; Petra Hesslerová1; Hanna Huryna1,2; Vladimír Jirka1 ENKI, o.p.s. Třeboň, Dukelská 145, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic, [email protected] University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, , Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 1 2 CCrop plants do not tolerate flooding. Arable fields are therefore drained. Aeration of soil results in rapid mineralisation of soil organic matter, soil acidification on the one side and eutrophication of waters on the other. Drainage shifts the distribution of solar energy from evapotranspiration to sensible heat. Airship thermal scanning of surface temperature (Ts) and ground measurements of air temperature (Ta) showed well balanced daily temperature dynamics and slow morning temperature increase in forests and wetlands. Ts of dry land with sparse vegetation were by up to 20 oC higher than Ts of wetlands and forests. The air temperature (Ta) measured in a screen 2 m above ground level are used as indicators of climate change. Large differences between surface temperature (Ts) and air temperature (Ta) of almost 15 oC were found at sites with sparse vegetation. At the same time Ts of wetlands was even slightly lower than Ta. Dense vegetation supplied with water keeps surface temperature lower, reduces the vertical gradient of temperature and therefore reduces water loss. Differences in vertical temperature gradients in crops, wetland vegetation and forests on a clear summer day are shown in thermo-vision pictures. Shown are daily series and monthly budgets of sensible and latent heat fluxes (evapotranspiration) measured in wetland and crop vegetation. We assume that dense vegetation of wetlands loses less water than crop fields with hot soil surface. The design of agriculture landscapes for closing the water and nutrient cycles is discussed. Aquatic vertebrates and macrofauna habitat relationships in coastal wetlands from Andalucía (S Spain) Prenda, José1; Adrián ramos-merchante1; isabel redondo2; silvia rubio3 1 Departamento de Biología Ambiental y Salud Pública. Universidad de Huelva (UHU). Campus universitario de El Carmen, Avda. Andalucía s/n, 21071, Huelva, España. [email protected] 2 Instituto Andaluz de Caza y Pesca Continental. Consejería de Medio Ambiente. Junta de Andalucía 3 Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía. Junta de Andalucía Wetlands are essential habitats for aquatic biodiversity, especially for fish and other large size fauna. Many fish species complete their life cycle within littoral wetlands as they provide feeding grounds, suitable areas for reproduction and refuge for different phases of development. However, many of these systems suffer many impacts from human activities, especially in densely populated areas as the southern Iberian coasts. In this work, we present the taxonomic composition of littoral wetlands macrofauna and aquatic vertebral communities; we 104 International Conference Wetlands 2014 define the main species assemblages and its relationships with habitat features. A total of 22 fish species were captured besides other eight large sized aquatic species. The most frequent species was the eel (Anguilla anguilla), followed by the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps). The organization of this aquatic biodiversity depended upon a saline gradient. Finally, several aspects on the conservation of these systems and its associated biodiversity in highly impacted areas are discussed. Trophic interaction effects on size distributions in aquatic communities Quintana, Xavier d.1*; matías Arim2; Anna Badosa3; José maría Blanco4; dani Boix5; sandra Brucet6; Jordi Compte7; Juan J. egozcue8; elvira de eyto9; ursula Gaedke10; stéphanie Gascón11; Luis Gil de solá12; Kenneth irvine13; erik Jeppesen14; Torben L. Lauridsen15; rocío López-flores16; Thomas mehner17; susana romo18; martin søndergaard19 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected] 2 Sección Zoología Vertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. [email protected] 3 Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD)-CSIC Sevilla, Spain. [email protected] 4 Department of Ecology and Geology, University of Málaga, Spain. [email protected] 5 [email protected] 6 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Vic, Vic, Spain. [email protected] 7 [email protected] 8 Department of Applied Mathematics III, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. [email protected] 9 Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co. Mayo, Ireland. [email protected] 10 University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany. [email protected] 11 [email protected] 12 Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Málaga, Spain. [email protected] 13 Zoology Department, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. [email protected] 14 Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark. [email protected] 15 Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark. [email protected]. [email protected] 16 Area de Ecología, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. [email protected] 17 Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Berlin, Germany. [email protected] 18 Area de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Valencia, Spain. [email protected] Size diversity was used to investigate patterns in size distribution of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish assemblages in response to trophic interactions. Size diversity was computed based on the Shannon-Wiener diversity expression, adapted to a continuous variable, such as body size. At all trophic levels the increase in biomass of potential predators reduced size diversity of prey by concentrating their sizes in a narrow range. At the upper trophic levels (zooplankton and fish), size distributions became more diverse when potential resource availability was low, suggesting that competitive interactions promote a diversification of aquatic communities by size. This pattern was not found in phytoplankton size distributions, where size diversity mostly increased with low zooplankton grazing and/or high nutrient availability. Our results suggest, at least for consumers, an interplay between predation, leading to an accumulation of organisms in the less predated size classes, and competition, promoting a wider size distribution. International Conference Wetlands 2014 105 Diversity and distribution of aquatic Heteroptera in Slovakia: the importance of small standing waters reduciendo Klementová, Barbora1; marek svitok1; milan novikmec1; Zuzana matúšová1 1 Department of Biology and General Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-96053 Zvolen, Slovakia, [email protected] Water bugs (Heteroptera) are poorly studied group of aquatic insects in Slovakia. The latest published checklist comprised 28 species and 2 genuses without more precise specification. Since 2011, we have focused closely on this group and investigated more than 600 lotic and lentic sites for presence of aquatic Heteroptera. Material from those sites was supplemented by material from 94 small standing waters investigated under the project BIOPOND (www.biopond.sk). At the present, 54 species of aquatic Heteroptera are known from Slovakia. Among those, an expansive species Anisops sardeus was recorded for the first time and Slovakia is currently the northernmost boundary of its distribution. We compared diversity of heteropterofauna of various aquatic habitats and showed that small standing waters (ponds) are key habitats for maintenance of water bug diversity. Ponds, regardless of their origin (natural or artificial), harbour more rare and uncommon species than any other aquatic habitat. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-0059-11. Temporal and small water bodies in modern forests: a landscape-scale assessment in Estonia remm, Liina1; Asko Lõhmus1; riinu rannap1 1 Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, EE-51014 Tartu, Estonia Temporal freshwater bodies in forests are important as wildlife habitat and in biomass cycling, but their occurrence in relation to forest management is poorly documented. We conducted a survey of the abundance and characteristics of different small water bodies along landscape transects in Estonia, considering the effects of artificial drainage (ditching) and clear-cutting. The area of natural puddles and floods varied by nearly two orders of magnitude among habitat types, mostly according to soil moisture. The total density of lentic small water bodies was almost equal to the cover of permanent ponds and lakes on the Estonian land area. The main impact of forestry was the conversion of water body types: natural ones were partly replaced by ditches and wheel rut pools due to drainage and clear-cutting, respectively. Using brown frogs as an indicator group revealed that these changes are not necessarily detrimental: the frogs were most commonly found to breed in anthropogenic water bodies in open areas (i.e., clearcuts). The mitigation of forestry impacts on temporal water bodies should focus on allowing natural flooding in selected areas and on restoring natural streams. 106 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Differences in the anaerobic decomposition of Phragmites australis plant tissue in rewetted and near pristine fens as determined by FTIR-Spectroscopy reuter, Hendrik; Jörg Gelbrecht; dominik Zak Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin, Department of Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry, Müggelseedamm 301, D-12587 Berlin, Germany, [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Rewetting of drained fens often results in the formation of shallow lakes. High exports of DOC and nutrients and high methane emissions are typical characteristics for these ecosystems. The underlying mechanisms within the anaerobic soil remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that the elevated carbon turnover activity in the rewetted fen soils, as indicated by high methane and DOC production, is a consequence of a generally higher anaerobic litter decomposition rate as compared to natural fens. Therefore, leaf, stalk and rhizome tissue of Phragmites australis, harvested from one rewetted-calcareous (RC), one near pristinecalcareous (PC) and one acidic fen, were analyzed before and after a 75 day litterbag incubation into the anaerobic soils of these fens. In addition to the dry-weight determination and elemental analysis, FTIR-Spectroscopy was applied. Dry mass losses were between 5 and 68 per cent. Major differences were based on litter quality (stalk<leaf<rhizome) and soil properties (RC~PC>acidic fen). Higher degrees of decomposition in the rewetted and pristine fens went along with decreasing C/N-ratios, while these ratios increased for tissues decomposed in the acidic fen. Intensity changes in the amid-I region of the FTIR spectra closely followed this trend while changes of the carbohydrate signals more closely resembled overall mass loss, indicating varying degrees of microbial presence and activity. This indicates that the decomposition mechanisms of fresh plant material in the sediment of RC fens are similar to those within the peat of a PC fen. Thus, higher methane emissions from RC fens do not in general indicate smaller carbon sequestration potentials. Hydrological monitoring of “Los Tollos” playa-lake (Andalusia, Spain) in the context of its restoration (Life+ “Los Tollos”) rodríguez rodríguez; miguel1, francisco moral martos2, mario Parra Cachada3 1 2 3 Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Carretera de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Los Tollos playa-lake is a shallow water body that has been severely affected by mining activities (sepiolite – palygorskite extraction) that took place between 1976 and 1998. The original 81-hectares playa-lake flooded surface was reduced to 55 hectares and the hydrological regime was modified by means of two open pits adjacent to the playa-lake that were abandoned and flooded after the ceasing of the mining operations. In the context of Los Tollos Life+ project, the hydrology of the playa-lake and the related aquifers has been studied in detail. Since year 2012, hydro-meteorological data from an automatic weather station, data from soil moisture sensors, ground and surface water level information and hydro-geochemical information from periodical samplings were monitored in order to analyse the hydrological response of the different water bodies to the restorations activities. In this sense, a recovery of the groundwater levels in different sectors of the two main aquifers below the International Conference Wetlands 2014 107 playa lake – the unconfined Quaternary lacustrine aquifer and the confined Pliocene sandy aquifer – have been detected since the end of the mining activities. Additionally, the hydrochemistry of the different water bodies have been identified and a detailed water balance has been made throughout the restoration period. Economic and ecological evaluation of Cartagena´s urban mangroves forest and proposals for sustainable human development rodríguez, mauricio; Tania Jiménez Castilla; netty Huertas 1 Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, [email protected]; [email protected], [email protected] Mangroves are one of the most characteristic ecosystems of the Colombian Caribbean. Cartagena is surrounded by estuaries and wetlands where mangroves found place for its development, forming an important part of the public space and taking an adversarial role in the urban planning policy because in a city with serious constrains for its urban expansion, mangroves and wetland sadly became a “viable” alternative for urban development. In this article we make an ecological and economic evaluation of the urban mangroves of Cartagena. First, we analyze the ecological functionality of this ecosystem. Then, using hedonic price modeling we estimate the effect that mangroves have on the house market. The data used in this study and the econometric analysis, come from the cadastre office and environmental agencies within Cartagena. The results shows that Cartagena´s urban mangroves under-achieve the environmental functions expected from these ecosystems, so policies and management actions should aim to potentiate their real ecological functionality to promote sustainable human development in the area. Finally, the hedonic estimation reveals a negative correlation between property value and mangrove proximity, indicating that, -on average- property price is reduced to the extent that it´s located closer tothe mangroves. Soils in endorheic depressions in northern Monegros, Spain rodríguez-ochoa, rafael; José ramón olarieta Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Lleida, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain, [email protected] Endorheic basins are important landscape features in the semiarid Ebro Valley (NE Spain). Soils in these basins have developed from fine quaternary colluvial detritic sediments under hydromorphic conditions in a geochemical environment with carbonates, gypsum, other soluble salts, and high pH. In most cases, these soils were artificially drained, and in the case of the Laguna de Sariñena, the depth of water was artificially controlled. Our objective was to characterize the soils in these geochemical environments, and their relationship to flooding, and to carbonatic and saline conditions. We described 10 soil profiles, 8 with artificial drainage and 2 with controlled depth of water, in 4 endorheic depressions in northern Monegros. These soils were classified as fine, mixed, thermic, Sodic Calcixerept. They were very deep, imperfectly or poorly drained, and had clayey or silty-clayey texture. Electrical conductivity of the saturated paste was 11.6 ± 4.7 dSm-1 at 25 ºC; sodium adsorption relation 108 International Conference Wetlands 2014 (SAR) in the A horizons was 19.5 ± 12.7 and increased in B horizons to 25.8 ± 6.9; and pH (soil to water 1:2.5) was 8.5 ± 0.1. The content of organic matter in the A horizons was 1.7 ± 0.6%, while that of CaCO3 ranged between 9.5 and 23%. Cation exchange capacity ranged between 11.2 and 20.6 cmol(+)·Kg-1, and the percentage of exchangeable sodium between 16.5% and 37%. Illite was the main clay mineral in these soils but chlorite also appeared together with traces of kaolinite. The main soil-forming processes were related to redox reactions, carbonate accumulation, salinity-sodicity, and neoformation of barite and zeolites. The main soil features associated with hydromorphism were: mottles (Fe-Mn oxides), reduced silt coatings, oxidation coatings (ferrihydrite), Fe-Mn pisolites (birnessite, goethite), and iron sulfides. Rhodocrosite (MnCO3) was associated with low-Mg calcite in carbonatic nodules. The occurrence of these processes and associated minerals has been described for the first time in this semiarid environment. How ponds differ-or not-from streams in their biotic responses to drying? rosset, Véronique1; Albert ruhí2; Thibault datry1 1 2 Irstea, UR Maly, F-69626 Villeurbanne, France Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University. Tempe, AZ 85287, USA Disturbance regimes play a crucial role in determining composition and dynamics of local communities. The degree of connectivity among local communities should influence re-colonization speed, and thus resilience, in a given meta-community. We tested this idea by comparing community responses to drying between lentic and lotic temporary freshwaters, using published case studies from different biogeographic regions. We found that the importance of unidirectional flow and subsequent enhanced connectivity in streams (as opposed to ponds) explained some contrasts in the structure of invertebrate communities between ecosystem types. For example, species found in temporary ponds were generally a subset of permanent pond communities, in particular under cold climates. In contrast, individual temporary stream sites greatly contributed to regional biodiversity due to a high spatial species turnover, particularly in Mediterranean areas. Conversely, as drying is a severe challenge for all aquatic organisms, we expected and did find striking similarities across ecosystem types. For example, both pond and stream species richness was lower in temporary sites in comparison to permanent ones. Overall, these results support the idea that in meta-communities, connectivity can mitigate the effects of disturbance. Dispersal and colonization of new ponds by freshwater macroinvertebrates: the case of water beetles in alpine landscapes roulet, Albertine1; Christiane ilg1; Beat oertli1 University of Applied Science of Western Switzerland. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 1 In ponds, dispersal of aquatic insects in the terrestrial environment through adult’s flight plays a crucial role in the colonization of new habitats. A better understanding of the dis- International Conference Wetlands 2014 109 persal ability of aquatic invertebrates is needed to allow an optimal efficiency of conservation measures such as wetland creation and restoration. It is particularly true in the context of climate warming and the movement of species that it will induce both in altitude and latitude. Little is known on the colonization ability of water beetles in newly created ponds, especially in alpine landscapes. The aim is here to highlight our understanding of how this taxonomic group will respond to global warming in the future and ensure the sustainability of populations in altitudinal landscape such as the Alps. In this study we assessed the dispersal ability of alpine water beetles, including the cold stenotherm species threatened by warming, by a review of the literature supplemented by field experiments. We investigated thirty new created ponds in the Swiss Alps (Canton Valais) for the assessment of the success of colonization by aquatic beetles. We also assessed the distance of dispersal through trapping beetles by: (i) horizontal surfaces composed of shiny black plastic sheets laid onto the ground (modeling water surface), and (ii) artificial pools containing pond water. Macroinvertebrates colonization and evolution in the WWF protected area “La Francesa” (Pianura Padana, Italy): a new man-made pond ruocco,matteo; Luigi sala; roberto simonini; daniela Prevedelli; ivano Ansaloni University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - Department of Life Sciences - via Campi, 213/d 41125 Modena (MO) Italy, [email protected] The WWF protected area “La Francesa”, established in 2005 in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna, Italy), is one of the few areas of natural interest in the low lands of the province. Originally, it was a land of 23 ha used for agricultural purposes, set aside because of its low productivity. From the beginnings of the ‘90s, it has been managed in order to recover its naturalness with the planting of native species and, at the end of 2005, a new manmade pond of 8 ha was created to increase its natural value and the variety of the ecosystem. The present study shows the result of two monitoring surveys carried out during summer 2006 and 2011 to assess the colonization status, and its variation along time, of the macrozoobenthic community of the pond. Samplings were performed with an Ekman bottom grab sampler and a standardized net in six different stations. Results showed a temporal shift in species composition due to changes in the habitat, specifically the development of hydrophytic vegetation along the shore favoured by the stabilization of the system, and the spread of the exotic plant Ludwigia peploides that covered the wet meadow of the pond. ‘Proximity’ and its effect on community assembly in temporary freshwater pools in Malta sammut, sheryl; sandro Lanfranco* Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta. [email protected], . [email protected] The relative contribution of ‘regional’ and ‘local’ factors in determining species richness of aquatic macrophytes, filamentous algal and microcrustacean taxocenes was investigated in 110 International Conference Wetlands 2014 17 temporary freshwater pools from four pool landscapes in Malta. The pools were visited weekly throughout one wet season, from September 2012 to March 2013. Coverage and abundance of macrophytes (including Charophytes) and filamentous algae was assessed during each visit whilst microcrustaceans were collected, using standard sweeps with a plankton net, in September, November, December and February. Basin morphometry (surface area, depth profile, sediment depth) was characterised for each pool during the dry season whilst pH, nitrate, nitrite and phosphate content of pool water were measured during hydroperiod. The distances between pools and the connectivity between them were also determined. The results indicated that spatial separation between pools was more important than environmental factors in determining community similarity across pools. The relationship between community composition and regional and local scales of observation was complex and was dependent on whether flora or fauna were being considered. Priority effects also played a role in shaping these communities since monopolisation of resources by the first pool colonisers may have resulted in biological barriers to late colonisers. Implications of climate change for rice farming in the Doñana wetland (SW Spain) sánchez, Berta1; Ana iglesias2 1 Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, [email protected] 2 [email protected] Climate change impacts are expected to affect rice farming and wetlands welfare in the Doñana protected Area, due to decreases in quantity and quality water supply and higher temperatures. The largest rice farming area is closely located to the Doñana wetlands in the Guadalquivir river basin estuary (South Western of Spain). These two systems share a great dependence on water and natural resources and suitable climate conditions for their proper functioning. They are highly vulnerable to environmental changes and efforts should be addressed to improve their local adaptive capacity, since they both provide benefits to the society. In this study, we explore the potential impacts for the rice farming in Doñana, its adaptive capacity and possible adaptation measures for the system. The potential impacts are identified by combining results from a literature review and stakeholders interviews. We assess the risk of heat stress under current and projected local-scale climate scenarios. Findings suggest that rice crops will probably suffer water and heat stress during the flowering and grain filling stage (from august to September) under a drier and warmer climate scenario, and in turn the natural wetland will be negatively affected by water degradation and scarcity. Thus, the water conflict among systems will be increased and adaptation measures will be necessary to ensure the water provision and to maintain the socio-economic and the wetland ecosystems welfare. We briefly outline the local adaptive capacity of the rice farming and some of the synergies and trade-offs for the adaptation measures according to the social, economic and environmental context. International Conference Wetlands 2014 111 Self-purification capacity in Riparian wetlands sánchez-Pérez, J. m. 1,2; sauvage, s. 1,2; Teissier, s.; Bernard-Jannin, L. 1,2; sun, X. 1,2; yao, J. m 1,2 ; Gerino m. 1,2; Amiche, C. 1,2; Chamsi, o.1,2; Pinelli, e.1,2; Jean, s. 1,2; Charcosset, J. y. 1,2; Barret, m. 1,2; Attard, e. 3; Lauga B. 3; duran, r.3; Antiguedad, i. 4; Zabaleta, A. 4; martinez-santos, m. 4 ; ruiz, e.4; Comin, f.5; Carranza, f. 5; español, C. 5; navarro, e.5; Bodoque, J. m. 6; Ladera, J. 6; yela, J.L. 6; Alonso, J. 6; Brito,d. 7; neves, r. 7 1 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 3 EEM, UMR IPREM5254, Université de Pau & Pays de l’Adour, IBEAS, F-64013 Pau, France 4 University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU); Hydrology and Environment Group, Department of Geodynamic, 48940 Leioa (Basque Country), Spain 5 Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC); Avda Montañana 1005, 50050 Zaragoza, Spain. 6 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM); Department of Geology and Mine Engineering, Avda Carlos III, 45071 Toledo, Spain. 7 MARETEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal The use of water boreholes for drinking water supply is being abandoned (e.g. 440 boreholes/ year in France for the period 1998-2008). The aforementioned is mainly due to problems of quantity or quality of water. The alternative use of surface water is often not feasible as rivers and groundwater’s are being subjected to the direct effects of pollutants coming from both point and non point pollution sources (e.g. agriculture, industry). Attenagua is a research project INTERREG IVB SUDOE (Southwest Europe) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It is a joint project between Portugal, Spain and French research teams aimed to study the natural water purification processes. The research teams are developing the project by catching the water in the riverbank. Alluvial wetlands, located at the interface between the river and the agricultural lands, are suitable to obtain water with better quality than from the surface and groundwater under crop areas. We proposed a mixed solution based on the use of groundwater where floodplain and the riparian area interfer to take advantage of the natural attenuation processes. The filtering capabilities and depuration of riparian wetlands can improve the water quality, reduce the cost of water treatment and increase the security of the system. The objective of the project is to integrate all the research knowledge on alluvial wetlands to create a method able to identify the best place where we can extract good quality water from the groundwater. Metal sequestration by indigenous vegetation in riparian zones; an ecosystem service to improve water quality schachtschneider, K.1,2; Jessica Chamier1; Chavon Walters 1; Vernon somerset1 CSIR, Natural Resources and the Environment, P.O. Box 320, Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa; 2 Department of Botany, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X, 7701 Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa * Corresponding and presenting author; E- mail: [email protected], Tel: +2721 888 2553 1 The study aims to gain a better understanding and initial quantification of the value of metal sequestering as an ecosystem service to motivate for the use of indigenous vegetation in river rehabilitation strategies. The extent of the riparian vegetation zones of 5 sites in the Upper Olifants River catchment, South Africa, was estimated and expressed as a percentage, based on a hypothetical ideal buffer zone width of 30 metres. The riparian zone was intact for two of the sites evaluated, sufficient in one and severely compromised in the other two. 112 International Conference Wetlands 2014 The capacity of seven widely occurring riparian species to phytoextract and phytostabilise aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) from the soil and ultimately improve the river water quality within these sites was investigated. The highest bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for Al (10.1), Fe (7.03) and Mn (5.02) were determined for Typha capensis, with the remaining species having BCFs for Al and Fe between 0.11 and 2.00 with a negligible transfer of Al and Fe from root to shoot. Phragmites australis, Typha capensis and Juncus effusus would be the most successful phytostabilisers of Al, Mn and Fe. The value of the ecosystem service was observed at a site largely altered by mining and dominated by P. australis, which effectively phytoextracted and phytostabilised large concentrations of Al, Fe and Mn in the soil, likely contributing to the water quality. A similarly impacted site with only 13% intact buffer vegetation could be rehabilitated by planting a combination of the pollution tolerant, high biomass and Al, Fe and Mn phytostabilising species: P. australis, T. capensis, S. corymbosus and J. effusus. Deriving systemic national values for biodiversity and ecosystem services seják, Josef1; Jan Pokorný2 1 J. E.Purkyne University, Kralova vysina 7, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic, [email protected] 2 ENKI, o.p.s. Třeboň, Dukelská 145, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic, [email protected] Over the past three or four decades, valuation methodologies for natural capital biodiversity and ecosystem services have undergone considerable development. However, within the utilitarian tradition of mainstream economics, monetary values have been dominantly revealed by identifying individuals’ willingness to pay for natural capital benefits and services. Thus, Costanza et al. (1997, 2014) estimated that globally, wetlands are 75 percent (11 times in 2014) more valuable than lakes and rivers, 15 times (37 times in 2014) more valuable than forests, and 64 times (33 times in 2014) more valuable than grasslands. Huge differences and changes in time disclose the subjectivity and disaffection of those unilateral utilitarian values from the real thermodynamic efficiency of ecosystems. The paper will discuss the proper, full concept of economic value and will present two methods of systemic national valuation of biotopes (Biotope Valuation Method) and dominant four ecosystem services (Energy-Water-Vegetation Method, based on thermodynamics of ecosystems). These two methodological approaches show the range of environmental values, from how costly nations are to restore the quality of landscape (biotopes as specific habitats for species) to their real abilities to replace the core life-supporting services of ecosystems (climatizing service, water retention service, oxygen production, habitats for biodiversity). Amphibian egg mortality associated to the groundwater decline of the Doñana aquifer (SW Spain) serrano, L.1; C. díaz-Paniagua2; C. Gómez-rodríguez3,5; m. florencio2,6 ; m. A. marchand2; J. G. m. roelofs4; e. C. H. e. T. Lucassen4 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, [email protected] Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain [email protected], [email protected] Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela, Spain, [email protected] 1 2 3 International Conference Wetlands 2014 113 4 Environmental Biology, Department of Ecology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [email protected] 5 Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, U.K. 6 Azorean Biodiversity Group (CITA-A) and Platform for Enhancing Ecological Research and Sustainability (PEERS), Dep. de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Terceira, Azores, Portugal Acidification in groundwater-discharge wetlands is dependent on the interaction between surface water and groundwater: the stronger the upflow of groundwater discharge and the longer the time it keeps contact with subsurface sediment, the higher the concentration of base cations in the surface water to buffer a low pH. In this study, we have detected acidification when the buffering capacity of the sediment has been insufficient to buffer the H+ produced by pyrite oxidation on rewetting after summer desiccation. This would explain the acidic water episodes (pH<4.5) recorded in some ponds at the onset of the rainy season since 2006. This result suggests that two decades of declining water-table levels have resulted in a significant reduction of the acid neutralizing capacity due to a decrease in Mg2+ in one of these ponds. Our field monitoring studies of egg mortality of the Western spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) showed that all eggs placed at a water pH<5.0 died during the rainy season of 2006/2007, while those placed at pH>5.0 survived. Our results suggest that the decline in groundwater discharge and the concomitant acidification of the Doñana ponds might be contributing to increase the vulnerability of the Western spadefoot toad in this area. Conservation and management of freshwater wetlands in Slovenia-WETMAN simčič, matej The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature conservation, Tobačna ulica 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, [email protected] Wetlands are one of the most endangered habitats in Slovenia. The main objective of the project “Conservation and Management of Freshwater Wetlands in Slovenia – WETMAN (LIFE09NAT/SI/000374)” is the restoration and improvement of conditions on six Slovene wetlands. All six pilot areas (Pohorje bogs, Vrhe, Planik, Zelenci, Gornji kal and the Mura oxbow lakes) are also classified as Natura 2000 areas. The project objectives are aimed at improving favorable conditions of ten endangered plant and animal species and habitats of Community importance. Main filed actions are aiming at improvement of the hydrological conditions, removal of overgrowth, removal of invasive non-native fish species from ponds and oxbow lakes, prevention of destruction of endangered habitats and the disturbance of endangered species, preparation of guidelines for management of pilot areas and their integration into sector plans, which will ensure a sustainable long-term conservation of pilot areas. Field actions were (and still are) supported by awareness raising actions both on national and local level. The project started in February 2011 and will end in February 2015. Project value is 2,144,376 € and it is 50% (1,072,188€) co-financed by the EU “LIFE+ Nature” financial mechanism. Since the vast majority of all actions has already been completed, we can already see the effects of our work. As the project applicant, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation invited the following partners to cooperate: Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenia Forest Service, Fisheries Research Institute of Slovenia, Municipality Ruše, Municipality Kranjska Gora and Radio-television Slovenia. 114 International Conference Wetlands 2014 A functional plant diversity approach of the halophytic communities of Monegros Desert solé-senan, X.o.1; Juárez-escario, A.2; Pedrol, J1; del Arco, C3 ; Conesa, J.A1,3 Hortofructiculture, Botany and Gardening Dept/ETSEA-Agrotecnio. University of Lleida Dept. Vegetal Production and Forestry Science. ETSEA. University of Lleida 3 √Arboretum Lleida Pius Font i Quer. University of Lleida 1 2 Although the Monegros desert (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) is the northern most semiarid area in Europe and one of the regions with largest biodiversity, it has been insufficiently studied in terms of functional diversity. Moreover, many of the plant communities of the area are included in the Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora of the European Union. Our study contributes to fill this gap by providing a functional analysis of the plant communities integrated in 5 habitats commonly found in the saline lakes of the Monegros desert: (1) pioneering communities of annuals succulent plants as glassworts and Microcnemum adapted to continental muddy-flat and temporary inundated salt-pans enviroments, (2) perennial salt-pans communities adapted to temporarily inundated saline soils integrated by succulent chenopodiaceae, (3) Juncus maritimus communities and grass species of wetlands, (4) Communities of highly salt- tolerant species of sea lavander Limonium and the false esparto grass Lygeum spartium, (5) annual plant communities of Franquenia as indicator plant and ephemeral communities of pioneering species on inland halophilous hábitats. To characterize the functional diversity of these habitats we focused on 6 plants traits: the Raunkiaer plant life-form, the growth habit, the clonal growth, the seed dispersal system, the pollination system and the sexual expression. In order to find differences in the floristic composition between habitats a NMDS was performed and dissimilatiry index was calculed and additionally, a redundance analysis on community-weighted mean trait values (CWM-RDA) was performed. Differences on plant community compositions and functional diversity are discussed. Influence of submerged macrophytes on metazooplankton community-an in situ mesocosm experiment in the eutrophic lake Špoljar, maria1; Tvrtko dražina1; Jelena fressl2; Jasna Lajtner1; Tea Tomljanović3; daniel matulić3; dora matijašec4; ivana Zrinščak1; Biserka Primc1 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR − 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 2 Dvokut ECRO Ltd., Trnjanska 37, HR − 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 3 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Svetošimunska 25, HR − 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 4 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Marulićev trg 19, HR − 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 1 Submerged macrophytes and top-down control are two of the key factors that determine zooplankton assemblages in shallow lakes. We conducted mesocosm experiment in a shallow, turbid and non-vegetated backwater intended for sport fishing (Sutla River watershed, NW Croatia). We attempted to assess the capacity of submerged macrophytes and fish predation in the lake restoration through altering zooplankton composition. The experiment was run in situ, from July until October, with naturally present communities, using small (BS, 10 mm, − fish) and large (BL, 40 mm, + fish) mesh sizes for basins construction. In four quad- International Conference Wetlands 2014 115 rants of each basin, 30 Ceratophyllum demersum stems were added. In both mesocosms, results suggested, a higher species diversity and abundance of metazooplankton in comparison to backwater pelagial. In BL mesocosm, where plankton and macrophytes assemblages were exposed to fish predation, we observed macrophytes depletion and significantly higher abundance of small cladocerans compared to BS. In BS mesocosm, without fish predation, macrophytes retained high density and all metazooplankton groups, protozoans and insect larvae, achieved a higher abundance in comparison to BL, except small cladocerans. Submerged macrophytes and biomanipulation could be important tools for mitigating eutrophication and natural disturbance (i.e. flooding) that can shift ecosystem diversity and stability. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments and invertebrates of stormwater detention ponds stephansen, diana Agnete1; Asbjørn Haaning nielsen2; Thorkild Hvitved-Jacobsen3; Carlos Alberto Arias4; Hans Brix5; Jes Vollertsen6 1 Section of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Sohngaardsholmsvej 57, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark, [email protected] 2 [email protected] 3 [email protected], 6 [email protected] 4 Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1,Bldg. 1135, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark, [email protected] 5 [email protected] Urban areas, where the establishment of buildings, roads and pavement result in a high percentage of impervious surfaces, are major concentrators of many pollutants. Therefore, untreated stormwater runoff can be a significant source for environmental pollution of the receiving water, if not treated prior to discharge. Wet ponds are engineered structures constructed to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff, but between rain events these ponds also function as small, shallow lakes. Over time these “treatment facilities” become occupied by wildlife and will hence serve as urban aquatic ecosystems. Depending on the characteristics of the pollutants, these can be taken up and bioaccumulate in the biota. The present study contributes to the understanding on how PAHs distribute between sediments and water-dwelling fauna from 20 locations in Denmark (10 wet ponds compared to 10 small lakes - estimating the background level of PAHs). Samples were extracted using solvent, and after filtering and nitrogen evaporation, the samples were analyzed by GC-MS for the 16 PAHs recommended by US EPA. The study contributes with knowledge on the fate of PAHs present in stormwater runoff reaching wet ponds, and increases our understanding of the role of technical stormwater wet ponds as an urban aquatic ecosystem and wildlife habitat. Linking ponds to pollination in an agricultural ecosystem stewart, rebecca1; Zulsdorff, Valentina1 1 Centre for Environment and Climate Change, Lund University Agriculture is a damaging practice due to vegetation removal, drainage, soil disturbance and fertiliser use. Agricultural sustainability requires practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, and that lead to more efficient food production. Pollination, biological control and nutrient retention are essential services for sustained produc- 116 International Conference Wetlands 2014 tivity of agro-ecosystems, provided by, or enhanced by, the presence of ponds in the landscape and we present a project that aims to investigate this as there is a lack of data linking aquatic and terrestrial systems in an applied sense. To assess services associated to ponds, we carried out a field experiment using strawberry plants in 10 sites across Skåne, southern Sweden. We assessed the diversity of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate communities, from samples taken during the flowering period, between three treatments consisting of a (1) pond, (2) vegetation and (3) a homogeneous control (n=10). In addition, we assessed the effectiveness of pollination, using the fruits from the plants. Results show clear differences in the invertebrate community structure between treatments and the strength of pollination. We discuss these results in terms of the role that ponds play in agriculture and the future of pond conservation and management in agricultural ecosystems. Quantifying the role of the denitrification process in the alluvial aquifer using SWAT model: the case of the Garonne River flooplain (France) sun, Xiaoling1,2; Léonard Bernard-Jannin1,2; Cyril Garneau 1,2; nancy B sammons3; Jeff G Arnold3; raghavan srinivasan4; sabine sauvage1,2; José-miguel sanchez-Perez1,2 1 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 3 Grassland, soil & water research laboratory USDA-ARS, Temple, TX 76502, USA 4 Spatial Science Laboratory in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA As supporting important agriculture activities, alluvial plains often suffer problems of nitrate pollution in groundwater. For the attenuation of nitrate, denitrification was proved to play an important role in the floodplain aquifer. However, carbon is always the limit element in this process. Hyporheic zone is the area where surface water and subsurface water mix. As surface water contains high organic matters contents, Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) brought by the river enhance denitrification rate in the hyporheic zone. Modeling is an efficient method to understand processes happening at large spatial and temporal scales and to quantify these processes in dynamic way. SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) is a semi-distributed model that simulates large watersheds with readily available data and has been successfully applied all over the world. In this study, a modified version of SWAT has been used to simulate the transport and transformation of DOC and nitrate in a meander of the Garonne river floodplain (12 km2) based on data for 2 periods (from 2013 for the calibration period and from 2004 to 2005 for the validation period), based on a) the surfacesubsurface water fluxes exchanges and b) an implementation of a new denitrification module. Results showed that simulated channel discharge and nitrate concentrations in the same piezometers matched well with the observed data. The model will be used to quantify the denitrification processes at the scale of alluvial plain. Ecotourism on the Finnish peatlands-theoretical prospects Tanskanen, minna University of Eastern Finland, Department of Geographical and Historical Studies. P.O.Box 111, FIN-80101 Joensuu, FINLAND, minna [email protected] During last decades, increase of leisure time and wealth has created ground for different kind of outdoor activities and lately concepts like ecotourism have taken more and more International Conference Wetlands 2014 117 space in general discussions. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people. Naturally, forests, mountains and water areas have played the most important arenas for ecotourism and recreational use of nature, but like in the context of Finland, also peatlands has been taken as a stage of ecotourism. In my presentation I will outline methodological and theoretical viewpoints for ecotourism on the Finnish peatlands. With introducing some forms of peatland ecotourism and recreational use I will outline the socio-cultural context in which the activities are happening. After that I will open some theoretical aspects which would be worth to realize for understanding peatlands’ role as a stage for ecotourim and for creating new ways for increasing recreational use of peatlands. Ponds, productivity and probes: An experimental approach to carbon capture Taylor, scott1; david Cooke; michael Jeffries; michael deary; Geoff Abbott; Peter Gilbert 1 Department of Geography, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST. [email protected] There is growing understanding of the disproportionately higher productivity of small ponds compared to larger aquatic systems. With estimates of their global coverage constantly being revised upwards it is likely that they play an unexpectedly important role in global carbon cycling. Limited previous research has focused on sediment accumulated in mature ponds, revealing significant variations in carbon storage between neighbouring and superficially similar types of pond. Such variations have been attributed to the spatial heterogeneity of historic and contemporary macrophyte communities. In this exploratory study, three ponds were constructed, replicating those from previous studies on spatial heterogeneity and carbon storage, with the aim of monitoring spatial variations of water chemistry and primary productivity from the very start of ecological succession. Preliminary data gave chl a concentrations between 3.1 – 247.9 µg l-1 and maximum nitrate and phosphate levels of 17.1mg l-1 and 4.48 mg l-1 respectively, demonstrating the intensity of carbon and nutrient cycling within these small systems. No previous studies, to our knowledge, have monitored ponds at the start of their life cycles, in an effort to explore the implications for carbon sequestration and storage as the system matures and develops. Is it possible to eradicate invasive freshwater turtles from de European wetlands? Results and prospects from LIFE Trachemys project Teixeira, José1,2; Vicente sancho3; Bruno martins1; fábia Azevedo4; Ana Cruz5; ignacio Lacomba3 CIBIO. Casa Salabert, Jardim Botânico do Porto, Rua de Campo Alegre, 1191. 4169-007 Porto. Portugal. [email protected] 2 CIIMAR. Rua dos Bragas, 289 - 4050-123 Porto. Portugal. 3 Servicio de Biodiversidad y Espacios Naturales. Conselleria de Infraestructuras, Territorio y Medio Ambiente. Francisco Cubells 7. 46011 Valencia. Spain. [email protected]. 4 RIAS-ALDEIA. Apartado 29. Bairro de S. Sebastião. Edifício dos Magistrados. 5230-314 Vimioso, Portugal. 5 Parque Biológico de Gaia. Rua da Cunha. 4430-681 Avintes, Portugal. 1 118 International Conference Wetlands 2014 The introduction of the Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) in natural habitats in Europe is of special concern for freshwater native species, as it is classified among the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world. To investigate new forms to mitigate this problem and to evaluate the possibility of eradication of this species from the wetlands the LIFE+ Trachemys project, co-funded by the European Commission, was put in action between 2010 and 1013. The projected aimed to address the negative environmental impacts of exotic invasive turtle species on Iberian wetlands through a set of innovative trapping techniques and a methodology strategy for control and eradication of wild populations of exotic freshwater turtles in 13 pilot areas in Valencia (Spain) and 4 in Portugal. During the three years of the project we captured a total of 22624 exotic turtles in Spain and 299 in Portugal, with special relevance for the Red-eared slider. A gradual but steady decrease in the capture of invasive turtles during the three years showed a good capacity to control this problem, but a failure in the objective to eradicate the invasive populations. Only through an efficient European alert network system and early attack teams to the problem or a long term investment in the continuous capture of established Trachemys populations it would be possible to achieve successful results. This strategy together with ex-situ reproduction of endangered Emys orbicularis and public awareness campaigns, aiming to halt the continuous release of exotic turtles in nature, appear to be a crucial multiple approach to control invasive turtles dissemination and preserve autochthonous freshwater biodiversity. Mangrove’s restoration: ecological and economic perspectives Teutli-Hernández C.1; Comin f. A.2; menendez m.1; Herrera-silveira J. A.3 1 Departament d´Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, E-08028. Barcelona Spain. [email protected] 2 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Av. Montañana 1005. 50059 Zaragoza. Spain. 3 CINVESTAV-IPN. CarretaeraAntigua a Progreso Km 6. 97310 Mérida, Yucatán, México. Mangrove ecosystems have been recognized their ecological, economic and cultural values. However, mangroves have been degraded and destroyed all around by human activities. Consequently, mangrove restoration has been a common activity trying to recover their functions and values. However a synthetic approach to evaluate mangrove restoration actions has not been developed yet. The review of 150 documents (scientific and project reports) from all around the world shows that the structure of the restored vegetation resembles the reference sites, while the functional characteristics tend to be better at reference sites. Regarding the speed of recovery there is no clear trend due to the limited availability of data and the average monitoring time (2-3 years). The most common action performed in mangrove restoration projects is reforestation, followed by hydrologic restoration (channel opening and installation of sewers), and finally, the use of plants to facilitate the process of secondary succession. The costs of restoration depend on the country, and how they perform restoration (with or without machinery for example). The cost of hydrological restoration ranges from USD $ 250/ha to USD $ 21,600 / ha while reforestation is from USD $ 26,500/ha to $ 102,700 USD/ha. With this work a discussion of the common uses of mangrove restoration and suggestions to improve its efficiency are presented. International Conference Wetlands 2014 119 Towards sustainable use of boreal peatlands Tolvanen, Anne1,2 1 2 Finnish Forest Research Institute, Oulu, P.O. Box 413, FI 90014 Oulu, FINLAND, [email protected] Thule Institute, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 413, FI 90014 Oulu, FINLAND Finland is a country with the highest percentage cover of peatlands (30% of total land area) in the world, and the highest absolute cover of peatlands in the EU. Almost one-third of European peatland resource is situated in Finland. All this means that the decisions made for peatland use in Finland have wider than country-scale implications on the biodiversity and GHG balance of peatland ecosystems. In my presentation I show that there are contrasting opinions towards the commercial peatland use in Finland, but in our study all interest groups shared the concern towards the ecological and environmental state of peatlands. The acceptance of the commercial use of peatlands might increase, if more attention was paid especially to environmental problems caused on water bodies. I also present our EU funded LIFE project LifePeatLandUse, which concentrates on the sustainable use of low-productive drained peatlands. The project quantifies, values and predicts the state of peatland ecosystem services, and optimizes their levels in the land use to fulfill requirements and constraints set in regional, national and EU policies. Future scenarios on the impacts and cost efficiency of seven re-use options will be predicted, and states of biodiversity, GHG fluxes and environmental loading will be modelled after these seven re-use options. Removal efficiency of pesticides and nitrates in an artificial wetland treating drainage water from an agricultural watershed Tournebize J.1; Chaumont C.1; Vincent B.1 ; mander Ü.1, 2 ; soosaar K.2 ; Hansen r.2 ; muhel m.2 1 2 Irstea, Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit, F-92761 ANTONY, France Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise St., 51014 Tartu, Estonia To reduce agricultural pollutants in agricultural drained watershed, artificial wetland showed a real potential as a management practice for pesticides and nitrate removal. Interception with local farmers involvement in water management to open and close a gate connected to the artificial wetland in parallel of the main arterial ditch. The main objective of the buffer system is to intercept the maximum pollutant load in the minimum water flux in order to minimize size and land consumption. Different experimental results were obtained for small drained watershed (around 30-40 ha, Tournebize et al., 2013, Passeport et al., 2013). Removal efficiencies were assessed around 70% and 50% for pesticides and nitrate respectively. The present work aims to assess removal efficiency at larger scale. This strategy is tested in real conditions at Rampillon hamlet. The watershed is located in the vicinity of Rampillon village (03°03’37.3’’ E, 48°32’16.7’’ N, 70 km south-east of Paris, France). A collective artificial wetland of 3156 m² with the depth varying from 0.1 m to 1 m was built in 2010 at the outlet of the watershed and equipment has been installed in December 2011 to allow the evaluation of the system performance. The wetland receives drained water of the whole drained watershed (450 ha). A sluice gate has been installed at the inlet which allows to close the wetland during winter time (December – March) when no pesticides are applied and rainfall events are more frequent. The flow which enters the wetland varies between 0 and 120 l/s. The wetland is partially covered with vegetation, mainly Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis and Juncus conglomeratus. The Rampillon’s wetland has been monitored over two years. The quality of water has been analysed for nitrate and pesticides at the inlet and outlet of the wetland to evaluate the performance of the system. In addition, a high frequency monitoring camapain of gas emission was conducted during May 2014 to assess the eventual drawback of converting aquatic NO3- into gaseous N2 and N2O. 120 International Conference Wetlands 2014 An overview on the biodiversity of planktonic protists across environmental gradients Triadó-margarit, Xavier1; emilio o. Casamayor1 1 Biogeodynamics & Biodiversity Group-Dep of Continental Ecology, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes, CEABCSIC, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300 Blanes, Spain [email protected] Protists, which comprise widely distributed autotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic microscopic eukaryotes are an essential component of microbial food webs and have a key role in global biogeochemical cycles in inland waters. Protists have a high degree of structural and metabolic diversity and have been traditionally studied by morphological criteria. The recurrent observation of the same morphotypes in freshwater systems from different localities had led to the concept that the global protist species richness could be relatively low. However, more recent environmental 18S rRNA gene surveys indicate that diversity of small protists (<40 microns) is larger than previously expected. Overall, these studies indicate changes in community composition related to the trophic status, and that eutrophic conditions hold less species diversity. Freshwater protits are distantly related to marine counterparts, probably due to infrequent marine-freshwater transitions along the historical context of the evolutionary and diversification processes, although protists from inland waters are poorly known. We have been studying the genetic diversity and ecological distribution of small protists inhabiting ultraoligotrophic high altitude lakes, extreme saline environments in coastal and inland wetlands, and sulfurous and anoxic lakes, covering a wide range of environmental conditions. Given the extreme conditions explored, the genetic richness found was unexpectedly high, and the 18S rRNA gene sequences spread within most of the highrank taxonomic groups and grouped in many eukaryal classes with consistent habitat segregation. In high-altitude areas, most of the sequences affiliated with Chrysophyceae and Cryptophyta. In saline environments green algae within Chlorophyta and Trebouxiophyceae, and in sulfurous lakes Ciliophora and Cercozoa were, respectively, the groups most commonly found. The novelty level was high and > 25% of the species were notably divergent from any previously known genetic sequence. This study unveils inland waters as an important reservoir of unknown microbial eukaryotic biodiversity. LIFE for Wetlands-examples and best practices Trokanova, Lucie LIFE Communications Team, ASTRALE GEIE-AEIDL, Chaussée Saint-Pierre 260, Brussels, Belgium [email protected] Established in 1992, the LIFE programme is the European Union’s funding instrument exclusively devoted to the environment. The LIFE Nature and Biodiversity strand has co-financed more than 1 400 projects to date, providing more than € 1.5 billion in funding, and mobilising a further €1.3 billion in other contributions. This continuous source of targeted financing has radically changed the capacity of many Member States and regions to designate and manage Natura 2000 network sites, to support EU biodiversity policy and to implement EU water policy and legislation. Some 400 projects co-financed by LIFE have targeted wetland habitats and bird species included in the Habitats and Birds Directives. Indeed, wetlands have been one of the habitat types most-frequently targeted by LIFE. In addition, more than 1 000 other LIFE projects have addressed threats (to water quality and water levels) and management is- International Conference Wetlands 2014 121 sues in wetlands. LIFE projects actions on wetlands range from river basin management (Water Framework Directive - WFD) to restoration and management of protected sites and habitats. The new LIFE programme for Environment and Climate Action highlights wetlands as a priority for funding, specifically targeting improvement of the conservation status of Natura 2000 network sites, WFD implementation and Climate Change Adaption strategies. Chemical biomarker assemblage in the 15000 cal. yr BP Comeya peat profile of Picos de Europa National Park, North Spain urbanczyk, Justyna; Veneranda López-días; Angeles G. Borrego 1 Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR-CSIC). Aptdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The study focuses on the submountainous Comeya peat profile drilled at 851 m above sea level. The profile covers 600 cm of sediment in which a continuous record of the last 15000 cal. yr BP at a growth rate of 0.04 mm/yr is recorded. Analysis of C, N and ash, together with extraction of the peat with dichloromethane and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analyses of the extracts have been carried out in order to identify and quantify relevant biomarkers describing the organic matter input. Three spams can be established in the profile on the basis of the ratio of organic matter/mineral matter accumulation: i) >350 cm depth (~8750 cal. yr BP), containing over 80% ash, ii) 200-350 cm depth (5100- 8750 cal. yr BP), with ash content of 40-60% and iii) the uppermost section with around 10-20 % ash. The biomarker assemblage is dominated by the n-alkanes and methyl-ketones with medium to high molecular weight and odd number of carbons. The biomarker ratios indicate an enrichment in Sphagnum characteristic compounds at 120-250 cm (3150- 6350 cal. yr BP) reflecting more humid conditions. This episode occurs earlier than in the coastal peat bogs of the region. A less intense humid episode is detected in the Early Holocene (at around 450cm depth; ~10350 cal. yr BP), associated to an increase in organic carbon. The peat extracts contain abundant steroids and triterpenoids with ursane and oleanane skeletons, mainly derived from higher plants, and regular hopane compounds attributed to bacteria. The alcohol functionalities are essentially restricted to the upper 120 cm and are replaced by ketone and/or acetate functionalities downwards. Wartime scars or biodiversity hot-spots? The role of saline bomb crater ponds in aquatic conservation Vad, Csaba f.1; Attila L. Péntek2; Adrienn Tóth3; nastasia J. Cozma4; Katalin Zsuga5; Bence Tóth6; robert Ptacnik7; nóra A. Böde8; Arnold móra3; Zsófia Horváth7 Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Szent István University, Páter Károly u. 1., H-2103 Gödöllő, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Balaton Limnological Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Klebelsberg Kuno utca 3, H-8237, Tihany, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 4 Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 5 Fácán sor 56, H-2100, Gödöllő, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 6 Danube Research Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Jávorka Sándor utca 14, H-2131, Göd, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 1 2 122 International Conference Wetlands 2014 WasserCluster Lunz, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, AT-3293, Lunz am See, Austria, [email protected], [email protected] 8 Centre of Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary, e-mail: [email protected] 7 Man-made aquatic habitats can fulfil important ecological roles. Hundreds of bomb crater ponds in the Great Hungarian Plain are examples of secondary habitats, being sometimes victims of grassland rehabilitation without proper evaluation of their biodiversity. We conducted a multi-group study (zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, herpetofauna) in a sodic grassland, holding more than 100 crater ponds within 1 km2. We found that these ponds serve as important habitats for amphibians and reptiles. Moreover, they hosted rare taxa even including Pannonian endemic species among invertebrates. Despite being found in close proximity, they exhibited a salinity range from hypo- to mesosaline coupled with wide ranges of turbidity. While the most saline ponds appeared to be the less diverse, they could be considered as the most unique habitats, hosting typical soda water communities. Despite their anthropogenic origin, these ponds act as important contributors for aquatic biodiversity and should be maintained rather than eliminated, considering the serious losses in aquatic habitats in CentralEuropean grasslands. This research was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Social Fund in the framework of TÁMOP-4.2.4.A/ 211/1-2012-0001 ‘National Excellence Program’. Macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure in woodland pools and ditches and their response to artificial drainage Vaikre, maarja1; Liina remm2; riinu rannap3 1 2 3 Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise 46, EE-51014 Tartu, Estonia; [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Since the 20th century freshwater ecosystems have been extensively drained for agricultural and forestry purposes. Despite the magnitude of artificial drainage, its impact on freshwater biodiversity is still poorly known. We examined macroinvertebrate diversity and community composition in temporal freshwater bodies and drainage ditches comparatively in drained and natural forest plots. Our aim was to determine macroinvertebrates characteristic to these water bodies, the impact of forest drainage on macroinvertebrates and the possible function of forest drainage ditches as an alternative habitat for these invertebrates. We surveyed 181 water bodies within six landscape regions across Estonia and identified 171 macroinventebrate taxa, with insects being the most widespread and numerous. The impact of forest drainage on macroinvertebrate mean diversity as well as assemblages was not detected in our study system. However, taxa accumulation curves indicated, that natural water bodies situated in drained plots may harbour lesser number of invertebrate taxa than those in natural plots. Since landscape properties had significant effect on invertebrate diversity, they may hide the effect of drainage. Community compositions and diversity in natural temporal water bodies and drainage ditches were not significantly different, thus ditches can serve as an alternative habitat for macroinvertebrates of natural temporal water bodies. International Conference Wetlands 2014 123 Faunal and floral community patterns in Moroccan temporary ponds along climatic and anthropogenic disturbance gradients Van den Broeck, maarten1,2; Laila rhazi2; Patrick Grillas3; mohammed el madihi2; mouhssine rhazi4; Luc Brendonck1; Aline Waterkeyn1,3 1 Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. [email protected]/[email protected] /[email protected] 2 Hassan II Casablanca University, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environment, BP 5366 Maarif, Casablanca, Morocco. [email protected]/ [email protected] 3 Tour du Valat, Research Centre for Mediterranean Wetlands, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France. [email protected] 4 Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Department of Biology, BP 509, Boutalamine, Errachidia, Morocco. [email protected] In the Mediterranean region, temporary ponds are ecologically and economically valuable ecosystems. They house unique faunal and floral communities and benefit the local people that make use of these systems. Unfortunately, due to population growth and urbanization, these vulnerable systems are disappearing and degrading rapidly. So far there is no common index of ecological quality that could be used to manage these valuable ecosystems. As such, we aim to assess certain community characteristics on their indicator value. In this study, we sampled over 100 Moroccan temporary ponds in wet and dry season, along a climate and anthropogenic disturbance gradient situated along the Atlantic Ocean, spanning arid, semi-arid and humid bioclimatic zones. We analyzed climate and land use data as well as various water quality parameters, to determine their role in structuring invertebrate and macrophyte communities. In addition, we also focused on rare faunal and floral species. The factors controlling the general community structure include inundated surface, hydroperiod, pH, altitude and the amount of cattle and agriculture in the ponds. When available, we compared results with historical information, to evaluate changes in conservation status of temporary ponds. In this way, we contribute to research-based suggestions for the sustainable management of these vulnerable ecosystems. Macrophyte reproductive fitness and strategy as a response to high Lemna cover Van onsem, stijn1; Ludwig Triest2 1 Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Plant Biology and Nature Management, Brussels, Belgium, [email protected] 2 [email protected] The increase of primary production in eutrophied water bodies often leads to nuisance. Freefloating macrophytes, including lemnids, profit from a combination of high water nutrient concentrations and stagnant water. Resulting alterations of the environment may lead to changes in reproductive success in submerged macrophytes. Effects of Lemna cover on reproductive fitness, resource allocation and mode of propagation in Potamogeton pusillus L. and Chara globularis Thuillier were quantified in two ponds. In summer, small enclosures containing monospecific stands were created. A complete Lemna cover was maintained in half of them. Biomass was sampled to monitor the investment in sexual and asexual reproductive structures, while propagule traps were used to analyse propagule rain. Potamogeton pusillus reacted strongly in response to changes in Lemna cover, with production of high numbers of turions under high lemnid cover, and appearance of inflorescences under low lemnid cover, 124 International Conference Wetlands 2014 respectively. In C. globularis, density of antheridia and oogonia decreased significantly. Together with a decline in total biomass, this change indicated a strong decrease of reproductive success, although oospore rain appeared unaffected. Lemna cover clearly influenced reproductive output in both species. Recurrent occurrence of floating mats might alter phenological patterns, deplete propagule banks, and eventually hamper ecosystem resilience. Beaver-created wetlands Vehkaoja, mia1; stella Thompson 2 1 2 Department of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. [email protected], [email protected] Beavers (Castor spp.) are known for their ecosystem engineering abilities. They build a dam, which elevates a flood to the surrounding forest. The portion of shallow water increases, and large amounts of organic material and nutrients are released and transported from the terrestrial environment to the beaver pond. These events change the pond’s water chemistry; the level of dissolved organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen increase and the level of oxygen decreases. The organic matter is either sedimented or retained in the pond to be exploited by plankton. The increased amount of plankton benefits various invertebrate species, such as water mites, and also Anuran tadpoles. After the plankton-feeding invertebrate levels have risen, the predating invertebrates begin to become more abundant. This is beneficial for fish, bats and duck and wader fledglings. In addition, the amount of aquatic vegetation increases, which provides protection to tadpoles and fledglings, and also creates nutrition habitats for adult ducks and waders. The beaver-created wetlands have very unique characteristics in both aquatic and shoreline terrestrial habitats. Their ability to provide a habitat for numerous species could be used in conservation strategies. Seasonal dynamics of heavy metals in Phragmites australis growing in a constructed wetland Vymazal, Jan 1; Tereza Březinová 1 Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha 6, Czech Republic; email: [email protected], [email protected] 1 Constructed wetlands (CWs) have mostly been used for treatment of domestic and municipal wastewater. However, increasing interest in the application of these systems for industrial and agricultural wastewater has recently been observed. The aim of this work was to evaluate the seasonal dynamics of heavy metals in the biomass of Phragmites australis in a municipal constructed wetland and to determine the optimal time for vegetation harvesting in order to achieve maximum removal of heavy metals when these are the treatment target. Aboveground biomass from the CW Spálené Poříčí was harvested monthly from June 2012 to March 2013 and analyzed for heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn) using the atomic absorption spectroscopy. In order to evaluate accumulation factors, also concentrations of monitored elements were measured in the wastewater. It has been shown that maximum standing stock of individual heavy metals in the aboveground Phragmites biomass occurs at different times of the year. Despite low heavy metals concentrations in the municipal wastewater it is expected that the course of seasonal dynamics of heavy metals in the biomass will be the same even at high concentration levels which may occur industrial and agricultural wastewaters. International Conference Wetlands 2014 125 Modelling the impacts of sea level rise on coastal wetlands: a case study in micro-topographical Baltic wetlands in Estonia Ward, raymond1; niall Burnside2; Christopher Joyce2; Kalev sepp3; Phillip Teasdale2 1 Aquatic Research Centre, School of the Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom and Department of Landscape Management, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr.R. Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014, Tartu, Estonia 2 Aquatic Research Centre, School of the Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom 3 Department of Landscape Management, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr.R. Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014, Tartu, Estonia Baltic coastal wetlands are flat and extensive due to the micro-topographical character of the landscape. These wetlands have previously been suggested to be under threat from sea level rise and standard elevation based methods are unable to accurately model the location of the plant communities. A new methodology has been developed integrating dGPS calibrated LiDAR data, isostatic uplift and sediment accretion rates to predict the location and extent of plant communities at three Baltic coastal wetlands sites in Estonia by 2100. Results showed a lowering of local sea level in the majority of sites and scenarios in the north of the country although a rise is predicted in sites with limited allochthonous sediment supply. In wetlands situated on the west coast, local sea level is likely to undergo little change in most scenarios. In most sites the model predicts that Baltic coastal wetlands will increase in extent due to high rates of sediment accretion, particularly in a scenario with more frequent storms and isostatic uplift. dGPS calibrated LiDAR data and sediment accretion are essential to maintain model validity in Baltic coastal wetlands due to their low relief and could considerably improve current sea level rise impact models for other areas. The role of tadpole shrimp as community structuring agents in temporary ponds Waterkeyn, Aline1,2; Patrick Grillas2; Brendonck Luc3 1 Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; [email protected], [email protected] 2 Research Center for Mediterranean Wetlands Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France; [email protected] It was recently suggested that notostracans may play a keystone role in temporary aquatic habitats. Using both microcosm and mesocosm experiments we tested the impact of the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis on zooplankton communities in Mediterranean temporary ponds (Camargue, Southern France). We found that tadpole shrimp effectively shape these communities, acting as size-selective top predators as well as ecosystem engineers, by modifying environmental conditions through bioturbation. The waterflea Daphnia has, however, found a way to cope with this predator by evolving inducible defenses. We tested the impact of Triops kairomones on the hatching pattern, life history and morphology of Daphnia magna originating from different populations in France and Belgium. No impact was found on the hatching pattern, which can possibly be explained by the fact that Daphnia is never safe, neither as a dormant egg, nor as hatched individual. However, they did show significant responses in their morphology and life history traits. Although the responses were often clone-specific, Daphnia exposed to Triops generally grew larger and wider and had a longer tail spine. These induced changes were proven to be effective defense mechanisms, 126 International Conference Wetlands 2014 significantly lowering the predation rate by Triops. Environmental factors controlling the autumnal similarity of rotifers (Rotifera) in small water bodies Wiśniewska, malgorzata; natalia Kuczyńka-Kippen; eugeniusz Pronin 1 Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Water Protection, Umultowska 89 61-614 Poznań, Poland, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] The rotifer community structure often reflects the variation in the environmental factors, both within the water body and the surrounding catchment area. Apart from many parameters, which are responsible for shaping the living conditions of the zooplankton community inhabiting ponds, the habitat structure seems to have a strong effect on rotifer diversity and numbers. The aim of the present study was to compare rotifer species composition among different types of ponds, located across the Wielkopolska and Kujawsko-pomorskie regions (central Poland). The research was carried out on 20 ponds differing in size, depth, abiotic parameters of water, percentage cover of macrophytes and the type of direct land use (field and urban). The number of rotifer species differed between the particular water bodies, being the highest in ponds with abundant aquatic plant cover. The most frequent taxa (≥80%) were Anuraeopsis fissa, Keratella cochlearis f. tecta, Bdelloidae, and Synchaeta pectinata, which indicates eutrophic conditions in almost all of the examined ponds. The statistical analyses showed that the level of macrophyte cover had the strongest impact on rotifer similarity. The increase in the biogen concentration in water resulted in the decrease of biological diversity, even in ponds with a large participation of aquatic vegetation. No influence of morphometric features of ponds, or the character of direct catchment area, was observed to structure the composition of rotifers. This research work has been financed by the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research in 2010-2014 as research project N N305 042739. Social perception of the risks and benefits of tidal wetland restoration: A case study from the UK yamashita, H.1; mcinnes, r.J.2 1 Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan. [email protected] 2RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd, Oxfordshire, UK. [email protected] Tidal wetland restoration projects have been conducted in recent years in an attempt to inter alia provide sustainable coastal flood risk management, revitalise fish stocks or as preparation for sea level rise. For many stakeholders, the realignment of coastal flood defences or the reflooding of farmland represents a new concept. Due to the need for long-term social support and investment in such schemes, it will become increasingly important to take into account the various stakeholder perceptions. However, there is ambiguity surrounding: 1) the form and scope of environmental information on wetland restoration produced and communicated by project exponents and other stakeholders; 2) how various stakeholders perceive the ‘benefits’ and ‘risks’ of local restoration projects; and 3) how the findings could make a contribution to future decision making and support for coastal wetland restoration in UK and beyond. This paper reports on how the ‘risks’ and ‘benefits’ of tidal wetland restoration projects are communicated, perceived and negotiated by different stakeholders based on a case study from the UK. International Conference Wetlands 2014 127 The role of invertebrate biodiversity in ecosystem purification service of alluvial wetlands yao, J.m 1 ; ramburn. H 1; sánchez-Pérez J.m. 1, 2; sauvage s. 1, 2; Teissier s. 2; Attard e. 3; Lauga B. 3; durant r. 3; Gerino m. 1* 1 ECOLAB (Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), UMR 5245,CNRS/INP/Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France 2 ECOLAB (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT), Universitéde Toulouse, INPT,UPS, Castanet Tolosan, France 3 EEM, UMR IPREM5254, Université de Pau & Pays de l’Adour, IBEAS, F-64013 Pau, France Alluvial wetlands play a key role for stream water quality improvement due to their river/groundwater exchanges and biogeochemical efficiency. How do the microbial and invertebrates communities influence this ecosystem service of water quality regulation? For NO3- pollution, faunas in the aquifer sediments act as mediators for N-cycle bacteria. By biofilm grazing, movement and excretion, invertebrates, enhances resource supply to sediment bacteria, and stimulates microbial nitrogen cycling, thus this activity results in an enhanced nitrogen removal1. In order to identify the ‘ecosystem service providers’, the relationships between invertebrate biodiversity, microbial communities and denitrification rates are explored. Four sampling dates were sampled for microbial, invertebrate and biogeochemical parameters in 11 piezometers dispersed over an entire meander situated in the agricultural alluvial plain of the Garonne River (France). Macro and meio-invertebrates biodiversity was quantified in terms of taxonomical and functional groups diversity index and microbial communities were described with DNA concentration/bacterial biodiversity. Relationships between biodiversity indicators and denitrification rate/microbial activity were investigated using multivariate statistical analysis. Examination of this correlation indicates invertebrates’ functional compositions that favour the microbial biofilm activity and drive natural mitigation/reduction of pollution in the water. Managing phosphorus fluxes from rewetted peatlands Zak, dominic1; rudy van diggelen2; Jörg Gelbrecht1; Alvaro Cabezas1, rob mcinnes4 Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin, Department of Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry, Müggelseedamm 301, D-12587 Berlin, Germany, [email protected]; [email protected]; 2 University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1-C, B-2610 Antwerpen-Wilrijk, Belgium, [email protected] 3 RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd., 6 Ladman Villas, Littleworth, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 8EQ, UK, [email protected] 1 One important strategy to mitigate the eutrophication of freshwater systems due to nonpoint phosphorus (P) pollution is to rewet minerotrophic riparian peatlands (= fens). However, fast lowering of redox potential within few days or weeks due to anaerobic microbial respiration leads to a dissolution of P bound to redox-sensitive iron (Fe) compounds in water logged degraded peat soils, and hence, to an increase of P concentrations in pore waters of rewetted fens. However, the level of P concentrations in pore waters of rewetted fens can vary widely, thus values between 0.04 mg P/L and about 13 mg P/L are reported (Zak et al. 2010). A number of lab and field experiments were performed in order improve our knowledge of processes controlling the P release/concentrations and their altering quantitative importance over rewetting time. Thereafter, preliminary investigations on physico-chemical peat properties at the soil surface can be a useful assessing both the P mobilisation potential as well as the 128 International Conference Wetlands 2014 risk of higher P export to downstream freshwater systems before of fen rewetting. Finally, the paper discuss if or when different restoration strategies like ‘top soil removal’ or ‘iron application’ should become applied in the course of fen restoration. Macrophyte and macroinvertebrate assemblages in Karstic ponds and their relations to environmental factors. Zelnik, igor1; Alenka Gaberščik1; mihael J. Toman1 1 University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Karst ponds are the only surface waterbodies in Karst region and host many endangered species. Their existence and diversity depend on human activities. This contribution deals with aquatic macroinvertebrate and macrophyte communities in eight Karstic ponds and their relationships with environmental parameters. Communities and environmental factors were sampled according to standard procedures. Two communities showed different sensitivity to environmental factors. Composition of macroivertebrate assemblages was significantly influenced by texture of bottom substrate and number of emergent macrophyte taxa while no significance was calculated in case of plants. Positive correlations were calculated between macroivertebrate diversity and tree cover while negative with fish presence. Negative correlations were calculated between number of macroivertebrate taxa and altitude, distance to nearest pond and water transparency. Unexpectedly, richness and diversity of macroivertebrates were not correlated with richness of macrophytes. Positive correlations were calculated between richness of submerged macrophytes and pond size, between richness of all macrophytes and/or marsh taxa and temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. Different factors influencing composition, richness and diversity of two communities suggest that use of only one element is not sufficient for successful conservation. Further investigation of both communities would enable better understanding and more suitable management of these ecosystems. Ecohydrology of wetlands ecosystems in a desert oasis in arid Northwestern China Zhao, Wenzhi*; Hu Liu; shoubo Li; Bing Liu Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, CERN, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China. Email: [email protected] Ecohydrological interactions have been of interest to wetland ecologists since the last few decades. Desert oasis wetland is an unique ecosystem which plays an important role in the development of the oasis and the biodiversity in arid region, but received relatively little attentions. Here we present an ecohydrological analysis of the desert-oasis wetland ecosystem distributed along the Heihe River in the arid region of Northwest China. Landscape patterns and their dynamics of the wetlands were characterized basing on the collected data from Landsat TM and ETM images using GIS method and landscape indices, and field investigation of community composition in desert oasis wetland ecosystem was also conducted to identify International Conference Wetlands 2014 129 the spatial distribution of plant communities and the dominant influence factors. We used the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) method to evaluate the spatial patterns of evapotranspiration (ET) rate for wetlands landscape, and the measured seasonal and interannual variation in soil moisture, groundwater table, energy partitioning and evapotranspiration to identified linkages between the vegetation patterns, subsurface flow, plant transpiration, and water levels in the unique ecosystem. Our analysis suggested that the area of wetlands in our study area decreased by 38.4%, or 107.8 km2 during the past 16 years, and the landscapes have become increasingly fragmental during this period. Through the two-way indicative species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), soil water content, nutrition content and total salt content were identified as the three main factors controlling the species distribution pattern in this wetlands, i.e. the soil moisture is the key factor to form the dominance of community, and the total N content is the important factor affecting the community evenness. We found that the spatial pattern of ET in the study area was highly correlated with the ground water level, and the highest ET values appeared over all types of water bodies, including rivers, reservoirs, etc. The variation in water and energy exchange reflected environmental conditions and depended primarily on vapor pressure deficit, net radiation, soil moisture, and water depth. Although the effects of precipitation on evapotranspiration showed that the response of this ecosystem to climate changes was not obvious, the variation of air temperatures had a strong influence on evapotranspiration, resulting in a significant increase in evapotranspiration (R = 0.730; P<0.01). 130 International Conference Wetlands 2014 PosTer PresenTATion ABsTrACTs Waterbirds and disturbance: insight about a socio-ecological system Albonette de nóbrega, Paula fernanda1; renata Pimentel rocha1; Janaína Aparecida Aguiar2; maria Auxiliadora drumond1; José eugênio Côrtes figueira1 Department of General Biology, Federal University of Minas Gerais-UFMG-Brazil. Instituto Estadual de Florestas, Minas Gerais – Brazil. email:[email protected];[email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. 1 2 Wetlands are environments of great social-economical and ecological importance. However, they are the target of numerous anthropic threats. We study a system of lakes in the central region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, aiming to determine the environmental threats and their effects on waterbirds communities. For this purpose, we sampled the local waterbirds, measuring the lakes’ areas and assessing the threats on those environments. We calculated the criticality value for direct threats on the waterfront and the permanent preservation area (APP) of each lake, considering the threat extension, its severity and irreversibility. Threats’ criticalities varied from, 0,10 to 1,0, being urbanization the most critical threat (1.0), followed by natural cycle modification (0.77) and pasture (0.75). Waterbirds richness was positively correlated to lakes’ areas, agriculture and pasture (r2=0.54; S = -2.062 + 6.370logArea + 0.437agr + 0.238past; p<0.05). This suggests that the impacts generated by these rural activities are not negative to the local waterbirds, conversely, they can favor, mainly, the habitat generalist species. Furthermore, the urban expansion on the rural areas can be a negative factor in the waterbirdsEffects of hydroperiod and depth of inundation on diversity and species composition of temporarily flooded ponds in north-eastern Germany Effects of hydroperiod and depth of inundation on diversity and species composition of temporarily flooded ponds in north-eastern Germany Altenfelder, sara1; melanie schmitz1; Johannes Kollmann1; Harald Albrecht1 1 Chair of Restoration Ecology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, D-85354 Freising, [email protected] Due to their wide range of habitat conditions temporary ponds considerably contribute to the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. The vegetation is formed to a large extent by annual species which regularly develop from the soil seed bank. Therefore, the seed bank plays an important role for conservation and restoration of these communities. Establishment of the species is determined by the germination conditions which mainly depend on both disturbance and the water level. The objective of our study was to test the effects of different water regimes on the diversity and species composition of colonizing plant assemblages. We collected soil samples from six temporary ponds in NE Germany and thoroughly mixed them to get one large and homogenous seed bank sample. Thereafter, we exposed subsamples to different combinations of hydroperiod and depth of flooding, and identified, counted and International Conference Wetlands 2014 131 removed all germinating plants for 2 years. Species diversity was highest under fluctuating water levels, while species composition was mainly influenced by the duration of flooding. Flood-tolerant species showed high germination rates under both flooded and non-flooded conditions. These results suggest that inundation is no indispensable precondition for successful establishment of these species. Effect of pesticides on potential denitrification rate and N2O/(N2O+N2) ratio Amiche, C. 1,2; Teissier, s. 1,2; Bernard-Jannin, L. 1,2; Charcosset, J.y. 1,2; sánchez-Pérez, J.m. 1,2 1 University of Toulouse; INPT, UPS; Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (EcoLab), Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France 2 CNRS, EcoLab, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex, France Nitrates are a form of water pollution in wetlands areas located at the interface between rivers and agricultural alluvial areas. In these riparian areas, denitrification process mainly contributes to the mitigation of nitrate pollution. This natural process is carried out by bacteria that breathe nitrate to produce energy. Nitrate transformation ends with the reduction of N2O into N2 gas. Groundwater denitrification process is heterogeneous at the riparian scale. This is partly due to environmental conditions, such as carbon availability that depends on the distance from the river. In the Garonne riparian area, groundwater is characterized by a rather low denitrification rate and a high concentration of pesticides. We asked about the effect of pesticides on denitrification in the laboratory and we applied a mixture of pesticides (S-metolachlor, atrazine and desethylatrazine) at two different concentrations on Garonne sediments. We observed no effect on denitrification and N2O/(N2O+N2) ratio in the aquifer sediments at both concentrations. The potential denitrification in river sediments is not modified whereas a 14-fold increase of the ratio is observed under treatment by the highest concentration of pesticides mixture. The latter result indicates that N2O reduction is severly inhibited by this mixture.These results raise new questions about the bacterial community structure present in the aquifer and its eventual adaptation to resist to pesticide pollution. Changes in the zooplankton assemblages of three temporary ponds of different age along a four years period Armengol, Xavier; raquel ortells; susana romo; Juan miguel soria; Carla olmo Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva. Universitat de València. Valencia Spain, [email protected] We have tracked changes in the zooplankton assemblages of three temporary duneslacks (locally known as “malladas”) in Albufera Natural Park, during four consecutive years (from 2007 until 2011). These ponds were restored in different periods; 1998 (Old), 2003 (Intermediate) and 2007 (Recent). They were monthly sampled during the flooded periods (usually from autumn to late spring). At each date and pond, we took an integrated zooplankton sample from the different microhabitats and we measured the typical limnological variables including nutrients and chlorophyll a. We have analyzed the changes in zooplankton richness, per visit and accumulated, and we have compared the ponds attending to environmental 132 International Conference Wetlands 2014 characteristics (Anova’s, Kruskal-Wallis), communities composition (ANOSIM, SIMPER) and their relationship (CCA). Averaged richness per visit showed differences in the ponds which seemed related to their age: Old (18 ± 3 species), Intermediate (11 ± 3 species) and Recent (10 ± 4 species). Accumulated richness (total number of species) showed an unexpected pattern with 60 species in the Old, 52 in the Recent and 43 in the Intermediate. Nevertheless, the Recent pond presented a high richness per visit in their first year (first flooding season). This could be related to the presence of a residual egg bank, which conditioned their accumulated richness. Although the age of the ponds seems very important in recently restored ponds, other factors as residual egg banks, conductivity or primary producers could also play a relevant role in the structure of zooplankton assemblages in these restored habitats. Microbial loop of estuarine and coastal waterbodies: autotrophic or heterotrophic dominance Àvila, núria1; rocio López-flores2; Xavier d. Quintana1; Jordi sala1; dani Boix1; stéphanie Gascón1 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Área de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Carretera de Cuarte s/n, 22071 Huesca, España. [email protected] In Mediterranean coastal lagoons and wetlands, the hydrological pattern is one of the most important factors determining nutrient availability and plankton composition. The flooding frequency (flooding-confinement gradient), the water sources (salinity gradient) and the nutrient concentration (eutrophic gradient) can produce very different situations, which in turn affect the functional and taxonomical composition of the microbial community. The main objective of this study is to analyse the relative contribution of flooding events and trophic state on microbial loop composition in 17 estuarine and coastal waterbodies of Empordà wetlands (NE Spain). We analyzed the contribution to the community of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms in relation to spatial distribution, environmental conditions and zooplankton predation pressure. The effects of these biotic and abiotic variables on microbial loop were determined by means of variation partitioning analysis. Redundancy detrended analysis was used to discriminate the main functional groups responding to environmental variability. Our preliminary results showed the importance of the hydrological pattern on the dominance of autotrophic or heterotrophic organisms in these coastal ecosystems. Patterns of vascular plants and bryophytes in Sardinian Mediterranean temporary ponds Bagella, simonetta1,2; Caria maria Carmela1; Giorgia filippino3; Annalena Cogoni3 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy [email protected], [email protected] 2 Nucleo Ricerca Desertificazione, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy 3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente - Sezione Botanica ed Orto Botanico University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy [email protected], [email protected] International Conference Wetlands 2014 133 The characterization of complex biodiversity patterns across ecosystems requires substantial effort, expertise, and financial resources. An approach to limit these challenges is offered by choosing proper indicators or surrogates as a shortcut to predict biodiversity changes in poorly investigated groups from groups where adequate information is available. Surrogate identification is primarily based on cross-taxon congruence analysis, and the surrogate strength depends on the taxonomic groups studied and the scale of analysis. Cross-taxon congruence analysis between vascular plants and bryophytes generated variable responses. The object of this research was to contribute to this debate comparing the patterns of vascular plant and bryophyte richness in an almost unknown habitat, i.e. Mediterranean temporary ponds at a small spatial scale, i.e. Sardinia. Vascular plant and bryophyte richness was assessed in 14 temporary ponds located on different substrata and under different climatic conditions. The Pearson correlation analysis was performed to compare the patterns of richness. Overall 137 vascular plants and 97 bryophytes were detected. Pearson coefficient was not significant. In the specific case vascular plant and bryophyte richness presented different patterns of distribution. As a consequence each taxa needs to be evaluated independently to address conservation issues. Local knowledge and invasive-species control in agricultural wetlands: opportunities and limitations Bart, david1 1 Department of Landscape Architecture and Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 42B Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, [email protected] In some cases, invasive species are also viewed as weeds in agricultural wetlands. Simultaneously, farmers are more likely to have long-term observations of invasions than the scientific community, and thus could be a source of management-relevant information. Here I summarize two studies assessing the accuracy and applicability of local knowledge of plant invasions in wetlands (Phragmites australis invasion in New Jersey salt marshes, Phalaris arundinacea invasion in Wisconsin sedge meadows). Experimental evaluation generally supported farmers’ claims about these invasions’ causes, although they were often mistaken on underlying mechanisms. Farmers also knew of activities that could control these species, but the knowledge was often idiosyncratic and the efficacy of these activities outside of agricultural settings was suspect. These studies suggest that farmers can be a source of basic observations surrounding the establishment, spread, and control of invasives in wetlands, but their mechanistic understanding of why the invasions began when and where they did, as well as how to control invasions, can be limited. Expansiveness of wild and ornamental European Phalaris arundinacea L. genotypes Bastlová, d.1; Tereza Kávová2; Vojtěch Januš2; Barbora Kubátová2; Vladislav Čurn2; neil o. Anderson3, 1, 2; Hana Čížková2; Keith r. edwards1; Jan Květ1, 4 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31,CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, Studentská 13, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. 1 134 International Conference Wetlands 2014 [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 3 Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota. 286 Alderman Hall, 1970 Folwell Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108 U.S.A. [email protected] 4 Czech Academy of Sciences, Global Change Research Centre, Na sádkách 7, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is a vegetatively propagating perennial wetland grass. In its native Eurasia it can suppress or eliminate other wet-grassland species. The question is whether its individual wild populations inherently differ in their expansiveness. In a garden experiment, we compared their phenotypic and genotypic variability with that of ornamental and turf cultivars, which had never been examined for similarities with native populations. Significant genotypic and phenotypic variability exists within both wild native and cultivated P.a genotypes. Native plants originating from wild populations and growing in warm regions are more productive than populations from cooler regions. The tussock density did not differ significantly among genotypes. Analyses of four ISSR markers distinguished wild-growing genotypes from cultivars. Samples of both genotype groups showed wide genetic variability. Samples from wild-growing populations did not cluster according to their geographical origin. However, cultivated genotypes clustered according to their origin and plant morphological type. Although samples of the variegated decorative variety “Picta” belong to different genets, as a whole it is genetically more uniform than cultivars possessing completely green leaves. This study was supported by the CZ-US “KONTAKT” Grant LH11039 and the J. William Fulbright Foundation (N.O. Anderson’s stay in the Czech Republic). The survival underwater: how seasonal flooding determines the floristic composition in an area of Brazilian savannah Batista, eugênia; José figueira Department of General Biology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, email: [email protected], [email protected] The main goal of this study was to indicate a possible successional trend in a floodplain of Cipo River, Brazil. For this, three transects were established perpendicularly to the drain line of the river. Each transect had one plot in riparian forest (100m2), 20-25 plots along the flooded field (30m2) and one plot in the savannah adjacent area (100m2). In all of these plots, soil samples were collected for physicochemical characterization and all the plants above 50cm in height were identified. The collected soils were compared by PCA and floristic composition by NMDS. The soils of the flooded field are different from the soils of the riparian forest and cerrado, supporting a different vegetation type, despite the continuous arrival of propagules of cerrado and riparian species by wind or animal assistance. Significant correlations between the scores of the PCA and NMDS were found, suggesting that differences in soil can explain the differences in floristic composition. However, the reduction in the frequency and intensity of floods associated with climate change and the occurrence of sporadic fires could promote the occupation of the floodplain by cerrado species instead of riparian species. Financial support: CAPES-U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service-FAPEMIG. International Conference Wetlands 2014 135 Seasonal changes of CO2 fluxes in emerging sandbars with benthic micro-algae and macrophytes within the lowland Po River (Italy) Bolpagni, rossano1, silvia folegot2; marco Bartoli1; Pierluigi Viaroli1 1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, V.le G.P. Usberti 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; [email protected] 2 School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. This study aims to evaluate the fluxes of CO2 across the emerging sandbars and the atmosphere within the bankfull of the Po River in its lowland sector. A detailed characterization of the metabolic activity of river’s bottom sediments was carried out in conjunction with summer (August 2007) and winter conditions (Mach 2008) with respect to the biomass of primary producers (microphytobenthos and vascular macrophytes) and the depth of the water table. Recent studies show that rivers and connected wetland complexes may contribute significantly to the rate of Carbon (C) exchange per unit area compared to adjacent terrestrial ecosystems. The ability to act as a source or sink of C or quickly switch between these two conditions can, therefore, influence consistently the processes of transfer of matter both at local scale (within homogeneous river stretches) and global scale (river basin). Our data confirmed the strong seasonality in the exchange processes of CO2. The summer fluxes were more than an order of magnitude higher than those measured in winter. The C-assimilation in the light and the C-release in the dark are strictly dependent to the depth of the water table and the Chl-a concentration (microphytobenthos) and the biomass of macrophytes. As a general rule, with decreasing depth of the water table and an increase in the biomass of primary producers a significant increase in the NEP (net ecosystem production) is observed. In contrast, no significant relationship has been found for the processes of RE (ecosystem respiration). Ornitological interest of the wetlands eco-complex of Jijel, northeast of Algeria Bouldjedri, mohamed1; saheb, menouar2; Bensaci, ettayib3; Houhamdi, moussa4; mayache Boualem1 1 2 3 5 Laboratoire de Biotechnologie, Environnement et Santé, Université de Jijel, Algérie. [email protected] Département des sciences de la nature et de la vie, Université Larbi Ben M’hidi, Oum El-Bouaghi, Algérie. Département de Biologie, Université de M’Sila, Algérie. Département de Biologie, Université de 8 mai 1945, Guelma, Algérie. Algeria has many complexes of wetlands which are very little studied and constitute sanctuaries places for different species of fauna and flora. The ornithological interest of the eco-complex of Jijel wetlands (northeast of Algeria) was evaluated in two potential wetlands sites; Beni-Belaid Lake (36° 50’N, 6° 8’E, 46 ha) and El-Kennar marsh (36° 49’N, 5° 56’E, 10 ha). These are two preferential wintering sites for many waterbirds (Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, Nothern Pintail, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck ...). Our study which was carried out in a period of five years (from October 1997 to December 2002) was based on an inventory of all waterbirds frequented these two sites to determine their wintering, sedentary, summer visitor or passengers status. In total, 56 species of waterbirds have frequented Beni-Belaid Lake and only 39 El-Kennar marsh. Anatidae and Rallidae are generally observed during winter with larger numbers in Beni- 136 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Belaid Lake whereas waders were on the contrary observed in the marsh of El-Kennar with larger numbers due to its shallow depth. In fact, the monthly evolution of the total numbers of waterbirds of the two sites studied showed a temporal distribution which culminated in december for Beni-Belaid Lake (869) and during January for El-Kennar marsh (1095). During summer time grouping concerned breeding species (Ferruginous Duck Aythya Nyroca, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos , Moorhen Gallinula chloropus and Coot Fulica atra ) and pasenger species (Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Little Stint Calidris minuta, Dunlin sandpipers Calidris alpina, Common Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and Black tern Chlidonias Niger). Response to interannual variability of carbon exchange at the southern border of peatland distribution Bravo, T. G.1; maria strack2; Xabier Pontevedra Pombal3 1 Tania G. Bravo (GRET, University of Calgary, Canada) 2 Maria Strack (GRET, University of W Canada) 3 Xabier Pontevedra Pombal (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain) Southern peatlands in Europe represent an unique environment to preserve from anthropologic degradation, storing around 6% of the total biomass in Spain. Land-use change in the area including cattle farming and wind turbine development could have an effect on the carbon (c) stock which is vulnerable to accelerated mineralization due to climate change. In order to assess the response of this peatland in Galicia (Spain), air temperature and volumetric water content in situ have been measured with a meteorological station to estimate the sink of carbon for this type of organic soil. Previous models could overestimate the annual Gross Primary Productive (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER) in this particular environmental condition in the southern border of the European peatland distribution. Previous studies defined 31,1 ±11,0 g C m-2 a-1 annual mean accumulation. The greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 and CH4, follow annual fluctuations which are higher during more intensive insolation during summer. This study aims to understand carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) production as a long term sink of carbon and how soil functions could be affected by the current environmental conditions. Volumetric water content of the soils is high throughout the year. During summer, high temperature decreases the water level causing temporary dry condition in the shallow surface area. Contracting this, high temperatures enhance microbiological activity and oxidation of C. Wetland applications to alleviate people’s daily life under extreme climatic and socio-ecological conditions Buchraya, salem1; francisco A. Comín2; Abdelfatah m. Labeid1; magfri e. sueilem1 1 Hydrology Unit, Tinduf Refuge Camps, Western Sahara. 2 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC. Zaragoza, Spain Wetlands can play a key role for providing resources and, particularly, good quality water for different uses of human populations living under difficult socio-ecological conditions. An important part of the Western Sahara people are living in refugee camps in southwest Alge- International Conference Wetlands 2014 137 ria, since they were moved out of their territories after the Moroccan invasion in 1975. Water is provided to this population from wells after inverse osmosis treatment facilitated by international assistance. The water cycle of this simple socio-ecological system has a number of key points related to the deficient quality of the water supplied and the amount of water available. Most of the daily water use ranges 10-30 L/person and reaches 80L/person-day during very hot months which coincide with high density population periods. Preliminary experimental wetlands created for improving water quality and further use were performed in the refugee camps in SW Algeria. Small subsurface flow wetlands using wastewater from human shower and kitchen facilities were useful for providing complementary food. Also small surface flow wetlands using wastewater from inverse osmosis plant and Phragmites australis from close sites are useful to avoid infiltration of high salinity water into the groundwater aquifer and to provide food for goat livestock. Further developments using these resources and wetland applications can contribute to close a more sustainable and efficient water cycle for human populations living under extreme socio-ecological conditions. The phenology of wetland submerged macrophytes: initial data for a baseline to determine predictable effects of Climate Change Calero, s.; William Colom; Lila reinhard; maría A. rodrigo Integrative Ecology Group, Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. Calero); [email protected] (M.A. Rodrigo) Climate Change affects living organisms, specially their phenology (i.e. the timing of recurrent events in their life cycles, such as flowering). In this sense, scarce information is available about submerged aquatic plants, although they play a key role in wetlands. As a baseline to establish long-term series about the phenology of aquatic plants, we are monitoring a created shallow pond in a depression between sand dunes at the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park (Spain). It holds a high macrophyte biodiversity: two angiosperms (Potamogeton pectinatus and Utricularia australis), and five monoecious and dioecious charophytes (Nitella hyalina, Chara aspera, Chara vulgaris, Chara hispida and Chara connivens). Since July 2013, we have been continuously monitoring underwater and atmospheric temperature (at two sites), underwater radiation and water level fluctuation through the use of sensors with data-loggers. Macrophytes have been collected at high frequency to monitor emergence, size and maturity of flowers/seeds in the angiosperms, and sexual organs (oogonia and antheridia) and oospores (and gyrogonites when produced) in charophytes. This initial data informs us about the life cycle of the macrophytes from this pond, as well as about basic environmental conditions that affect their phenology and that, in turn, are also influenced by Climate Change. Stock identification of mediterranean mullets of three wetlands in the Comunidad Valenciana using sagitta otolith morphometry Callicó fortunato, roberta1; Alejandra Volpedo1,2; Vicent Benedito durà3. 1 Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Animal (INPA-CONICET-UBA)/ Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires (CETA-FVET-UBA). Email: [email protected], [email protected] 2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas – CONICET 3 Departament D’Enginyeria Hidràulica i Medi Ambient, Universitat Politècnica de València. Email: [email protected] 138 International Conference Wetlands 2014 In the Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea there are 8 fish species of the Mugilidae family. Stock identification of mugilids is poorly studied and very important for local fisheries management and regulations. The aim of this work is to identify stocks of two of the most abundant mugilid species in the Comunidad Valenciana: Mugil cephalus, a worldwide distributed species, and Liza ramada. For this, we used as a tool sagitta otolith morphometry. Individuals of both species were sampled in three wetlands of the Comunidad Valenciana (Parque Natural Delta de l’Ebre, Parque Nartural de l’Albufera de Valencia and Parque Natural Salinas de Santa Pola) so as to map the whole coastal region. Total length of fish was registered and saccular otoliths were removed and photographed. Using an image analysis program, morphometric variables were measured: otolith length (OL), width (OW), perimeter (OP) and area (OA); sulcus perimeter (SP) and area (SA). These characters were compared among the different study areas using ANOVA, with Bonferroni contrasts. The results showed that with the use of otolith morphometry stock identification, of these two species, could be possible; however, to confirm this, it’s necessary the validation applying other methodologies such us otolith microchemistry or geographic morphometry. Wetland restoration in the Ebro River Watershed Calvo, Alfonso Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro, Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Zaragoza, Spain. [email protected] Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro-is following a wetlands restoration program in the Ero River Watershed following indications in the Spanish Water Act (Art. 103.4) establishes that Water and Environmental Authorities will coordinate actions for an efficient protection of wetlands of natural and landscape interest. Also the regulations of the Hydraulic Public Domain establish (Art. 282) that the Administration will perform the studies which are required to rehabilitate or restore wetlands desiccate by natural or artificial causes. After these general regulations a number of wetland were restored after the basic objectives of the Spanish Strategic Plan for the conservation and wise use of wetlands (1999) which also is aimed to increase the citizens awareness and involvement in nature conservation. Seventeen wetlands were restored in this operational framework: Bayas (Burgos), Zaldua (Navarra), Degollad and Hervias (Rioja), Alberca de Loreto (Huesca), Cañizar (Teruel), Reservoir of Monteagudo de las Vicarias (Soria), Galacho de los Fornazos, Ojos de Pontil y de Cimballa and Larralde (Zaragoza), La Yunta (Guadalajara), Sima in Rubielos de la Cérida (Teruel), and a number of freshwater wetlands linked to the Life Projects Visón territory (Navarra) and Creamagua in Mnegros (Huesca). Also the wetlands Luceni (Zaragoza), Almohaja (Teruel), Labastida (Alava) and Basturs (Lleida) are under process of restoration. Analysis of the turbidity and sediment concentration relationships in streams Campo-Bescós, miguel A.1; rafael Gimenez1; Javier Casalí sarasibar1 1 Dpt. Projects and Rural Engineering, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain, [email protected] To assess the environmental impact of the agricultural activity, the Government of Navarre (Spain) established a series of experimental watersheds. Meteorological and hydrological data (sediment concentration and runoff) are continuously monitored. Nowadays, there is International Conference Wetlands 2014 139 a complete database with daily records of suspended sediment obtained from automatic sampler. However, years ago it was realized that this time scale is too broad for a thorough characterization of the hydrological behavior of these watersheds. It is thus that, records of water turbidity -on a 10 minutes basis- have been also added along with water and sediment samples at event scale at different temporal resolution (from 30 min to 6 hours). However, the relationship between turbidity and suspended sediment is not straightforward and in fact there is not hitherto a standard procedure of calibration. Besides, this relationship may change along the year at least seasonally. The objective of this work is to analyze time series of suspended sediment concentration and its corresponding turbidity records in order to obtain reliable statistical models between both parameters. Preliminary results shown that the relationship is variable through the year and watershed. This variability should be taken into account on the estimation of sediment concentration. Evolution of European eel recruitment (Anguilla anguilla) in floodplain waterbodies of the downstream reaches of the Loire River, France. Canal, Julie 1,2; Timothée Besse 3; Aurore Baisez 3; Pascal Laffaille 1,2 1 CNRS; UMR 5245 EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement) ; 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9 2 Université de Toulouse; INP, UPS ; EcoLab; ENSAT, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan Cedex 3 Association Logrami (Loire Grands Migrateurs), 8 rue de la Ronde – 03500 Saint-Pourçain sur Sioule Since the 1980s, a severe decline in European eel recruitment has occurred across Europe, due to a combination of multifactorial causes. Waterbodies are preferred habitat for eel populations, and they are increasingly threatened by human activities. Conservation measures have been taken to preserve eel and its habitat and it is essential to monitor current stocks to assess the effectiveness of these measures. We used a Point Abundance Sampling electrofishing protocol to assess the composition of eel assemblages in 35 waterbodies located along the downstream reaches of the Loire River. We used CPUEs (average number of eel by PAS) to compare the evolution of eel abundance in waterbodies, and an indicator of fluvial recruitment, the Colonization Front indicator (CFI), to assess the spatial evolution of eel recruitment during the three years of study. We demonstrated a 330 % increase of eel recruitment and essentially the smallest size class between 2010 and 2013, and we highlighted a 30 km increase of the CFI between this period, reaching 90 km from the tidal limit. Despite these promising trends, eel recruitment still insufficient and it is crucial to maintain and intensify the conservative measures implemented at the European level to protect European eel. The fertility status of two protected saline wetlands in NE Spain Castañeda, Carmen1; Claire Jouany2; estela Luna1 1 Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, EEAD-CSIC, Avenida Montañana 1005, 50059-Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected] 2 INRA, UMR 1248 AGIR, F-31326 Castanet Tolosan, France, [email protected] The fertility of two saline wetlands located in arid (Guallar) and semiarid (Gallocanta) environments was studied. The soils surface and vegetation were sampled along two soil transects including cultivated areas and halophytes. Soil salinity measured as electrical conductivity of soil: water extract (1:5; w:v) ranged from 2.6 to 218.6 dS m - 1. Gypsum con- 140 International Conference Wetlands 2014 tent ranged from <2% in Gallocanta to 64% in Guallar soils. Mean calcium carbonate equivalent was 40%. Soils showed significant differences in fertility between cultivated and natural vegetated areas. In both wetlands P Olsen and soil solution P values measured under halophytes were quite low (< 12 and < 2 mg P2O5/kg, respectively), whereas cultivated soils displayed significantly higher values. For natural vegetation standing biomass was higher in Guallar than in Gallocanta. On cultivated soils, biomass production was lower in areas affected by soil salinity. The nutrients content (N and P) was twice in crops than in halophytic grasses, whereas average N/P ratio was higher in saline soils than in non-saline soils, 12.5 and 8.8, respectively. The nutrition indexes (N and P) of crops were high (up to 122% NNI and 112% PNI) indicative of non-limiting N and P supply for growth as a consequence of fertilizers supplied by farming. Effect of hydraulic infrastructures on the chemical quality of the flooded area of Tablas de Daimiel National Park (Central Spain) Castaño Castaño, silvino1; Almudena de la Losa román1; rosa mediavilla López1; Juan ignacio santisteban navarro2; Pedro martínez santos2 1 Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), C/ Ríos Rosas nº23, Madrid 28003. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2 Geological Science Faculty. Complutense University of Madrid, José Antonio Novais, 12. Madrid 28040. [email protected], [email protected] Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park (TDNP), located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, was a Mediterranean wetland linked to groundwater dynamics. In natural conditions, the water of the wetland was a mixing of surface water and groundwater. Brackish surface water came mainly from Cigüela River, entering the TDNP by the northeastern area. Freshwater inputs came from the Guadiana river (incoming from the east) having both surface (from the tributary Azuer river) and underground sources. In the mid-1980s, the disappearance of groundwater inputs and the reduction of surface contributions occurred. Several actions were taken to maintain the water level in the wetland, being the most important ones the construction of three dams (Molemocho, Morenillo and Puente Navarro), pumping of groundwater from different salinity to the wetland and additional transfers of surface water by the Cigüela River. As a consequence, the hydrological dynamics of the wetland and the physical and chemical characteristics of the water were modified, causing an increase in salinity from Cigüela to the rest of TDNP. The period 2009-2013 has been particularly wet, and a “quasi-natural” regime has been restored in the TDNP in two steps: a) exclusive contributions of surface water from the Cigüela River and b) major inputs from the Azuer through the Guadiana and contributions from springs. The monitoring of the chemical quality of the waters of TDNP in the last wet period has shown that the less saline waters entering to the TDNP from the Guadiana have migrated upstream favored by water retention infrastructures. International Conference Wetlands 2014 141 Morphometric indexes as a tool for assessing resilience in South European Atlantic Coastal Lagoons (NW Iberian Peninsula) Cillero, Carmen1; marco rubinos1; ramón A. díaz-Varela2; Pablo ramil-rego1 1 IBADER (Agricultural Biodiversity and Rural Development Institute). GI-1934-TeBio. University of Santiago de Compostela. Campus Lugo. E-27002. Lugo. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 University of Santiago de Compostela. Botany Department GI-1934-TeBio IBADER. Escola Politécnica Superior de Lugo. Campus Universitario S/N. E-27002. Lugo. Spain. [email protected] In this work we aimed at identifying potential relationships between hydrochemical data of coastal lagoons and morphological features of the water bodies and their watersheds. Geographical Information System (GIS) analyses of spatial data were integrated with chemical analyses of water samples of 11 Atlantic coastal lagoons. Using Factorial Analysis of hydrochemical data, salinity and trophic state were identified as the two main sources of lagoon’s water chemistry variability. We then tested the relationships between these variables, with potential effects on resilience of coastal water bodies, and 23 morphological parameters. Results showed significant correlations between salinity and the degree of confinement of the lagoons (related to barrier and inlet width). Eutrophication-related parameters (mainly dissolved TP) were significantly correlated with the extension of drought surface (%), maximum depth, average watershed slope and the ratio watershed: lagoon areas. These findings showed that some morphological features can be linked to lagoon’s trends towards eutrophication and salinity changes. As coastal lagoons are particularly affected by impacts to their inlets, barriers and general morphology, our results have important management implications, pointing out that morphological alterations can severely reduce the resilience of these ecosystems. The role of hydrochemical data as an indicator of anthropogenic pressures on South European Atlantic bogs (NW Iberian Peninsula) Cillero, Carmen1; ramón A. díaz-Varela2; marco rubinos1; Pablo ramil-rego1 1 IBADER (Agricultural Biodiversity and Rural Development Institute). GI-1934-TeBio. University of Santiago de Compostela. Campus Lugo. E-27002. Lugo. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 University of Santiago de Compostela. Botany Department GI-1934-TeBio IBADER. Escola Politécnica Superior de Lugo. Campus Universitario S/N. E-27002. Lugo. Spain. [email protected] This work aims at identifying the main mechanisms which control the hydrochemistry of 9 Atlantic bogs located in an area of high nature value, by combining chemical analyses of water samples and Geographical Information System (GIS) analysis of spatial data. The study evaluates the effect of several landscape variables computed at watershed scale, on bog water chemistry, along with other variables of wetland’s location in relation to sea and to potential contamination sources. Results didn’t show any significant relationship between hydrochemistry and land use/land cover at watershed scale. In turn, a significant relationship between the hydrochemistry and other variables acting at a larger scale was found. Hence a significant relation was found between Zn concentrations in bog waters and the distance to the nearby As Pontes coal-fired power station. In addition, a relationship was also found between this distance and the concentration of NH4+, possibly due to the effect of agricultural 142 International Conference Wetlands 2014 areas surrounding the power station, which is located in the direction of the dominant SSW winds. Results also suggested a relationship between the weighed distance to sea and bog water chemistry. Our findings allowed us to identify the main anthropogenic impacts acting at different scales, having important management implications. Preliminary results of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) removal by aquatic plants Cindrić, ines1; nina Popović1; ivana Grčić2 1 Karlovac University of Applied Sciences, Trg J.J.Strossmayera 9, 47000 Karlovac, Croatia, [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, [email protected] In the present study, the potential of aquatic plant Scirpus lacustris L. for degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) has been investigated. The study was carried out at laboratory-scale constructed wetland. Plants of the studied species were collected from local pond in an urban landscape. Scirpus lacustris was planted onto the sand (d=1-2 mm) and after acclimated period the wetland system was exposed to 5 mg/L concentration of LAS. The experiments were performed in the absence of nutrients. The amount of LAS which was removed by Scirpus lacustris L. after 7 days was 95,22%. LAS adsorption process onto sand surface was taken into consideration. The COD measurement results indicate very low concentration of organic matter in water samples (up to 20 mg/L). At the end of experiment there was no change in the chlorophyll content in analysed tissue of treated plants compared to the control plant. The results showed that under these experimental conditions there was no effect of LAS on plants morphology. Data obtained from this preliminary study demonstrated the phytoremediation potential of Scirpus lacustris L. for tackling the problem of environmental contamination by surfacants successfully. However, more intensive future research is required to explore various aspects of this approach. Groundwater chemistry in the wetland affected by mine contaminated river Ciszewski, dariusz; Paweł Bijata AGH University of Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Protection, 30-059 Kraków, Mickiewicza St. 30, Poland Lowland rivers in wide valleys may lost water due to infiltration in alluvia forming riverine marhes. Groundwater quality in such loosing reaches is strongly affected by pollution of river water. This is the case for the Bia_a Przemsza river in southern Poland polluted by waters discharged from the lead and zinc mine. Permanent discharge of mine waters minimizes fluctuations of water table both in the river and in the adjacent wetland. Average depth of the water level change from about 0,8 to 1 m at the river bank to 0 - 10 cm over most of the wetland in the middle part of the meander bend. Also quality of the groundwater measured in piezometers installed each 10 m in the net, change across the bend. The highest conductivity of groundwaters is observed at the upstream bank of the meander and equal to about 1200 µS. The mineralization decrease toward the centre of the wetland and is minimal in International Conference Wetlands 2014 143 most points at the downstream bank of the meander. Content of most of ions exhibit the same distribution pattern. Ca concentration vary in range 160-80 mg/l, Mg 48-22 mg/l, Na 33-12 mg/l, K 8-1 mg/l. Content of SO4 vary between 280 and 130 mg/l, HCO3 between 440 and 160 mg/l, Cl 43-16 mg/l whereas Fe in most of points falls <0,1 mg/l but in the central part raise to even 10 mg/l. Maximum values of all ions are similar to those observed in the river waters whereas minimum value is usually at least several times higher than that in control points situated outside the inflow of the river water to the wetland. Macroinvertebrate biodiversity of Mediterranean temporary ponds: the case of Sardinia Compte, Jordi1,2; simonetta Bagella1; stéphanie Gascón2; maria Carmela Caria1; Jordi sala2; dani Boix2 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari. Via Piandanna 4. 07100. Sassari. Italy. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] The macroinvertebrate and amphibian biodiversity of Mediterranean temporary ponds located in the island of Sardinia (Italy) has been studied. Thirty six temporary ponds have been sampled between 2007 and 2014. All the ponds were small and shallow (less than 1 ha and less than 2m depth). The ponds had low human pressure and the main human disturbance was the presence of cattle and sheep. The specimens collected have been identified to the maximum possible taxonomic level, mainly species or genera. More that 72,000 individuals were identified, corresponding to 147 taxa. Coleopterans (54 taxa) and dipterans (46 taxa) were the groups best represented with 37% and 31% of all identified taxa, respectively. Heteropterans (15 taxa, 10% of taxa) were also important. It is interesting to note the presence of trichopterans (3 taxa), the notostracan Lepidurus apus and the Corixidae Cymatia rogenhoferi, the first record in Sardinia and third record in Italy. Wildfire effects on aquatic macroinvertebrate species and macrophytes in Mediterranean temporary ponds Cunillera, david1; irene Tornero2; Gerard Alòs2; marta Gómez3; marina sánchez4; Carles Tomàs5; rosa Vila6; núria Àvila7; Xavier d. Quintana8; Jordi sala9; stéphanie Gascón10; dani Boix11. 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071.Girona.Spain [email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected]. edu;[email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Wildfires are important natural disturbances in the Mediterranean ecosystems, that determine their dynamics and succession patterns. Wildfires will increase its severity and frequency as a consequence of climate change. A lack of knowledge on how fire can affect Mediterranean temporary ponds (priority habitats following European Directive) becomes a problem when future fire-impact scenarios are made. In July 2012 a wildfire burned 10,476 Ha in the NE of Iberian Peninsula. The burned area included the Albera site, where more 144 International Conference Wetlands 2014 than thirty well preserved temporary ponds are known. Near all the ponds were dry during the wildfire, but not all of them were affected similarly: some burned completely, others only partially and some of them were not burned. We analyzed the effects of the wildfire on three groups of primary producers (phytoplankton, filamentous algae and macrophytes) and four aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages (gastropods, dragonflies and damselflies, coleopterans and heteropterans) comparing differently affected ponds. Burned ponds were characterized by having more phytoplankton biomass (water chlorophyll-a) and filamentous algae, but less macrophyte biomass. Different results were observed for the faunal assemblages: gastropods and odonates of burned ponds presented different composition and structure, while no differences were observed in coleopteran and heteropteran assemblages. Hydrogeology of Clot de Galvany cryptowetland (Alicante) de la Hera Portillo, África1; Juan mª fornés Azcoiti1; Jose manuel murillo díaz1; Juan José durán Valsero1 1 Geological Survey of Spain (Instituto Geológico y Minero de España). Ríos Rosas 23. 28003 Madrid. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] The Clot de Galvany is one of the coastal Mediterranean existing cryptowetlands in the province of Alicante. In spite of Nature enjoyed the figures of Site of Community Interest and Special Areas for conservation of the Birds integrated to the Network 2000 according to the Habitat Directive (92/43/CEE), the management of the water in its surrounding has provoked that this protected area sees seriously removed what should be his natural functioning. In this work one presents a synthesis of the results reached in a hydrogeological study taken to end for the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME) during the year 2012 to 2014. The constant record with weekly period of the level of underground water in the basin of the wetland has allowed characterizing his seasonal evolution. The current functioning of this cryptowetland is linked to a system of artificial feed system that consists of the contribution of polished waters proceeding from a station nearby filter system of waste waters (Los Arenales del Sol). The water budgets made with the available information allow obtaining an approximation to the water demand of this wetland. Close to this analysis, a comparison of the services that this wetland was giving in the past opposite to those services carried out today is provided. Can urban wetlands be biodiversity hotspots in our cities? demierre, eliane1; ilg, Christiane1; Hamerlík, Ladislav2; oertli, Beat1 hepia, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, [email protected] 1 Most cities host countless small waterbodies, from garden ponds to park lakes and water storage reservoirs. Do such wetlands favour biodiversity, useful for conservation purpose or, on the contrary, do they host pest or undesirables species? A study of a hundred ponds in a large European city (Geneva, Switzerland) underlined a freshwater biodiversity with various contrasting facets. The local and regional species richness of macrophytes, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians remained moderate if compared with natural areas, and these waterbodies hosted only few threatened taxa. Therefore, the interest for conservation of these communities is relatively low. Additionally, exotic species were numerous, especially International Conference Wetlands 2014 145 macrophytes, and could potentially constitute a threat. Pest species and nuisances are nevertheless inconspicuous. Biting dipterans are few and public complaints remain anecdotal (also regarding frog songs). Nevertheless, the biodiversity is present with often flagship and aesthetic species (plants, frogs, damselflies) and bring therefore nature experience in urban areas. The biodiversity of urban wetland presents here an opportunity for the social aspect. Hydrodynamic numerical modeling of the groundwater decline in the Doñana temporary ponds (SW Spain) dimitriou, e.1; e. moussoulis2,3; C. díaz-Paniagua4; L. serrano5 1 Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) Anavyssos Attica, Greece, [email protected] 2 Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, Seferi 2, GR-30100 Agrinio, Greece, [email protected] 3 DHI, 114 Thiras, Argyroupoli, Athens 16451, Greece 4 Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain [email protected] 5 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain, [email protected] Although the Doñana National Park is given the highest degree of environmental protection in Spain, several ponds have been damaged due to groundwater abstraction at a nearby tourist village. In 1992, an International Expert Commission issued a call for the sustainable use of water resources in the area. Since then, a golf course opened in 2000 under the false pretence of using treated waste-water for watering the grass. A legal investigation into the unlawful transfer of this golf business to the local municipality is being conducted since 2012, thus revealing the magnitude of the scam. Changes in water table depth have been monitored over 23 years in three temporary ponds (Las Verdes, Zahíllo and Charco del Toro) and a numerical model was set up, calibrated and validated (split-sample test) on a daily basis to assess whether the duration of the wet phase (hydroperiod) significantly deviated from an expected pattern driven by rainfall and evapotranspiration. Calibration and validation periods covered hydrological years 1989-1997 and 1999-2012, respectively. The estimated annual hydroperiod without human intervention was more than 290 days for these ponds. This figure indicates a strong deviation from the current hydroperiod situation which possibly implies a significant impact by human activities. Characterization of soil microbial communities along saline gradient at the Gallocanta Lake, Spain duran, robert1; Anne Carbon1 ; Carmen Castañeda2 ; Béatrice Lauga1 1 EEM, Equipe Environnement et Microbiologie, IPREM UMR CNRS-UPPA 5254, IBEAS BP1155, 64013 Pau cedex, France, [email protected] 2 Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected] Saline wetlands are extreme environments with an important ecological value as they represent a reservoir of biodiversity. They include a wide microbial diversity that drives many ecosystems processes. Such environments are threatened by the surrounding human activ- 146 International Conference Wetlands 2014 ities releasing heavy metals and organic pollutants. In front of the development of human activities together with the increasing societal pressure for a cleaner environment, it is urgent to obtain relevant knowledge on microbial communities inhabiting saline wetlands in order to characterize their role in the ecosystem functioning. Several reports have demonstrated the biotechnological potential of microorganisms living in extreme ecosystems such as saline environments. Thus, for environmental microbiologists, the challenge is also the exploration of the biotechnological potential of extremophile microbes including the capacity to mitigate the impact of pollutants and the effect of climatic global changes. Recent studies on microbial communities inhabiting saline lakes have revealed the important genetic diversity and the presence of not yet described microbial populations. Most studies have focalized on the water column while microbial communities inhabiting soil and sediments in such saline wetlands have been scarcely studied. The Gallocanta Lake (Aragon, Spain) is the largest and bestpreserved saline lake in Western Europe. Its geology, mineralogy and hydrology have been well documented. The area is very dynamic with sensitive and rapid environmental changes subjecting the microbial communities to a strong selection pressure. Soil microbial communities were characterized along saline gradients by 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. Samples were taken in April 2013 along three distinct a saline gradient covering 1) a non-vegetated soil at the lake border, 2) a vegetated soil near the lake and 3) an agricultural soil with the use of pesticide. Our objective was to describe the diversity of microbial communities inhabiting these environments and determine the major parameters controlling the microbial assemblages. Factors regulating the invasive success of an alien frog: a comparison of the ecology of the native and alien populations escoriza, d.1; Jihène Ben Hassine2; dani Boix1 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University Tunis El Manar, Tunisia. [email protected] We examined niche occupancy of Discoglossus pictus, an anuran recently established in Europe, comparing the niches of native (North Africa) and alien populations (south-western Europe) at two spatial scales to determine whether adaptive divergence had occurred between these two populations. Additionally, we determine whether the alien species showed a wider larvae niche and higher phenotypic variability compared with co-occurring anurans. We characterized the breeding habitats and the climatic space occupied by native and alien groups of populations of D. pictus and examined morphological traits of D. pictus and sympatric anuran larvae. Our results revealed no divergence in breeding habitat use between native and alien populations. A shift was observed between the realized niches occupied by the native and alien populations, but this shift might only reflect cryptic niche conservatism. The range of reproductive habitats selected by D. pictus was not wider than those of most native species. In the invaded range, D. pictus showed morphological overlap with some native species and broader phenotypic variability, but the adaptive advantages of this latter attribute were uncertain. Our results suggest that the invasive capacity of this species depends on favourable abiotic conditions rather than on its adaptive advantages over native anurans. International Conference Wetlands 2014 147 Wetlands Colombian Caribbean bacteriological quality water estupiñán Torres1, sandra mónica; sara Lilia Ávila de navia1. 1 Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca. Grupo Calidad de aguas. [email protected]; [email protected] The wetland serve important environmental functions and retaining large amounts of water regulate river flows and maximize the processes of sedimentation and deposition of materials. In these systems, a wide variety of flora and fauna that provide shelter, food and protection for migratory species of fish and birds are housed. Water quality and bacterial diversity nine swamps of the Colombian Caribbean, were evaluated. The techniques used were membrane filtration and bacterial isolation and rapid identification tests. Escherichia coli counts, total coliforms and Enterococcus indicate that there is fecal contamination in all water bodies and that this is more of human origin. Among the diseases caused by this group of bacteria are hemolytic uremic syndrome, gastroenteritis, and various infections. Within the study were included genera Pseudomonas, Aeromonas and Vibrio. The first two genera are found in large numbers and their presence in natural waters is related to the trophic status of pathogenic Vibrio species of fish and humans were isolated. In water bodies, a variety of microorganisms that show bacterial diversity and provide information for possible use in the field of biotechnology and biological indications were identified. In addition, bacteria that affect human health were identified. Triterpenoid and steroid composition of temperate peat-forming plants of North Spain fernández Alvarez, Adrian1a, Justyna urbanczyk1b, Veneranda López-días1c, Angeles G. Borrego1d Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR-CSIC). Aptdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain. [email protected] 1b [email protected] 1c [email protected] 1d [email protected] 1 1a Molecular biomarkers are compounds derived from living organisms, which maintain their original structure after transformation in the sediment and can be used as source markers. In this study peat-forming plants collected in the temperate raised bogs from Asturias have extracted with dichloromethane, and their compounds identified and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The studied plants comprise examples of the most common heather, fern, sedge, grass, rush and moss growing in Asturian peats. Medium molecular weight n-alkanes (C23 and C25) predominated in Sphagnum and Eriophorum angustifolium, whereas higher molecular weight ones predominated in higher plants, with Ericaceae and Osmunda regalis being particularly rich in C31 and C33. The amount of methyl-ketones was rather low in the fresh plants and rules out direct input as the main source for these widespread compounds in the Asturian peats. A large amount of Stigmasterol characterized, Sphagnum sp., which predominated over other steroid compounds with lower specificity. Triterpenoids with ursane, oleanane and lupane skeletons were detected in most of the species with the largest concentrations being found in Ericaceae. Ursanoids predominated over oleanoids, as also observed in the peat profiles. No higher plants triterpenoids were detected in Molinia caerulea. In general the alcohol derivatives predominated over ketone 148 International Conference Wetlands 2014 and acetates in the fresh plants, whereas in the peats of the region alcohols were restricted to the upper layers. Low amounts of hopanoids functionalized in C3 have been observed in the plants, apparently having a low specificity. Hydrogeological itineraries in the Nature Reserves of the province of Seville (Spain) fernández Ayuso, Ana1; miguel rodríguez rodríguez1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Carretera de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla. [email protected]; [email protected] 1 The aim of this report is to propose four itineraries, one in each of the Nature Reserves of the province of Seville. These Protected Natural Areas host shallow, temporary and brackish-water playa-lakes. These playa-lakes are located in the southern Spain countryside and they are fragile and scarce ecosystems with a high ecological value. Moreover, they are subjected to a high agricultural pressure in their watersheds. In these itineraries significant elements, such as springs, and the alteration degree of the playa-lakes, some of which are partially or completely drained for agricultural use, are highlighted. Some improvement proposals such as bird viewpoints or new access, that are private in some cases, have also been included. This report aims to contribute to the dissemination of the Natural Heritage of Seville and, particularly, of the wetlands of Andalusia, often unknowns by society. Furthermore, the improvement proposals are intended to facilitate accessibility. Relationships between geomorphologic features and aquatic plant distribution in a temporary pond system (Doñana National Park): implications for conservation and management fernández-Zamudio, rocío2; Carmen díaz-Paniagua2; Pablo García-murillo1 1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville. [email protected] 2 Doñana Biological Station, CSIC. Seville, SPAIN. [email protected]; [email protected] In Doñana, more than 3000 temporary ponds may be filled with annual rainfall, showing a wide variability in hydroperiod and other physico-chemical features. We evaluated the distribution of aquatic plant assemblages in 218 ponds from different areas through the park, and found an important segregation of species according to geomorphologic attributes. Some characteristic species from each geomorphologic unit were identified. In the northern areas of the park ponds have low conductivity values and there is a wide gradient of hydroperiod, predominating species as Myriophyllum alterniflorum, or Juncus heterophyllus in plant assemblages, with Potamogeton natans in those ponds of largest hydroperiod. Ponds located at the southern areas have high values of carbonates that determine plant assemblages, favoring the presence of Potamogeton lucens and Chara spp. The existence of artificially deepened ponds (zacayones) contributes to increase the pond network hydroperiod gradient, favoring the conservation of strictly aquatic macrophytes, especially during unsuitable years with severe droughts. The management and the assessment of the ecosystem services provided by these specific transformed ponds have great importance to preserve the high richness and diversity of aquatic plants. International Conference Wetlands 2014 149 Seasonal and spatial patterns in zooplankton assemblages of temporary ponds florencio, margarita1,2; Carmen díaz-Paniagua1 ; Laura serrano3 1 Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain. [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Present address: Azorean Biodiversity Group (CITA-A) and Platform for Enhancing Ecological Research and Sustainability (PEERS), Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal. [email protected] 3 Dept. Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, P.O. Box 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain. [email protected] Zooplankton assemblages were monthly sampled in 20 temporary ponds of the Doñana National Park (SW Spain), from inundation to desiccation during 2006-2007. These ponds were selected across a wide gradient of water permanence (hydroperiod), being categorized according with their relative hydroperiod that year, in ephemeral (<6.4 months), short (6.4-7 months), intermediate (7-7.5 months) and long hydroperiod ponds (>7.5 months). Zooplankton assemblages were sampled using a net of 100 mm mesh size and 5-21 litres of water per pond were filtered. Our results reveal seasonal and spatial variations in zooplankton assemblages, being the differences between ponds and hydroperiods dependent of each sampling month suggesting a high singularity of these zooplankton assemblages. A total of 54 species were recorded: 33 cladocerans, 7 cyclopoids, 7 large branchiopods, 5 diaptomids and 2 harpacticoids. Two new cites in Doñana have been found (Alona iberica and Ephemeroporus phintonicus) rising to 81 the total number of taxa recorded in previous studies. This implies that the Doñana ponds harbour about 50% of all branchiopod species and 60% of all copepod species inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula. We highlight the importance of protecting the whole hydroperiod spectrum to preserve the high zooplankton diversity detected in this temporary pond network. Characterizing and quantifying environmental unpredictability of a Mediterranean pond complex by using satellite imagery. franch-Gras, Lluís1; eduardo García-roger; maría José Carmona; manuel serra 1 Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, A.O. 22085, 46071, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] Mediterranean water bodies are characterized by strong seasonality and temporal unpredictability at several time scales. During a row of years, some temporary ponds may hold water continuously, others may remain dry most years, and other fill and dry out, depending on annual rainfall pattern. These fluctuations in hydroperiod may correlate with both fluctuations in the area of the ponds and physicochemical parameters, as conductivity, and they have manifold consequences on adaptation and ecology. For instance, environmental fluctuations may work as a selective pressure for life-history strategies of small organisms, and may affect migration. Under a predicted scenario of global increase in environmental variability, characterizing fluctuation patterns accurately is crucial for testing evolutionary and ecological hypothesis on their effects. Remote sensing data obtained by satellites could make a difference in this characterization, offering both long-term hydrological series and suitable temporal resolutions. The objective of this contribution is using LANDSAT TM/ETM images to monitor the presence of water in a complex of nine Mediterranean ponds and estimate the average and variance of their hydroperiods. By applying Colwell’s metrics to temporary wetlands we characterize the degree of environmental predictability of the ponds. Results 150 International Conference Wetlands 2014 show that these ponds cover a wide gradient of unpredictability. This study demonstrates the benefits of using remote sensing to quantify environmental uncertainty with a high degree of precision. Moreover, the findings of the present study suggest that studying the hydrological dynamics with LANDSAT TM/ETM images is a useful tool for water management. The effect of life-history variation on competition in ecologically similar species: the case of two cryptic rotifer species Gabaldón, Carmen1; maría José Carmona; Javier montero-Pau; manuel serra 1Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, A.O.22085, 46071, Valencia, Spain Species competition results in coexistence or exclusion, and the processes determining one of the outputs are a fundamental question in Ecology. This is particularly interesting in the case of cryptic species, as they are expected to have similar ecological requirements (i.e. ecological niche) due to their phylogenetic proximity and their morphological similarity. Environmental fluctuations and its interplay with specific life history traits are expected to have implications for coexistence and displacement. The rotifers Brachionus plicatilis and B. manjavacas are morphologically identical with a wide niche overlap. They often co-occur in many Spanish brackish inland ponds. These rotifers are cyclical parthenogens producing diapausing eggs via sexual reproduction, and these eggs allow them to persist through recurrent adverse periods. According to previous studies, these species show a differential response to salinity and temperature, and differ consistently in life-history traits involved in the production and hatching of diapausing eggs, which allows this species to survive adverse biotic and abiotic periods. In this work, we explore theoretically the effect of salinity fluctuation on the coexistence of these two model species. We built a model that takes into account differential features of the species life-history traits, as measured experimentally in previous work. The model was analyzed using computer simulation of the long-term competition dynamics of both species under different salinity regimes. We considered the situations where (1) salinity regime is constant and favorable for one or other species; (2) salinity fluctuates among growing seasons; and (3) salinity varying within each growing season. The effects of the diapausing egg production and survivorship on the dynamic competition were also explored. Crossed-effects between temperature and pesticides on a freshwater fish of wetlands Gandar, Allison ab ; Canal Julie ab, marty-Gasset nathalie cd, Gilbert franck be, sánchez-Pérez José miguel ab, Jean séverine ab, Laffaille Pascal ab a Université de Toulouse ; INPT, UPS ; EcoLab, ENSAT, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France b CNRS ; UMR 5245 EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France c Université de Toulouse ; INPT, ENSAT; UMR 1388 GenPhySE (Génétique, Physiologie et Systèmes d’Elevage), F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France d INRA ; UMR 1388 GenPhySE, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France e Université de Toulouse ; INPT, UPS ; EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France International Conference Wetlands 2014 151 Climate change has been identified as one of the major drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the coming decades. At the same time, agricultural and industrial development has led to an explosion of pollutants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In France, the fourth largest world consumer of pesticides, the chronic contamination of surface water is reported especially in wetlands. Importance of crossed-effects between climate and pollutions has been identified, both on distribution and abundance of species and on ecosystem functioning. However, studies on crossed-effects between temperature and pesticides on fish are often limited. In this study we experimentally assessed behavioral and physiological responses of a common freshwater fish of wetlands, Carassius auratus, to individual and combined thermal and pesticides stresses. We exposed juveniles at two temperatures and to a mixture of seven common pesticides at two different concentrations. We followed sediment reworking behavior during 96h and measured several physiological endpoints (condition factor, hepato-somatic index, protein concentrations in liver and white muscle). We found that temperature warming significantly modifies the behavioral and physiological responses of the goldfish to pesticides. Conservation priority setting for temporary ponds from Doñana National Park (SW Spain) based on plant species García murillo, Pablo1; rocío fernández Zamudio2; Argantonio rodriguez1; Carmen díaz Paniagua2 1 Department of Plant Biology and Ecology. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville. [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Doñana Biological Station, CSIC. Seville, SPAIN. [email protected]; [email protected] The Doñana National Park (SW Spain) includes a large network of temporary ponds (more than 3000 may be observed during the years of high rainfall). These wetlands are the main habitats for many specialized plants and animals, having a crucial importance for their conservation. However, its management priorities are not clearly established. In consequence, the efficiency in the conservation works requires setting priorities in order to identify properly the most fragile and singular sites. Considering the plant species observed in 218 temporary ponds sampled during 2007-2013, we have applied an objective, hierarchical method, adapted to regional situations, to identify conservation priorities. It is based on three criteria: regional responsibility, local rarity and habitat vulnerability. We obtained scores according to the plant species presence for each pond, and then these results were applied to build an overall ranking for the Doñana temporary pond network. The scores indicate the most important ponds and their precedence in order to apply conservation actions. It reveals important conservation priorities that should be taken into account by the managers from this National Park. Modelling of water quality in FWS-Constructed Wetlands using the software AQUASIM Gargallo, sara; miguel martín; núria oliver; Carmen Hernández-Crespo Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] Complex interactions between physical, chemical and biological processes take place in constructed wetlands (CW). Mathematical models are useful tools to understand these interre- 152 International Conference Wetlands 2014 lations. In the last years some Mechanistic Water Quality Models (WQM) have being developed in CW. Many of these Mechanistic models have been applied to subsurface flow CW. In this study we aim to increase the knowledge about Free Water Surface Constructed Wetlands (FWSCW) treating natural eutrophic water by developing a Mechanistic WQM. Software AQUASIM is used to apply the model structure introduced by IWA, Activated Sludge Models (ASMs). A hydrodynamic model and a set of biokinetic reactions are combined to obtain the evolution of organic matter, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and its species and pH. Special attention is paid to suspended solids, which are modelled by dividing them onto inorganic and volatile suspended solids. The model includes the interaction with some external factors as wind, birds and macrophytes. Input data have been obtained from monitoring the FWSCW Tancat de la Pipa (Valencia, Spain) for four years. The model developed will allow to determine water quality in FWSCW treating eutrophic water under different scenarios and to optimize its design and management. Wild boar Sus scrofa control by hunters and farmers faces crop damages in a protected wetland Giménez-Anaya, Alberto1,2; Juan Herrero2; Alicia García-serrano1; Carlos Prada1; e. Arrechea3; ramón regal3; francisco sebastián3; maría de los Ángeles Pintor4; Jesús urbón3; ricardo García-González5 Ega Wildlife Consultants. Sierra de Vicort 31. E-50003 Zaragoza. [email protected] Area of Ecology. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Technical School of Huesca. University of Zaragoza. E-22071 Huesca. [email protected] 3 Departamento de Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente. Gobierno de Aragón. Pº María Agustín 36. E50071 Zaragoza 4 Departamento de Servicios Medioambientales. Sociedad Aragonesa de Gestión Agroambiental. Avda. César Augusto 14, 8ª planta. E-50004 Zaragoza. [email protected] 5 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC). Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria s/n. E-22700 Jaca [email protected] 1 2 In order to prevent wild boar Sus scrofa crop damage, during an 18 yr period (n=298; 19942011) local hunters developed hunting battues with dogs, in a protected continental wetland, the Sotos and Galachos Ebro River Nature Reserve (Aragon, Spain). Results showed an inverse relation between the number of battues and the amount of crop damages. Wild boars were not a biodiversity conservation problem, as ascertained by wild boar gastric analysis (n=142). During 2012 and 2013 a new culling program was started, using battues (n=33), done by local hunters; and still hunt (n=81), mainly done by farmers which were also hunters. Electric fences were used by farmers (n=2) to prevent wild boars entering crops. Both periods were not strictly comparable due to their lengths and conditions. Preliminary results indicate that wild boar abundance during the second period was 3.5 animals per battue; annual damages were low 6.6 (2012) and 8.6 € per ha (2013) and the total cost was 5,005 € (2012) and 4,813 (2013) €, representing 94.8 (2012) and 265.9 (2013) € per wild boar culled. The new plan reduces damages in an effective way, with a small cost for the regional administration (16.2 (2012) and 18 (2013) € per ha). Also integrates farmers, hunters and managers of the protected area in a common work enhancing crop protection and protected area’s positive perception by local interest groups. International Conference Wetlands 2014 153 Spatial variability in nutrient retention along Mediterranean slope wetlands Gómez, rosa1; Victoria García-García1; mª Luisa suárez1; mª rosario Vidal-Abarca1 1 Department of Ecology and Hydrology. Murcia University. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] It is well know that wetlands can significantly decrease the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentration in agricultural runoff. Nevertheless, some questions remain about its buffer function as: does nutrient retention occur evenly throughout the total wetland length? An efficient integrated water quality management and land use planning, demands the selection of the most suitable wetland sites and subsequently the dimensioning of wetland as buffer systems at catchment scale. Thus, the main objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variation in N and P retention efficiency throughout reaches in two Mediterranean slope wetlands (Taray and Parra) from agricultural catchments. We observed that the first 100 m of wetlands were significantly more effective at removing surface and subsurface N and P, whereas P was observed to be exported in the lower reaches. The higher N and P load retention in the upper reach of wetlands could mainly be related to assimilation by Phragmites australis, P removal through formation of Fe plaques at root surfaces, and N denitrification. Finally, on the basis of our results the preservation of a 10% of agricultural area to the slope wetland conservation could remove the N load exported from both, extensively and intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Seasonal variation of interstitial water organic carbon in sediments of an urban mangrove swamp: ecological importance for development. González-farias, fernando A.1; martín Pérez Peña2; Jaime Torres Guerrero3; Víctor Hernández santos3; martín López Hernández1. 1 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, México, D.F., México 04510. [email protected]. 2 Universidad de Guadalajara, CUCBA, Zapopan, Jalisco, México 45220. [email protected]. 3 Área Natural Protegida Estero El Salado, Pto Vallarta, Jalisco, México 48335. [email protected]; [email protected]. The “Estero El Salado” (EES) is a mangrove swamp located in the middle of Puerto Vallarta city, in the Pacific coast of Mexico. EES is a natural protected area which is feeding, protection and reproduction grounds for terrestrial and aquatic organisms and also an in situ environmental education place for tourists and locals. Mangroves produce high amounts of organic matter, one part of it is consumed by organisms (detritus food-web) and another part is stored in sediments (dissolved and particulated) which is an important process for climate change mitigation. The main objective of this work was to measure the seasonal variation of total organic carbon (TOC) in interstitial water of sediments in the intertidal zone and in the water column of the main channel of the EES. Three PVC tubes (4” x 3 m) closed at one end and with small holes at 0.6 m from the bottom end of the tube to allow interstitial water to flow, where inserted (1.30 m) in the intertidal sediments at 5, 15 and 25 m from the main channel. With a WTW multiparameter we measured T (oC), S (‰), pH, DO (mg/l), TSS (mg/l) and TOC (mg/l) inside the three tubes and in the main channel. 24 h samplings where done in the warm dry (W), rainy (R) and cold dry (C) seasons. In the channel low and high values 154 International Conference Wetlands 2014 for the different seasons were: T 23.8-32.0 oC (C-R), S 1.2-34.2 ‰ (R-C), pH 7.34-8.50 (WW), DO 0.5-8.6 mg/l (W-W), TSS 19.8-647.0 mg/l (W-R) and TOC 1.3-94.7 mg/l (W-R). In the tubes low and high values for the different seasons were: T 22.7-30.4 oC (C-R), S 27.3-34.3 ‰ (R-W), pH 6.67-8.48 (C-R), DO 1.1-7.7 mg/l (W-C), TSS 12.1-702.0 mg/l (R-W) and TOC 14.2-93.6 mg/l (W-R). In general, the highest TOC values in the channel and interstitial water were always detected during low tide, both in spring and neap tides. TOC was also higher during the rainy season due to mangroves soil washing and run-off. Preliminary analysis indicates that TOC increases with distance from the channel and even though the sediments are washed by tides, these accumulate organic carbon. We are indebt to the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, project PAPIIT-IN211213, and to the Área Natural Protegida Estero El Salado for their support. The Scottish wetland inventory: coverage, techniques and future implications Goodyer, emma1*; Johan schutten1; Lorna Harris1; mohammed Haq1 1 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Ecology, Environmental Science Directorate, Bremner House, Castle Business Park, Stirling UK, FK9 4TF The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is required to protect wetland habitats under the Water Framework Directive. Knowledge of wetland location, type extent and condition is an essential pre-requisite to delivering this objective. Through collaboration with partner organisations, the Scottish Wetland Inventory was developed through a collation of spatially mapped vegetation survey data; often to community level from within designated conservation areas. This first phase of the inventory lacked coverage of some known sensitive wetland types, for which Scotland is internationally renowned e.g. wet Machair, and also wetlands which are under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Inventory coverage is now being expanded by predicting wetland types through the use of multi-spectral satellite imagery and the application of remote sensing technologies. In addition to these spatial assessments, SEPA monitors the ecological status and water requirements of wetlands across Scotland through a network of field stations. The current five year data set is being analysed to establish water level threshold requirements for surface water and ground water dependent wetlands. These thresholds will inform the connection between water pressures and wetland impacts, improving the effectiveness of our legislative framework, enabling better protection for the wider water environment and informing future strategies for wetland management and conservation. Impact of hydrological connectivity on zooplankton communities in floodplain lakes: a case study of the Biebrza River Goździejewska, Anna1; Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk2; Paweł Burandt2; szymon Kobus2; roman Kujawa2; magdalena Grabowska4; Krystian obolewski5; Andrzej skrzypczak6; Jacek Koszałka1; magdalena Bowszys1 Department of Applied Ecology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10- 957 Olsztyn, e-mail: [email protected] University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Department of Land Reclamation and Management, 10-719 Olsztyn-Kortowo, Plac Łódzki 2, e-mail:[email protected], e-mail: [email protected] 1 2 International Conference Wetlands 2014 155 4 University of Białystok, Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Biology, Świerkowa 20B, 15-950 Białystok, Poland e-mail: [email protected] 5 Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Department of Ecology, 76-200 Słupsk, Arciszewskiego 22b, e-mail: [email protected] The present study deals with the temporal variability in the structure of zooplankton communities in 10 floodplain lakes influenced by a natural flood pulse in the Middle Basin of the Biebrza River (NE Poland). Total abundances, community composition and species diversity of zooplankton assemblages in floodplain lakes were related to their connectivity with the parent river and water quality variables. The use of multivariate analyses (DCA, RDA) showed that the dynamics of flooding (frequency, amplitude and seasonality of the limno- and potamophases) changes habitat conditions and the densities and biovolumes of zooplankton communities. The differences in hydrological conditions in spring (potamophase) and autumn (limnophase) contributed to significant changes in availability of nutrients and water aeration. Total zooplankton abundance was also significantly related to chlorophyll a and TP concentrations. Species diversity, richness and evenness of zooplankton assemblages differed significantly among the lakes types. All wetlands were dominated by rotifers: from 87% in lentic habitats to 51% in lotic and semi-lotic habitats. Isolation from the active river channel decreases the diversity of taxa and promotes species indicative of higher trophy of water: Anuraeopsis fissa, Keratella cochlearis var. tecta, Polyarthra longiremis. The structure of Crustaceans was very poor regardless on a degree of surface connectivity between the lakes and river. The increased abundance of Protozoa, mainly Arcella discoides, was observed in lotic lakes. Sensitivity of zooplankton to the environmental stress makes it suitable to indicate any changes in aquatic ecosystems. However, further study incorporating seasonal dynamics and the influence of predators on zooplankton assemblages is needed to fully assess the use of zooplankton community composition as an environmental indicator for the floodplain lake systems. Nevertheless, the presented example of the untouched Biebrza floodplain with natural flow regime and floodplain water bodies shows reference conditions, based on zooplankton communities, in any further comparisons to modified floodplains or in restoration plans. Contribution of the environmental isotopes studies to the management of a protected space: Nature Reserve of Fuente de Piedra Lake Heredia, Javier1; manuel rendón martos2; francisco Javier montalván1-3; Alfredo García de domingo1; francisco Javier elorza3; José maría ruiz1 Instituto Geológico y Minero de España. C/Ríos Rosas, 23. 28003, Madrid, ESPAÑA. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio, Junta de Andalucía. Fuente de Piedra 29520, ESPAÑA. [email protected] 3 ETSI de Minas de Madrid, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. C/Ríos Rosas, 23. 28003, Madrid, ESPAÑA. [email protected] 1 The Fuente de Piedra lagoon is a wetland with a high ecological value. It was one of the three first Spanish wetlands included in the Ramsar convention and was declared a Nature Reserve in 1989. The lagoon (13 km2) is located in a endorheic basin (150 km2). In the basin outcrops Miocene calcarenites that host a freshwater aquifer, and the Chaotic Subbetic Complex (CSC), which defines the Miocene aquifer botton. The CSC is a lower to middle Miocene olistrome formed by a marly-gypson matrix of Triassic age and limestone, dolomites and marls blocks 156 International Conference Wetlands 2014 of Jurassic to Oligocene age. A deep hyper-saline karstic system was developed in the CSC evaporative levels. The genetic model of the lagoon, the conceptual model of the hydrogeologic system and the genetic evolution of the brine are closely related. The origin of the lagoon is related to karstification and collapse processes of the CSC gypsum-saline materials. The area presents high density contrasts: shallow freshwater, brackish water and shallow and deep brines. Traditionally, based on classic models for closed basins in semiarid climates, the brine present in the system was considered of evaporative origin and it was placed in the discharge zone. However, the investigation that IGME has developed in last decade, suggests that the brines origin are not exclusively due to evaporation. The hydrochemistry could identify different kinds of waters and brines. The relationship between Oxygen-18 and Total Dissolved Solids could discriminate brines according to the evaporation that they suffered. Carbon-14, Carbon-13 and Tritium allow us to calculate dating of waters and brines. A model of Oxygen-18 in precipitation identified the recharge of karst system in regional CSC carbonate massifs. Natural tracers studies suggest the hydrogeological evolution of waters and brines. This research supports the genetic-evolution model of the brine and the flow pattern of the hydrogeological system consistent and coherent with new conceptual model. The use of Iris pseudacorus in constructed wetlands for restoring eutrophic lakes. Hernández-Crespo, Carmen1; Javier Bixquert1; sara Gargallo1; nuria oliver1; miguel martín1 1 Instituto Universitario de Investigación de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain. [email protected] Over the past decades, constructed wetlands (CWs) have been widely used to treat domestic, industrial or agricultural waste waters. There are few cases in which this technology is being applied to the treatment of eutrophic waters, but their use is growing up in the last years. This study presents results of dry biomass, nutrients content, and potential use of three different plants (Iris pseudacorus, Phragmites spp., Typha spp.) in the Tancat de la Pipa free water surface constructed wetlands (TPCWs) aimed at treating eutrophic water within a natural park (Albufera de Valencia, Spain). Sampling and analyses were performed according to official methods. Measured tissue concentrations are on average 10.1, 10.8 and 11.7 mg N/g dw and 1.7, 2.1 and 1.2 mg P/g dw for iris, cattail and reed respectively. The maximum above-ground biomass reached is 1.85, 3.35 and 14.00 kg dw/m2 for cattail, iris and reed respectively. Among the plants studied, Iris pseudacorus is presented as a viable option in this type of system. Reed and cattail have certain advantages in terms of nutrient removal: reed has the highest dry biomass per unit area; whereas cattail has the highest phosphorus content. However, they have proved impractical in the long term in the TPCWs: reed does not spread properly and cattail is subject to a high bird predation. In contrast, iris spreads suitably and is aesthetic throughout the year. Additionally, harvest experiments have shown that after two or more harvests per year, iris grows properly, whereas reed does not. International Conference Wetlands 2014 157 Fish as an indicator of the impact of pollutants in wetlands areas Jean, severineab ; Annie Perrault ab ; José-miguel sánchez-Pérez b a b Université de Toulouse ; INPT, UPS ; EcoLab, ENSAT, Avenue de l’Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France CNRS ; UMR 5245 EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France The intensification of agriculture with high fertilization rates and use of pesticides has increased the discharge of nutrients and pollutants into the aquatic ecosystems. In the context of the European Union Water Framework Directive, and due to their inherent capacity for removing pesticides and other contaminants, wetlands have been created or restored in order to reduce pollutants entering streams, lakes, groundwaters, and coastal waters. In the same time, wetlands are very rich in biodiversity and very important in the natural environment. They are considered to be major structural components of aquatic habitats, acting as shelters, nesting and feeding grounds for fish and birds. Hence the response of the biota, within a wetland to the loading of agricultural pollutants including pesticides remains unclear. The objective of this work was to investigate the biological impact of water providing from alluvial wetlands on a freshwater fish of wetlands (Carassius auratus). The fish where exposed to water sampled in different places of the Monbequi alluvial wetland (France) and at different periods. The comet assay was developed in peripheral blood erythrocytes of control and exposed fish to evaluate the potential genotoxic effect of this water. Some samples, specially contaminated by pesticides induced genotoxic responses in fish. Assessment of ecological functions through wetlands creation in a semi-arid Mediterranean catchment under intensive irrigated agriculture Jiménez, J.J.a,1; C. Pedrocchia; Causapéb, J.; e. navarroa; f. A. Comína a Pyrenean Institute of Ecology-Spanish National Research Council, IPE-CSIC. Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50080, Zaragoza, Spain b Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME), C/ Manuel Lasala 44, 9º B, 50006 Zaragoza, Spain 1 ARAID Researcher Semi-arid lands are being transformed to irrigated agriculture to increase crop production and improve rural livelihoods, but also impacting soil (salinization) and aquatic ecosystems (fertilizer and pesticide water runoff to natural water streams). Changes in the diversity of specific soil and aquatic communities can affect delivery of impair ecosystem services. In this study, soil parameters were measured in the Lerma valley (Zaragoza, NE Spain). Sites ranged from shrubland to wetland, non-irrigated cereal, herbaceous plot and non-irrigated pine plantation. Soil organic matter fractionation, near infrared spectra (NIRS), of soil and biogenic structures and the presence of terrestrial arthropods were assessed. Bootstrapping methods were used to derive 1) richness estimates and 2) compare observed richness using randomisation tests. We explored how land-use change in a semi-arid Mediterranean catchment impacts the stability of the spatial and temporal pattern of Arthropod diversity through Partial Triadic Analysis (PTA). In addition, NO3- excess from adjacent irrigated agricultural fields on aquatic ecosystems was studied with ecotoxicological tests performed with algae. Soil C concentration in 53-106 µm size class fraction ranged from 24.5 in croplands to 102.4 g kg-1 C under shrubland. NIRS signals allowed differentiation of mineral soil samples and invertebrate (ants and earthworms) biogenic structures. In total, 3,919 individuals of terrestrial arthropods were collected in pitfall traps, with a maximum bootstrapped diversity estimate of 19.8 in the 158 International Conference Wetlands 2014 wetland and a minimum of 3.32 in the shrubland (99 randomizations). Predators Carabid and Arachnida were more abundant in the wetland area compared to the other sampling sites. The PTA explained 44.47% (axis I) and 22.35% (axis II) of the total inertia of the original set of observed matrices and revealed a common spatio-temporal pattern, i.e., there was no inversion of the temporal structure. NO3- concentration increased from the uppermost non-irrigated areas (200-400 µS cm-1; 0.1-14 mg L-1) to the intensively irrigated zones (1,800-5,000 µS cm-1; 15-130 mg L-1). Algae growing in the bank-gully showed an increased tolerance to pesticides, with values lower than harmful thresholds, although further assessments are necessary if agricultural intensification continues. Our results led to a preliminary identification of degradation hotspots related to ecological functions performed by organisms, with the aim to propose corrective measures to reduce NO3- discharge and biodiversity loss. The role of aquatic macrophytes in microhabitatual transformation of physical-chemical features of water in floodplains ponds Joniak, Tomasz; natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen; Barbara nagengast Department of Water Protection, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska str. 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, [email protected] The role of macrophytes in nutrient circulation depends on the biotic and abiotic conditions of the environment and also on the taxonomical structure, biomass and life cycles of plants. The aim of the study was to find out whether the physical-chemical parameters and phytoplankton biomass (measured as chlorophyll) will differ between habitats located within macrophytes and within the open water zones of natural oxbows located in fluvial valley of 4 lowland rivers Warta, Odra, Notec and Wełna (western Poland). The examination of macrophytes and the physical-chemical features of water were carried out during stable regime of rivers in summer 2005-2012 on 27 oxbows of an area 0.01–2.44 ha, maximum depth 0.4–3.5 m. The analysis included stands located in the open water zone as well as among different ecological types of water vegetation. Water temperature, oxygen, pH, conductivity and transparency were measured in situ. In laboratory the DOM, chlorophyll and nutrients were analysed, and trophic state was also calculated. The feature of oxbows hydrochemistry was moderately mineralization (av. 585 µS/cm-1), neutral or weak alkaline pH and usually high oxygen saturation of water. The oxbows were characterized by similar level of hardness and their waters were classified mainly as medium hard. In oxbows a mosaic structure of water vegetation was created, enhancing the differentiation of the abiotic and biotic conditions of waters within even a small area. Analysis the percentage share of phosphates in TP and chlorophyll content in Vegetated versus Unvegetated zones suggested the important role of specific structure of macrophytes. The studies were supported by the grant: NN302042739. Integrating landscape change and socio-economic evaluation on tropical wetland ecosystem services system Kamlun, K.u.1; Bürger-Arndt, r. 1; Phua, m.-H. 2 Nature Conservation and Landscape Management, Göttingen University Büsgenweg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. [email protected]; [email protected] School of International Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, UMS Road, 88400 Kota Kinabalu Sabah. [email protected] 1 2 International Conference Wetlands 2014 159 The importance of peat swamp forest (PSF) is not only supporting the dynamic link of ecosystem services but also provides the beneficial influences of community livelihood. However, human activities are threatening the PSF causing the loss of this pristine forest. Klias Peninsula, Sabah, Malaysia was an extensive PSF ecosystem, which was unfortunately destroyed by fires especially in 1998 and 2003. In order to identify what lies behind these human activities we integrate remote sensing, GIS and socioeconomic survey to determine the driving forces of landscape change at household and village level. Multitemporal satellite remote sensing from mid 80s to mid 2000s was use to quantify the wetland vegetation change in Klias Peninsula. The PSF had plummeted almost about 70% from 1985 to 2003. GIS using buffering analysis was used in this study to generate 3 different distances (1000m, 2000m and 3000m) with 3 identified factors (settlement, agriculture and road). Then an intersect overlay of the identified factors with PSF change area (due to fire event in 1998 and 2003) was conducted. The intersect overlay analysis showed that agriculture was the main factor contributing to the fire ignition and deforestation in this area. Field interview also reached the same conclusion that slash and burn for plantation was the major cause of the fires in 1998 and 2003. This study reveal that most of local people are farmers and traditional land clearing by slash and burn practices contribute to the degradation of the PSF. Distribution of Littorella uniflora L. (Asch.) seed bank at the historical and recent localities in the Czech Republic Kolář, Jan1 1 Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 – Suchdol, 165 21, Czech Republic; [email protected] Littorella uniflora (L.) Asch., a member of Plantaginaceae family belongs to a group of isoetids, small, slow-growing, evergreen, aquatic plants. They are characterized by a strong and stiff leaves with a basal form and a large amount of roots biomass. Oligotrophic and mesotrophic freshwaters are typical habitats for this plant. In the Czech Republic as well as in other areas of occurrence, number of suitable habitats is rapidly decreasing. In the years 2013 and 2014, monitoring of all known areas of Littorella uniflora occurrence as well as some historical ones was carried out. Aim of this project was to evaluate L. uniflora´s seed distribution at five historical and eight recent areas of occurrence and determine the size of it´s seed bank. Hence, the samples of the sediment were taken and their greenhouse cultivation were carried out. The traditional fishpond management, i.e. high stock, annual fish harvesting, periodical sediment removal, create conditions under which the seed bank is mostly lost. The fishponds with low intensity management may, however, still preserve Littorella seed bank. Bioturbation by macrofauna and its effects on oxygen environments within tidal sediments Koo, Bon Joo1; Chul-Hwan Koh2 Marine Ecosystem Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, 787 Haeanro, Sangnokgu, 426-744 Ansan, Kyeonggido, Republic of Korea. [email protected] School of Earth and Environmental Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Korea. [email protected] 1 2 The ecology of the thalassinidean mud shrimp, Laomedia astacina, was studied in the sediment of an estuarine tidal flat in the west coast of Korea, where this species lives forming 160 International Conference Wetlands 2014 deep burrow systems. Laomedia had a huge and unique burrow system with several leaned galleries interconnected to each other by spiral tunnels in the middle part, and in the main gallery extended down being vertically twisted with many peripheral storage chambers in the lower part. Burrow volume varied between 3,986 and 16,276 cm3, and burrow surfacearea was between 5,690 and 18,685cm2. The extensive burrows increase the total area of the sediment-water interface by roughly 1,044%. We performed direct measurement of oxygen and nutrient fluxes in the burrow inorder to elucidate its role in the material flux at the sediment-water interface. In vitro continuous oxygen measured at 12cm burrow depth revealed that Laomedia maintained burrow-water oxygen concentrations at 3.7 to 77.9 % of air saturation with respect to tides. The burrow was not always irrigated each flooding, especially in neap tides, the burrow was blocked at the mound. Oxygen concentration in the burrows generally showed two peaks each flooding, if the burrow was irrigated, just after the flooding and just before the ebbing. Under the condition of excluding the shrimp from the burrow, an oxygen diffusion rate into the burrow by the passive irrigation was insignificant (0.16±0.07 mgl-1h-1) compared to the rate by active irrigation of the shrimp (16.91±13.05 mgl-1h-1). After detailed oxygen and water flow measurements, it seems that the inhabitant dwells mainly in the upper part of the burrow system during spring tides and descends into the lower part of the burrow during neap tides, when exposure duration is extended. The burrow irrigation rates of Laomedia were measured using an electromagnetic flow meter. A burrow system with one mound and eight funnels was selected for the measurement. The average burrow irrigation rate during the flooding of about 4 hours was 24.7 ℓ/h in the mound and 2.9 ℓ/h in the funnel. The irrigation had two peaks: the one was between 10 min and 30 min after the flooding and the other one was between 10 min and 50 min before the ebbing; the maximum value occurred in the former duration. Laomedia’s burrow spacing and bio-irrigation can result that about 22,400 cm3 of oxic sediments exists below 1 m2 surface area, which means increase in oxic sediments up to 17 times compared to unburrowed sediments. If the burrow space is added, oxic volume within the tidal sediments attains up to 111,600 cm3 per unit m2. The study area has a flooding duration of roughly 7 hours per day. If we assume that Laomedia pumps 24.7 l/h, each shrimp would pump 173 l/d and would flush their burrow water 17 times a day in a maximum. Oxygen penetration into anoxic sediment and water exchanges between burrow waters and overlying waters by burrow spacing and bio-irrigation impacts on biogeochemical processes and, subsequently, can strongly accelerate the degradation of organic materials within tidal sediments and more detailed material flux between tidal sediments and overlaying wates will be expected. Conservation of macrophyte biodiversity in managed fishponds Květ , Jan1,3, Štěpán Husák2 1 CzechGlobe, Global Change Research Centre, Czech Academy of. Scences., Na sádkách 7, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 2 Institute of Botany, Section Plant Ecology, Czech Academy of. Scences., Dukelská 135, CZ-37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic, [email protected] 3 University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic Central European fishponds are artificial shallow standing water bodies sized from <1 to hundreds of hectares. They are primarily managed for fish (mainly common carp) culture and were constructed mostly in the 13th-16th centuries. Macrophytes inhabiting fishponds are species of wetlands that originally occurred on sites of present-day fishponds. For centuries, International Conference Wetlands 2014 161 the fishpond management was relatively nature-friendly, the fishpond macrophyte communities paralleling those of other oligo- to mesotrophic standing waters. After a slow increase (late 19th to mid-20th century), the fishpond management intensity has increased rapidly since the 1960ies. High fertilizer and manure doses, removal of large areas of littoral vegetation, dense fish stocks, their additional feeding, almost complete elimination of summerdrainage and other intensification measures, have strongly eutrophicated especially the rearing (main) ponds. They have become unfavourable for aquatic and wetland macrophytes and plants colonizing emerged fishpond bottom. Few macrophyte species can survive under such conditions. The poster presents examples of macrophyte species populations and community types which are either unfavourably affected by, or are tolerant of, the conditions in intensely managed rearing ponds Fishponds are usually arranged in cascades and show a high connectivity. Establishment of nature reserves in individual ponds can therefore meet with only partial success. The energy and water balance of arid Inland wetlands systems: A case study in northwestern china Liu, Hu; Wenzhi Zhao* Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, CERN, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China *Email: [email protected] Wetlands remaining in the arid inland river landscapes of northwestern China suffer degradation and their resilience and ability to continue functioning under hydrologic and land use changes resulting from climate change may be significantly inhibited. Information on the desert-oasis wetlands, however, is sparse and knowledge of how ecological functioning and resilience may change under climate change and water-resource management is still lacking. Research in oasis wetland areas of the Northwestern China identified linkages between subsurface flow, plant transpiration, and water levels. In this study, we present an ecohydrological analysis of the energy and water balance in the wetland ecosystem. A process-based stochastic soil moisture model developed for groundwater-dependent ecosystems was employed to modelling the interactions between rainfall, water table fluctuations, soil moisture dynamics, and vegetation, and to investigate the ecohydrology of arid inland wetlands system. Field measured groundwater levels, vertical soil moisture profiles, soil water potentials, and root biomass allocation and transpiration of pioneer species in the wetlands were used to calibrate and validate the stochastic model. The parameterized model was then running to simulate the probability distributions of soil moisture and root water uptake, and quantitative descript the vegetation–water table–soil moisture interplay in the hypothesized scenarios of future. Our analysis suggested the increasing rates of water extraction and regulation of hydrologic processes, coupled with destruction of natural vegetation, and climate change, are jeopardizing the future persistence of wetlands and the ecological and socio-economic functions they support. To understand how climate change will impact on the ecohydrological functioning of wetlands, both hydrological and land use changes need to be considered in future works. 162 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Integrating palynological and organic geochemical proxies for the palaeoenvironmental study of the Roñanzas peatbog (N Spain) López-días, Veneranda1a; José Antonio López sáez2a; miriam dorado Valiño2b; Wilhelm Püttmann3; Jens fiebig4; Carlos G. Blanco1b; Angeles G. Borrego1c 1 Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR-CSIC). Aptdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain, [email protected],[email protected], [email protected] 2 Grupo de Investigación Arqueobiología. Instituto de Historia, CCHS, CSIC. C/ Albasanz 26-28, 28037 Madrid, Spain, 2a [email protected], 2b [email protected] 3 Institut für Atmosphäre und Umwelt -Umweltanalytik- J.W. Goethe-Universität. Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, [email protected] 4 Institut für Geowissenschaften-Facheinheit Paläontologie. J. W. Goethe-Universität, [email protected] The palynological assemblage and the distribution of molecular biomarkers quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry on the dichloromethane/MeOH extracts have been studied in a 254 cm (6000 cal. yr BP) peat bog profile. The palynological analysis shows varied arboreal vegetation composed of Corylus, deciduous Quercus, Pinus, Betula and Alnus at the base of the sequence (6000-5500 cal. yr BP), which reflects a humid and warm climate leading to the establishment of ombrotrophic conditions. The bottom of the ombrotrophic peat contains macro- and micro-charcoal reflecting the occurrence of forest fires. Lately, from 5500 cal. BP, an alternation of humid and dry periods occurred, being noticeable: 1) humid periods (at 5500-5000 and 4500-3500 cal. yr BP), the first one characterized by an increase of deciduous Quercus, Alnus, Betula, Fraxinus, Ulmus and hygrophytes and the second one by the expansion of deciduous Quercus, Corylus, Alnus and the mesotrophic algae Spirogyra. The molecular marker ratios indicating humidity also increase in these periods; 2) a dry period at 5000-4500 cal. yr BP is defined by the retrogression of all the arboreal taxa, the significant increase of Erica, the abundance of higher plant triterpenoids and the decrease of the taxonomical diversity. The distribution of triterpenoid concentrations in Roñanzas bog indicates a significant change in the vegetation at around 3400-4100 cal. yr BP coinciding with a sharp decrease in the peat growing rate, which reflect the establishment of more humid and cooler conditions in the late Holocene. The main arboreal taxa in the landscape in this period were Corylus, Alnus and Betula. In contrast, deciduous Quercus and Pinus progressively decreased, reflecting the anthropogenic activity. Molecular biomarkers as proxies for paleohydrological evolution of coastal bogs in Eastern Asturias, N Spain López-días, Veneranda1a; Justyna urbanczyk1b; Carlos G. Blanco1c; Ángeles G. Borrego1d Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR-CSIC). Aptdo. 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain. [email protected] 1b [email protected] 1c [email protected], [email protected] 1 1a The North of Spain is the southernmost limit for the occurrence of Sphagnum acid bogs in Europe and may have been particularly sensitive to climate variation due to the coincidence with the boundary between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean climatic regions. A Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric study of biomarker compounds together with deter- International Conference Wetlands 2014 163 mination of C, H, N and mineral matter contents have been carried out. The studied peats are located on the coastal high plains “rasas” at altitudes between 130 and 250 m above sea level, covering an age interval of 10000 years with different degrees of resolution. The growth rates ranged between 0.05 and 0.6 mm/yr. Alternating humid/dry periods based on biomarkers ratios have been detected which could be correlated in different sites. The most relevant events were the replacement of a floral assemblage with significant woody contribution before 3500 yr cal. BP by a herbaceous- and Sphagnum-dominated vegetation typical of cooler and more humid conditions, and the widespread occurrence of a humid episode at 2200-3000 yr cal. BP. Among the peculiarities of Asturian peats for palaeoenvironmental studies are: the high concentration of methylketones of medium to long chain length of microbial origin, the presence of triterpenyl derivatives that reflects the existence of a medium enriched in acetic acid, in which these compounds were formed out of their corresponding bioterpenols, the dominance of oleanane over ursane derivatives and the presence of C3 functionalized hopanoids, which have been assumed to be of microbial origin. Rainfall and the presence of water in Gallocanta Lake Luna, estela; Borja Latorre; Carmen Castañeda Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, CSIC, Avenida Montañana 1005, 50059-Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Long-term time-series data are required to identify annual and seasonal variations in rainfall and to correlate the variations with water level fluctuations in wetlands. In the Gallocanta Lake Basin, Tornos, a manual weather station has been running since 1944, provided the longest series of rainfall data. Records were available for 97% of the days in the last 70 years. The data missing from Tornos were completed using the data from the best-correlated weather stations in the area. Mean annual rainfall was 488 mm [range = 760 mm (1959) 232 mm (2001)] and 61% of normal years. Rainfall in the area was very irregular and, in the last decade, rainfall in the weather station located at lake shore was 22% below the rainfall from Tornos. Rainfall was < 10 mm on 85% of the days in which it rained. July was the driest month (mean rainfall = 27 mm, and < 5 mm in 20% of years. May was the wettest month (mean rainfall = 73 mm, > 50 mm in 64% of the years. Rainfall was lowest in winter (91 mm/month) and highest in spring (154 mm/month). The available data about lake water occurrence, indicated three dry periods (1944-1955, 1980-1985, 1990-2008) and two wet periods (1960-1977, 1985-1990). Mean annual water levels in the dry periods and the wet periods were 449 mm and 538 mm, respectively. Mean annual change in the water level of the lake was 0.4 m, and the water level decreased from 2.84 m in 1974 to completely dry at the beginning of the 1980s. Despite the hydric deficit (605 mm / year), the high rainfall in the period 1986-1989 (633 mm / year) maintained the water depth in the lake at 1 m until the 1990s. The persistence of high-diversity saline wet environments is affected by the variability in rainfall and its effect on fluctuations in the water level of the lake. 164 International Conference Wetlands 2014 New nature reserving project elements in the major works of the implementation of the Kis-Balaton Water Management System Phase II magyari, máté1; Csaba megyer2 1 2 Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate, H-8229 Csopak, Kossuth L. u. 16. [email protected] [email protected] The project targeting the completion of the Kis-Balaton Water Management System Phase II started in 2011 after a 4-year-long preparatory period and will be finished in 2015. The technical actions of the construction happened between July 2012 and June 2014. 85 % of the budget of the project is financed by the European Commission. The development has three main objectives: improvement of the ecological status of the area, further support of the good water quality of Lake Balaton and the expansion of the flood-control function of the Kis-Balaton. Management of the nature conservation in this area belongs to the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate. We took part both in the preparatory and in the implementation periods as advisors, consultants and practised professional inspection, too. The most important results of nature reservation are as follows. Different water levels have became feasable in different parts of the area through the construction of some gates and sluices along the river Zala, which runs across the Kis-Balaton. Apart from the flexible flow regulation, the seasonal variation of the water conditions are able to manifest. Two fishladders have been built near the two greatest gates which didn’t let the fish pass through. The reproductive migration of many fish species has already become free. Four bridges with culverts have been integrated in the western dike, so the pasture fields outside the area would be flooded from late autumn to the following summer. It will be transformed into a wetland habitat complex with changing water levels. It already makes better conditions not only for the waterfowl, but also enables the successful reproduction of the carp and the bream. Finally, an abandoned borrow pit area has modificated to a new shallowwatered wetland complex. Besides reaching better ecological conditions, it can be utilized in eco-tourism of the Kis-Balaton. Approach to wetland geohydrology of El Espadañal (Cuellar, Segovia) martínez-Pérez, silvia1; miguel Pascual1; Antonio sastre1 Universidad de Alcalá. Dpto. de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente (U.D. Geología), [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 1 The Espadañal wetland, located at southeast of the village of Cuéllar (Segovia, Spain), is a seasonal body of surface water, on which has been made an approach to its hydrogeologic behaviour, including a first conceptual model of the hydrogeological structure existing in the territory. The presence of the wetland is due to the persistence of water in the final stretch of Pradillos stream, and groundwater contributes to its permanence acting as a support to sustain it. International Conference Wetlands 2014 165 EU Life CREAMAgua: Creation and restoration of wetlands for the improvement of water quality and biodiversity in agricultural watersheds masip, Adriá1; francisco A. Comín2; Victor Guirado3; Javier rodriguez4; Alfonso Calvo5; francisca Gallego6; ricardo sorando2; Gema Cacho7; Ana Loriente8; nadia darwiche2; mercedes García2; silvia Gutiérrez2; Alberto Barcos2. 1 Parque Científico-Tecnológico Aula Dei; 2Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología-CSIC; 3KV Consulting, 4Tragsa; 5Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro; 6Comarca de Los Monegros; 7Institut for the Studies and Research of Comarca de Los Monegros; 8Foundation for Promoting Youth and Sports in Comarca de Los Monegros. Riparian forests and wetlands were restored (increasing the hydrologic connectivity, constructing simple dikes and planting native species) in the River Flumen watershed (NE Spain) (Life09ENV/ES/431 CREAMAgua) to show their potential for improving the quality of the water discharged from irrigated fields and the biodiversity of agricultural watersheds. Restoration sites were selected following a protocol which integrates scientific-technical, social and economic aspects. Nitrogen and suspended solids in the wetlands showed a high dispersion after two years but nitrogen retention, which was higher during the warm months of the year, was up to 90% of the nitrogen discharge in some wetlands and up to 50% in most wetlands two years after restoration. Fast development of low diversity plant cover is observed in permanently flooded (in-stream) wetlands compared to off-stream wetlands. Repeated planting was required in riparian zones after the first year flood disturbance. Bird communities show an initial increase of diversity in permanently flooded wetlands; developing a landscape structure is required in other types of wetlands. An excellent acceptance of the project actions by stake holders (farmers, municipalities, schools) was observed after continued diffusion and education activities developed for 2 years. Ponds as refugia for threatened dragonfly species in Central Europe matúšová, Zuzana1; marek svitok1; richard Hrivnák2; Ladislav Hamerlík3; Judita Kochjarová4; milan novikmec1; Helena oťaheľová2; Peter Paľove-Balang5 Department of Biology and General Ecology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-96053 Zvolen, Slovakia, [email protected] 2 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-84523 Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] 3 Department of Biology and Ecology, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, SK-97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, [email protected] 4 Botanical Garden – detached unit, Comenius University, Blatnica 315, SK-03815Blatnica, Slovakia, [email protected] 5 Institute of Biological and Ecological Sciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Mánesova 23, SK-040 01 Košice, Slovakia, [email protected] 1 We present the list of odonate species based on data collected during the years 1991- 2014. The data on occurrence come from about 230 sites in Slovakia, both man-made and natural, with stagnant or running water, while ponds represent a large proportion of sampled sites. The sampled sites were distributed across all over the country in a wide altitudinal range (96-1872 m a.s.l.) and under various environmental conditions. The odonate material consisted of larvae collected using kicking technique or PLOCH method, exuviae that were collected individually and netted imagoes. In total, we recorded more than 3000 odonate 166 International Conference Wetlands 2014 individuals that were determined into 47 species (nearly 70% of all species recorded in Slovakia). Most of them were eurytopic species tolerant to wide range of environmental conditions; however, many rare and threatened species were recorded as well. Ponds support the highest diversity of odonate species and harbour the highest number of threatened species. Multiple red-list species showed high frequency of occurrence in ponds. Apparently, ponds appear to be refugia for rare and threatened dragonfly and damselfly species in Central Europe. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-0059-11 Leaf litter breakdown of Populus nigra L. along a gradient of aquatic habitats resulting from flow fragmentation in a temporary stream menéndez, margarita1; meritxell Abril1; isabel muñoz1 1 Department of Ecology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona. Spain. [email protected] In the Mediterranean basins most of the streams are temporary, and therefore, characterized by a drying and rewetting period. Before the dry period, there is a contraction and fragmentation phase where the flow gradually decreases until the formation of isolated pools. The aim of this study is to assess the development of the early decomposition process along a gradient of aquatic habitats resulting from flow fragmentation. To achieve this objective, we used 5 mm mesh size litter-bags in an 11-day field experiment to evaluate difference between habitats in litter breakdown. We observed an increase of the breakdown rate with the moisture level. Despite a non-significant difference in macroinvertebrate abundance, higher breakdown rates appear in running waters than in the isolated pools, related mainly to the high fungal biomass on the leaf litter in running waters. DOM release from leaf litter shows differences between sites and appears to be positive related to mass remaining. A high heterogeneity was observed between the physicochemical characteristics of water, breakdown rates and abundance of macroinvertebrates between the isolated ponds in spite of its proximity, suggesting the importance to study the processes occurring in these temporal habitats and its effect in the fluvial ecosystem functioning. Biodiversity of filamentous bacteria in ponds miłobędzka, Aleksandra Warsaw University of Technology, Department of Biology Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Almost all naturally occurring microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungi, can be found in ponds. Among the bacteria present in aquatic environment the most characteristic forms are cylindrical, straight or spirally twisted coccobacillus (Bacterium), slightly bent rods with flagella (Pseudomonas), vibrio (Vibrio) and spirochetes (Spirochaeta). Water also serves as habitat for filamentous bacteria. Taking morphology into consideration, filaments are multicellular organisms similar to Cyanobacteria. They differ in the length of the filament and the number of flagella as well as motility. Chlamydobacteriales include aquatic, International Conference Wetlands 2014 167 saprophytic forms, nonpathogenic aerobic heterotrophs, which do not form endospores. They live in freshwater and can be grown on various nutrient media. Genus Sphaerotilus may serve as a represntative, creating whitish conglomerations in polluted waters. These filaments can accelerate the development of a periphyton biofilm. Different bacteria in this order are Crenothrix and Leptothrix, with iron compounds in sheath. Leptothrix occurs in ferruginous, standing or slow-flowing, fresh waters with low organic matter concentrations only. Order Caryophanales is represented by a relatively short filament, usually motile. In contrast to the previously described orders, movable stages have many flagella arranged on the entire surface of the cell. Bacteria belonging to Caryophanales are saprophytes and parasites associated with animals: insects and vertebrates. Beggiatoa is a genus of bacteria that can oxidize hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as energy source, forming intracellular sulfur droplets. Bacteria feed both by chemosynthesis (autotrophic) and heterotrophic (saprophytes), can be found in freshwater with high levels of hydrogen sulfide, like, sewage contaminated water and mud layers of lakes, also in the rhizosphere of swamp plants. Examples above show the biodiversity of filamentous bacteria in aquatic environment and their use of a variety of energy sources, which effects the habituation of different ecological niches. Critical soil moisture values as objective criteria for managing Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park during droughts moreno, Luis1; Héctor Aguilera2; maria emilia Jiménez-Hernández3; silvino Castaño4; Almudena de la Losa5 1-5 Geological Survey of Spain (IGME). Ríos Rosas, 23, 28003 Madrid (Spain). [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. Many threats to wetlands in semiarid regions during drying periods - invasive plants development, combustibility of organic soils, nutrient redistribution or soil physical disruption - are controlled by the soil water content. A methodological approach based on SoilWater-Atmosphere-Plant (SWAP) model for soil moisture modelling and simulation has been successfully tested and applied in the anthropized Mediterranean semiarid wetland area of Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park in central Spain. Several vadose zone water flow models have been successfully calibrated for the different soil units identified by using, as main input data, experimental values of soil physical and hydraulic characteristics, soil moisture measurements, vegetation growth parameters and climatic records. Soil moisture threshold values for peat combustibility (0.25 v/v) and for invasive reed overgrowth on charophyte (0.32 0.56 v/v) and peat (0.19 - 0.33 v/v) soil types have been estimated. Simulations of a typical 2-year drainage scenario in the region indicated that critical soil moisture conditions for reed overgrowth are attained 9-10 months after flooding ceased and that peat areas colonised by reed plants become combustible (even 50% probability chance) by the end of the simulated period. Decision-makers can use the calibrated models to predict the evolution of soil moisture under different climatic and management scenarios in order to choose the most efficient management options for preventing that soil moisture reaches critical values. 168 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Relation between chlorophyll and pheophytin as indicator of disturbances in environment of floodplains ponds of the Warta River (Poland) nagengast, Barbara1; Tomasz Joniak1; natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen1 1 Department of Water Protection, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska str. 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland, [email protected] Small water bodies as small-size systems have a significant influence on maintaining the biological diversity and networks of ecological associations within the landscape. For oxbow the role of a natural linker between similar areas within the landscape play the river. Chlorophyll content can directly determine photosynthetic potential and primary production. The ratio of chlorophyll-a (Chl) to pheophytin-a (Pheo) serves as a good indicator of the physiological condition of phytoplankton. Aim of study was comparing the relations between the phaeopiments and also with other parameters with important significance for primary production during time of flooding by the river and later, during limnophase. The study was performed on 12 oxbows of Warta River in two distinct hydrological periods: short after potamophase in May 2008 and after full stabilization (limnophase) in July 2008. The study area represents an extensively managed landscape with a high biodiversity. Sampling of water was taken from subsurface layer. Chlorophyll with correction for pheophytin was determined after extraction with ethanol and total phosphorus, total reactive phosphorus, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium nitrogen after EN-ISO methods. During potamophase the concentrations of Chl as well as Pheo were much lower than in limnophase (22.2 and 24.3 µg·dm3, 43.7 and 44.4 µg·dm3, respectively) but the ratio Chl/Pheo was marginally different (0.82 and 1.04). The studies were supported by the grant: NN302042739. Hydrological characterization of wetland areas located at Guadalhorce river mouth (Malaga province, southern Spain) nieto-López, José manuel1; matías mudarra-martínez1; Bartolomé Andreo-navarro1; manuel rendón martos2 Department of Geology and Centre of Hydrogeology at the University of Malaga (CEHIUMA), Malaga, 29071, Spain. [email protected] [email protected], [email protected] 2 Delegación Provincial de Medio Ambiente (Málaga). [email protected] 1 In lower river basins and, especially, in river mouth areas, slightly deep depressions can exist, whose genesis is related to the fluvial dynamics (erosive and sedimentary processes, floods, former meanders). In this context, flooding provoke the regular accumulation of water at the existing depressions and floodplains. In hydrogeological terms, alluvial sediments constitute aquifers, which are closely related to the hydrological regime of the rivers, contributing to the preservation of flooded areas, providing water to wetlands, and modulating the seasonal variations of flow in rivers. On the other hand, seawater variations (tidal waves) can infer in the groundwater dynamic related to fluvial deposits and, by extension, in water level of wetlands (principally those nearby to the coast). Additionally, marine influence to river mouth wetlands can also provoke significant changes in its water salinity, depending on the distance to offshore. In this work we present the preliminary results coming from the hydrological characterization of the wetland areas located in the Guadalhorce River month, in the vicinity of the city of Malaga (Southern Spain). It is protected area by the regional au- International Conference Wetlands 2014 169 thorities due to its great biodiversity. These wetlands occupy a set of depressions generated by quarrying activities (sand extractions for building at Malaga city) since 1977 to 1982; all they situated between the two branches of river mouth, canalized between 1997 and 2003, in order to mitigate periodical river floods. For hydrological characterization, in situ discontinuous measurements (water temperature, electrical conductivity and water level variation) have been carried out at pools and wells, from October 2013 to May 2014. Water samples have been also taken at these points for subsequent chemical analysis in the laboratory. Representative wetland and well have been monitored with data logger devices to record water level variations. In addition, vertical profiles of electrical conductivity and temperature of water were made at monitoring network. The results show the clear hydraulic relationship between wetlands, the underlying alluvial aquifer, the Mediterranean Sea and the Guadalhorce River. This is reflected in the salinity of wetland water, being lower when distance to coast increase, because fresh water component from the aquifer and the river is higher than in the wetlands located close to the coastline, where seawater influence is more evident. The hydrochemical analysis confirms the increasing of marine influence on wetlands and aquifer waters toward the coastline, whereas vertical profiles show a relative increment of the aquifer salinity in depth. Historical data suggest an increase of salinity values into wetlands respect to a previous situation when river mouth was near natural conditions. On the other hand, the marine signal influence on the aquifer and wetlands has been also checked by the observation of the tidal cycles and the piezometric level variations in the aquifer (in a point located 940 m inland). Between both record, there is a clear positive correlation although with 3 hours lag. Taxonomic composition and abundance of macrozoobenthos in re-opening oxbow lakes according to environmental factors obolewski, Krystian1; Glińska-Lewczuk Katarzyna2; Aleksander Astel3 1 Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Department of Ecology, 76-200 Słupsk, Arciszewskiego 22, e-mail:[email protected], [email protected] 2 University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Department of Land Reclamation and Environmental Management, 10-756 Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 2, e-mail:[email protected] In freshwaters, the benthic invertebrates play an essential role in key ecosystem processes, such as food chain dynamics, productivity, geochemical cycling and decomposition. Their distribution and abundance is directly related to different environmental factors such as food availability and quantity, sediment type, substrate, and water quality. The aim of the study was to assess taxonomic composition and abundance of macrozoobenthos in oxbow lakes created in the past as a result of a set of river regulation works was applied which mostly consisted in cutting of the river meanders. The re-connection of oxbow lakes to the river may enhance the resuspension of bottom sediments and thus release previously accumulated elements into the wa¬ter. The studied area covered the middle part of the Słupia River, rich with numerous floodplain lakes. This river is one of the biggest water-courses of the east European platform in Poland, which flows into the Baltic Sea (water parting with the area of 1620 km2, length 138.6 km, average annual flow 15.5 m3/s, floods with flow higher than 100 m3/s usually between October and March). Content of elements and its forms (TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus), TOC (total organic carbon), K, Na, Mg and Ca) in bottom sediments of oxbow lakes and river-bed of the Słupia river at Słupsk were determined. Three oxbow lakes artificially re-connected with the river from Northern Poland were studied to find out which environmental factors influence taxonomic composition, abundance and biodiversity of their zoobenthos. 170 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Should we hydrologically reconnect floodplain lakes with rivers? Assessment of the ecological state of restored water bodies based on macroinvertebrate communities obolewski, Krystian1; Katarzyna Glińska-Lewczuk2; Paweł Burandt2; Agnieszka strzelczak3; Zbigniew osadowski4 1 Department of Ecology, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Arciszewskiego 22b, 76-200 Słupsk, Poland, email:[email protected] 2 Department of Land Reclamation and Environmental Management, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 2, 10-719 Olsztyn-Kortowo, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Papieża Pawła VI 3, 71-459 Szczecin, Poland, e-mail:[email protected], Poland 4 Department of Botany and Nature Protection, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Arciszewskiego 22b, 76-200 Słupsk, Poland, e-mail:[email protected] The removal of dams and flood embankments in order to restore and intensify the hydrological connectivity in river valleys has become more common practice. It is particularly important in the case of floodplain lakes which functioning depends on flood pulses in the riverbed. Three left bank oxbow lakes, located in the Słupia River valley (northern Poland), were reconnected with the mother river in 2008. Simultaneously with the restoration works, the monitoring of the ecological state of the water bodies was conducted based on benthic invertebrates (according to the recommendations of Directive 2000) which qualitative and quantitative structure indicated changes occurring in the renaturized aquatic ecosystems. Several biomonitoring indices as well as the indices of biological diversity were used in this study. In the first year after reconnection a considerable improvement in ecological conditions of the studied oxbow lakes was recorded which manifested in the high values if biomonitoring indices as well as in high biological diversity. A considerable but short-term deterioration of ecological state was observed in summer 2011 but in the next years (2012 – 2013) it was moderately good which indicated that the ecosystems stabilized after the perturbations caused by the inflow of river water. This study was financed by the National Science Centre of Poland as project no N N305 1423 40 The use of natural spaces at Aveiro Lagoon (Portugal). A development strategy of Mira municipality oliveira, margarida1 Centre for Studies in Geography and Regional Planning (CEGOT), Faculdade de Letras, Colégio de S. Jerónimo, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-530 Coimbra, Portugal, [email protected] 1 The municipality of Mira is located in central Portugal, integrating one of the most prominent water mirrors the Portuguese coast, the Ria de Aveiro (Aveiro Lagoon). Like any municipality located in the vicinity of this estuary, their economic, social and even cultural development is based on your natural environment. The very changes in the sectors of activities, development of own territories, as was the replacement of agriculture and fishing (primary sector) by tourism (tertiary sector) based in the asset that is the territory surrounding the Ria de Aveiro (Aveiro Lagoon). This study aims to identify the past, present and future uses of this International Conference Wetlands 2014 171 territory. It also aims to identify new possibilities of use, using a sustained innovation. The method relied on questionnaires and interviews with residents of different age groups, to local entities such as the municipality and associations of environmental protection. The findings presented here indicate (1) a new demand for more sustainable activities related to the environment. Although we conclude about (2) revitalization of traditional products with a guise of innovation. A (3) replacement of activities connected to tourism of sun and sea by more focused on the moist areas of the municipality activities is proof that they are an asset to the socio-economic development of the municipality. Reproductive potential of Tanymastix stagnalis (L., 1758) (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in “Malladas de El Saler” (Valencia, Spain) ortells, raquel; Carla olmo; deborah fandos; Xavier Armengol Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biología Evolutiva. Universitat de València. Valencia Spain, [email protected] The fairy shrimp Tanymastix stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anostraca) is a free-swimming filter-feeder of Mediterranean temporary ponds. Although its reproductive mode has been described in the past, little is known on specific traits of its life history, especially when adapted to unpredictable habitats. We contributed to the description of life history traits (life span, life expectancy, age at reproduction, generation time, reproductive rate, clutch size, number of batches) using a life table approach. We used individuals of T. stagnalis belonging to a unique pond in a recently-restored area (Malladas de El Saler) near the city of Valencia. We isolated ten couples in plastic containers and follow until the last of them died. Every other day we transferred every couple to fresh medium and counted the eggs deposited on the bottom of the containers. To check if male encounters are necessary for every reproductive batch, we isolated 10 additional females that had been in contact with a male, (i.e., fertilised) and proceeded as above. We found a high variability in egg productivity between couples. The number of eggs produced per couple ranged between 26 and 207 and it was correlated to life span. Life expectancy at birth was 24 days. All these life table parameters describe reproductive potential due to manipulation in the lab. Reproductive rates are inflated because encounters were forced. In the field the probability of encounter is much lower. Also life span maybe underestimated because daily manipulation of the individuals may have stressed them and caused higher mortality. Isolated females deposited only a few eggs, concluding that continuous mating is necessary. Herbicide decontamination of surface water as a wetland ecosystem service in an agricultural basin: a preliminary assessment Pappalardo, salvatore eugenio1; Valentina Gasparini1; stefan otto2; Giuseppe Zanin1; maurizio Borin1 University of Padova, DAFNAE-Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment – Agripolis Campus, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16 – 35020 Legnaro (PD) Italy, [email protected] 2 Institute of Agro-environmental and Forest Biology (IBAF-CNR), Agripolis Campus, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16 – 35020 Legnaro (PD) Italy. [email protected]. 1 172 International Conference Wetlands 2014 The concept of ecosystem services has recently gained an increasing attention in environmental sciences and practical applications. Especially aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands, riparian ecotones and vegetative buffer strips are very relevant for providing the full set of ecosystem services (Provisioning, Regulating, Supporting and Cultural services) for human society. Particularly, wetland systems provide a pivotal service as water purification by pollution control retention and removal and detoxification of excess nutrients and pollutants. Through a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes such as delaying surface flow, promoting infiltration, adsorption and chemical degradation, the complex system “plant-soil” of wetland vegetation is able to reduce pollutants as nutrients and pesticides from runoff. In intensive cropping systems of North-eastern Italy pesticides are a major treat to surface water. In fact, they can be transported by runoff to the minor drainage network and, therefore, to natural or semi-natural aquatic ecosystems. Hence, reducing pesticide impacts by implementing constructed wetland and vegetative filter strips on cropland is a present challenge towards a better sustainability of agricultural production. A field experiment is ongoing in the experimental farm of the University of Padua: at the outlet of a 6 ha agricultural basin, conventionally cultivated with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), a 3,200 ha constructed wetland, vegetated with common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud), is under testing to evaluate herbicide efficiency retention. Conventional and simulated herbicide applications are performed, particularly of S-metolachlor, terbuthylazine and mesotrione, active ingredients commonly used in spring-summer crop in Northeastern Italy. Water and soil samples are collected and geo-referenced, in order to perform a GIS-based assessment of herbicide removal efficiency within the wetland. Preliminary results of the Amphibia project: inventory, creation, restoration and monitoring of ponds for amphibians on the southeastern Iberian Peninsula Parrondo-Celdrán, Paz1; david Verdiell-Cubedo2; eduardo escoriza-Abril3 Asociación Columbares. C/ Adrian Viudes nº 9. 30570, Murcia, Spain. ([email protected]) Departamento de Zoología y Antropología Física. Facultad de Biología. Universidad de Murcia. 30100, Murcia, Spain. ([email protected]) 3 Asociación Herpetológica Murciana (AHEMUR). C/ Redón nº 8, 3ºC. 30800, Lorca, Spain. ([email protected]) 1 2 Ponds in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula are essentially man made water bodies mostly constructed for farming purposes. In this semiarid region, farm ponds are temporary aquatic systems related to traditional agricultural practices which act as small wetlands. These systems contribute significantly to the conservation of biodiversity and recent studies have demonstrated their importance for amphibians as breeding sites. The Amphibia project, partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, aims to restore and create new temporary ponds for the conservation of amphibian species through the increase of connectivity between different populations. During the 2013 we elaborated an inventory of farm ponds and identified their main environmental characteristics and conservation problems. In addition, we developed a seasonal monitoring programm for selected farm ponds in order to evaluate their value as breeding sites for amphibians. An important dissemination and awareness raising campaign was also performed. The restoration actions consisted mainly in the selective dredging of pond ground, restitution of water inputs and revegetation, as well as the installation of exit and entrance ramps when necesary. A total of 42 farm ponds were inventoried and characterised. Pond restoration and creation actions had a positive impact and improved amphibian breeding success. International Conference Wetlands 2014 173 Preliminary studies of the composition of small inland waters of the Valencia province Pla, Alberto; Agustín Pastor; Angel morales-rubio Departamento de Química Analítica, Universitat de València. [email protected] The Turia river passing through the province of Valencia crosses four counties, called El Rincón de Ademuz, La Serranía, Camp del Turia y L´Horta. The Turia river passes through small towns with small industrial estates and the composition of its waters is primarily related with the springs from it feeds. However, in its lower course, intensive farming and higher economic activity influence the composition of the water, even in the composition of the groundwater. In this poster the preliminary results of the analysis of several tens of water samples, from the region of La Serrania, both springs and fountains and the Turia river itself will be exposed. Samples were taken at points georeferenced, and in situ determinations, pH, redox potential, conductivity and temperature, were performed. Water samples were carried to the laboratory and classical determinations, like permanganate oxidizability and bicarbonates, were carried out. Other parameters, in which the use of instrumental techniques was necessary, also were determined. The anions chloride, sulphate, nitrate and phosphate by ion chromatography and conductivity detection (IC-CD) and Ca, Mg, Na, K and transition metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma with Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICPOES) or Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) detectors. In the data presented, it appears that the composition of the waters of the River Turia, five samples taken along 75 kilometres, remains fairly consistent for most of the parameters studied. However, the variability of the values found in the waters of the springs and sources is more pronounced. Is pastoralism constitue a sink of carbon in high Andean wetlands? Ponsac, Claire1; roque marca natalio2; squeo francisco A.3 Mention Sciences de l’Environnement Terrestre (SET), Université Aix-Marseille et Institut Pythéas Observatoires des Sciences et de l’Univers (OSU), Case 50 - B12 52 avenue Escadrille Normandie Niemen 13397 Marseille Cédex 20, France, [email protected]. 2,3 Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, and Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile, [email protected], [email protected] 1 Large herbivores are keys drivers of nutrient cycling in ecosystems worldwide and they have an important influence on the productivity and species composition in plants community. Wetlands are considerate like large carbon storage; however, our understanding of the carbon flux dynamic is limited. Predictions are a diminution of the carbon storage in wetlands under high-intensity of grazing. In contrast, a low-intensity grazing should enhance plant and soil C accumulation. The objective of this study is determinate the net organic matter balance in six high-mountain wetlands of the arid Andean zone of Chile (29°S-70°O, 2900 a 3800 msnm). In each studied wetland, we evaluate the production of the annual dry aerial biomass (i.e., net aerial primary productivity (NAPP)) with and without herbivory, and the organic matter (dung) deposited by herbivores. Between evaluated wetlands, the NAPP sin herbivory varies between 342±15 and 1884±42 g m2. The herbivory is responsible of the removing of the NAPP between 38 and 72% (i.e. difference between zones with herbivory and without 174 International Conference Wetlands 2014 herbivory in each wetland). The organic matter liberated by herbivores varies between 7 and 61 g m2. In wetlands, herbivores deposit between 1 and 17 % of the consumed dry biomass. Equines represent an average of 84% of the liberated biomass follows by the native camelid (Lama guanicoe) with 8,4%. Dung of the others herbivores represent 3,3 % for the caprines, 3,0% for the bovines and 1,2% for the leporids. To conclude, these Andean wetlands are functioning like source of carbon and the deposition of herbivores dung no compensate the organic matter deposited by them. Amphibian species richness and wetland characteristics in the Pokupsko basin, Croatia Popović, nina1 1 Karlovac University of Applied Sciences, Trg J. J. Strossmayera 9, 47000 Karlovac, Croatia, [email protected] Historical data on amphibian species richness and abundance are not available for the Pokupsko basin study area. Also, the value of these wetlands for amphibians has not been examined previously. The aim of this study is to determine local amphibian species richness and abundance in a landscape heavily influenced by human activities. Wetland characteristics in the study area such as size, vegetation, hydrology and extent of human land use is described based on previous faunistic and plant studies of these habitats as well as recorded new data on water chemistry characteristics relevant for amphibians. Field visits were conducted from 2004 to 2006 in an area of 4,25 ha, where 4 permanent plots were installed. Drift fences and pitfall traps were used as sampling technique. During the study period 6 amphibian species were recorded. Bufo bufo was the most abundant species accounting for about 43,12% of all captures. Salamandra salamandra comprised 41,28% of the samples. Regarding vegetation, 96 species were identified. Values of water chemistry variables did not range widely and the general observation is that ponds were eutrophic. The extensive alterations at Pokupsko basin has resulted in changes in wetland hydrology and a probable shift in the relative abundance of amphibian species. Seasonal changes in the rotifer (Rotifera) diversity from the wetland Boximo (State of Mexico, Mexico) reyes-García, ricardo 1; s.s.s. sarma2; s. nandini2 1 Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n Ciudad Universitaria, México D.F., México. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Lab. de Zoología Acuática, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Iztacala, Av. de los Barrios No.1, AP 314, Código Postal 54090, Los Reyes, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México. E-mail: [email protected] Wetland ecosystems are characterized by high biodiversity and thus play a key role in providing a unique habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. However, the Mexican wetlands systems are poorly studied. In this work we provide some quantitative data on the seasonal changes in the abundance and diversity of rotifers from Boximo, a high altitude wetland (latitude 19 ° 36 ‘ 13 “N and Longitude 99 ° 41’ 49” W). Zooplankton samples were collected monthly for one year (2013-2014) and the selected physico-chemical variables (temperature, International Conference Wetlands 2014 175 pH, transparency, nitrates and phosphates) were recorded from each of the 6 sampling points. So far 102 species of rotifers, representing 21 families and 40 genera, were identified. The most diverse rotifer families from the Boximo wetlands were: Lecanidae (18%), Notommatidae (13%), Brachionidae and Colurellidae (each with 11%). This is the first waterbody in Mexico with rotifer species richness exceeding 100 species. In addition, this study adds 7 new records for to the fauna of Mexico: Mikrocodides chlaena (Gosse, 1886), Euchlanis pyriformis Gosse, 1851, Lepadella minuta (Weber & Montet, 1918), Lepadella quadricarinata (Stenroos, 1898), Beauchampia crucigera (Dutrochet, 1812), Floscularia ringens (Linnaeus, 1758) and, Macrotrachela multispinosa Thompson, 1892. Detailed quantitative data on the seasonal abundances of rotifers and the diversity of Shannon-Wiener diversity were also presented in this work throw values 2.7 and 3.7 characteristic values of these water bodies. Raising awareness for Mediterranean temporary ponds in Morocco rhazi, Laïla1; Bouahim siham1,3,4; Van den Broeck maarten 2,1; Waterkeyn Aline2,3; Grillas Patrick3; Amami Btissam1,3,4; el madihi mohammed1; rhazi mouhssine5; saber er-riyahi6; Brendonck Luc2 1 Hassan II Casablanca University, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environment, BP 5366, Maarif, Casablanca, Morocco. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. 2 Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 32, 3000, Belgium. [email protected], [email protected] [email protected] 3 Tour du Valat, Research Centre for Mediterranean Wetlands, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France 4 Université Montpellier2 - CNRS, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Case 061, 34095 Montpellier cedex 05, France. [email protected] 5 Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Department of Biology, BP 509, Boutalamine, Errachidia, Morocco. [email protected] 6 Moulay Ismail University, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Department of Geography, BP 11202, Zitoune Meknès, Morocco. [email protected] Morocco is characterized by high densities of temporary ponds scattered throughout its landscape. Although these habitats house a high biodiversity and provide several ecosystem functions benefiting the local people, they suffer from anthropogenic impact. A study in the province of Benslimane (Western Morocco) quantified a loss of 23% in number and 61% in surface area of temporary ponds over a period of 50 years (1955-2001). Additionally, socioeconomic surveys revealed that 25% of the local people have negative perceptions of the ponds, e.g. as being mosquito breeding areas or as lost arable land. This explains why ponds are often destructed. In order to promote the conservation of these habitats, awareness campaigns were organized during a 2-year VLIR-UOS project. Firstly, courses and field visits were organized in schools and universities. Also, a short documentary and brochures were made to inform the local population. Finally, a meeting was organized with all stakeholders (i.e. local authorities, users, researchers) where the importance of these ponds for the local people’s life quality was stressed. The need for taking the ponds into account in communal development plans was also underlined as well as the need for reinforcement of sensibilisation efforts to ensure a lasting change in perception. 176 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Diatom-based tools for the assessment of temporary and permanent isolated wetland conditions in the Mpumalanga Highveld region, South Africa. riato, Luisa1; Valentina della Bella2; manel Leira3; Paul oberholster1 Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa, [email protected] Biomonitoring Unit, Environmental Protection Agency of Umbria Region, ARPA UMBRIA, Italy, [email protected] 3 Department of Geography, University of Lisbon, Portugal, [email protected] 1 2 The premise of the study is to investigate how changing environmental conditions, natural and human-induced stressors, and temporal and spatial heterogeneity affect the organisation and functioning of diatoms in isolated wetlands in the Mpumalanga Highveld region of South Africa. These wetlands constitute a priority due to impacts of acid mine drainage (AMD) from extensive coal mining. For the purpose of developing an effective assessment and management strategy for AMD impacted isolated wetlands, this study aims to create and test a multi-metric AMD-diatom index of isolated wetland condition. The second aim is to investigate isolated wetlands with similar hydroperiods during various stages of inundation in order to assess the impacts of hydroperiod and salinity on diatom taxonomic composition. The third aim is to assess the influence of host macrophyte type on epiphytic community composition in temporary isolated wetlands during various stages of inundation. Accordingly, the influence of the host macrophyte species on the epiphytic diatom composition can be determined in relation to the influence of other factors. This will contribute to our understanding of the function of these systems on a regional and national level and can complement international hydrobiological wetland studies where temporary waterbodies are highly vulnerable to hydrological disturbances. Plankton assessment for the management of constructed wetlands in the framework of the LIFE+12 ALBUFERA project rodrigo, maría A.; matilde segura; William Colom; Carmen rojo Integrative Ecology Group, Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Information about plankton contribution to eutrophication reduction in constructed wetlands is scarce. Our previous studies on these kinds of systems demonstrated relevant microalgal reductions and favourable shifts in plankton community structures in constructed wetlands effluents, and the important role of zooplankton in water clearing. Here, we corroborate how microalgal biomass is drastically reduced after passing through the constructed wetlands involved in the LIFE+12 Albufera project: showing 80±24, 85±8, 82±12 % reductions (mean and S.D.) of chlorophyll concentrations in the effluents of Tancat Pipa, Tancat Milia and Tancat Illa, respectively, when compared with inflows. The constructed wetlands also brought about beneficial changes in phytoplankton assemblages: when comparing the inflows and the outflows, important reductions in cyanobacteria biomass and increases in green algae and diatoms biomass, easily edible by zooplankton, were observed. A considerable reduction in rotifer biomass was found in the effluents of all three Tancats. Although we only have the preliminary results so far, the reduction in microalgal concentration and the observed shifts in plankton community structures emerge as satisfactory. International Conference Wetlands 2014 177 Hydrological monitoring of a new created wetlands in Pablo de Olavide University campus (Seville) rodríguez rodríguez, miguel1; Layla marquez san emeterio1 1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Carretera de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla. [email protected]; [email protected] This report presents the hydrological characterization two artificial lakes system located in the campus of the University Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla), created in October 2013 as a result of a environmental project for the improvement of the campus. In this work it will be analyzed the hydrological dynamics of the lakes system during a period of six months, contrasting meteorological and other observations made in situ for a better understanding and assessment of the results. Also, a hydrochemical analyses and a soil water balance (SWB) in the watershed was made in order to characterise the water quality and estimate water resources. Hourly monitoring of the water level and temperature allowed to validate the SWB in the watershed for a water holding capacity of 25 mm. Progress of Life+ “Los Tollos” Project (09 ENV/ES/000472) Action 26: Hydrogeological Monitoring rodríguez rodríguez; miguel1; francisco moral martos1; mario Parra Cachada1 1 Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Carretera de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] In the context of Los Tollos Life+ project, the hydrogeological monitoring of the playa-lake and the related aquifers has been studied in detail. The main specific objectives of Action 26 (Hydrogeological Monitoring) are the following: collection and analysis of all previous hydrological information; piezometric study and hydrochemistry of the groundwater body of Lebrija; monitoring of the hydrology of Los Tollos playa-lake, in terms of both water and groundwater quality and quantity; monitoring of meteorological variables for the precise estimation of the terms of the water balance and, finally, description of the relation between surface and groundwater in the playa-lake. In this sense, the installation of a wide range of hydrological equipment (water level, temperature and salinity sensors in piezometers, wells and the playa-lake, weather and soil humidity stations near the playa, bimonthly water-sampling campaigns, etc.) has allowed us to achieve all of the proposed objectives during the restoration activities. Water level on the different aquifers are recovering, and the high degree of hydrological disconnection between the Los Tollos clayey unit and the underlying sandy aquifer (Lebrija aquifer) indicate the probable achievement of the hydrological restoration of the system. Anyhow, a future hydrological monitoring, after the end of the restoration activities, is crucial to check up on the certain restoration of the ecosystem in the long term. Lipid signature responsive of the biogeochemical functionality of hydric soils in Gallocanta Lake, Spain ruiz-matute, Ana isabel1,3; Carmen Castañeda2; Gonzalo Almendros1; Jesús sanz3; Jorge Álvaro-fuentes2 MNCN, CSIC. Serrano 115B, E-28006 Madrid, Spain, [email protected]; [email protected] Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain, [email protected]; [email protected] 3 Institute of General Organic Chemistry, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain, [email protected] 1 2 178 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Gallocanta Lake, one of the salt lakes best-preserved in Western Europe, has a maximum depth in wet periods of ca. 2.5 m. The effect of seasonal fluctuations in water level in the biogeochemical dynamics of sedimentary organic compounds was studied by sampling its southern margin. A transect defining a gradient in terms of their proximity to the water (and soil salinity) was selected to monitor physical and chemical variables, greenhouse gas emissions and the molecular composition of extractable lipids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Loam and sandy loam textured soils showed a high calcium carbonate content (mean 38%) and an electrical conductivity in 1:5 soil:water up to 8.5 dS m-1 in May 2013. Soil greenhouse gas emissions totalized from 3257 to 19513 g C-CO2 ha-1·day-1, up to 24 g C-CH4 ha-1·day-1, and up to 7 g N-N2O ha-1·day-1, and depended mainly of the land use and the distance to the lake floor. Up to 80 compounds, mainly alkanes (linear and branched), alcohols, terpenoids and steroids were quantitatively determined. A large concentration of elemental sulfur as S8 was detected in the sample at the lake floor, although S-containing organic molecules such as hexathiepane were also observed. The alkane series showed clear bimodal distributions with valley at ca. C25, i.e., a range of high molecular weight (>C25, odd-C numbered alkanes) which was assumed to derive from terrestrial sources, and a range of low molecular weight (<C25, even-C numbered alkanes) more typical of aquatic and/or microbial organisms. The concentration of diterpene resin acids mainly dehydroabietic acid represent a useful quantitative proxy for the terrestrial origin of organic matter. Conversely, steroids and sulfur compounds were selectively preserved in a gradient towards the submerged sediments of the lake floor, although an enhanced biogeochemical complexity in sites subjected to seasonal water saturation was suggested by their biochemodiversity indices. Optimization of aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling methodology in rice fields of Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain) saccò, mattia1; Juán rueda sevilla2; Ángela m. Jaramillo Londoño3; m. del mar Villar de Pablo2; Vicent Benedito durà2 1 Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. [email protected] 2 Laboratorio de Ecología. Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Medio Ambiente. Universitat Politècnica de València, Cno. de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. [email protected]; [email protected] 3 Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales U.D.C.A. Calle 222 55-37 Bogotá (Colombia) [email protected] The Albufera Natural Park (PNA) is one of the most important wetlands in the Western Mediterranean. It consists in a coastal shallow lake surrounded by a wide extension of rice fields (21000 ha total area) separated from the sea by a sand levee (30 km), with dunar systems. This protected area is included in the list of wetlands of international interest of the RAMSAR convention and in the Red Natura 2000, as a site of Community Importance, and Special Protection Area for birds. It presents an important bird community with 250 species, most of them with a diet based, to great extent, on benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates. In aquatic environments relationships between the macroinvertebrate communities and water quality has been widely demonstrated. The use of these organisms is an essential tool in ecological studies in aquatic systems, but a great effort is needed, because of the sample processing and the species determination. For this, it is essential to find a balance between sampling effort and the significance of the results. In this communication we revise a sam- International Conference Wetlands 2014 179 pling methodology to evaluate accurately the macro invertebrate benthonic community by means of the optimization of the sampling effort, to be applied in monitoring of water quality or other ecological studies. This procedure focuses on determining the minimum number of samples giving significant results in studies of aquatic macroinvertebrates carried out in rice fields; environments where most of the birds in the Albufera Natural Park obtain their food supplies. Crustacean community structure, diversity indices and conservation value in Mediterranean ponds sahuquillo, maría; maría rosa miracle University of Valencia We analysed patterns in community structure, species richness and “faunistic quality” of crustaceans in Mediterranean ponds of differing types. Crustacean species abundances from a large set of 150 ponds in a Mediterranean area were used to delineate different pond types. Historic and climatic factors played a major role separating five pond types, including three temporal pond types and two permanent ones. Differences in species richness were first compared between two pond typologies (permanent and temporary ponds) and subsequently among the five types following a gradient of environmental harshness. We did not find any difference in local species richness between temporary and permanent ponds, however when the five types were considered, we observed that local species richness tended to increase with increasing habitat stability or decreasing harshness, both in temporary and in permanent ponds. To evaluate conservation value of the ponds, we applied a new index (CVI) for crustaceans, in a similar way to those commonly used for other taxonomic groups. This index revealed the importance and singularity of temporary pond fauna, indicating that species richness must not be the only criterion used in the assessment of conservation value because this metric pools all species together. CVI highlights localities with specialized species or species with biogeographic interest from those with opportunistic or cosmopolitan species. Microcrustacean metacommunity drivers in two Mediterranean temporary pond systems with contrasting connectivity sala, Jordi1; dani Boix1; Jordi Compte1,2; simonetta Bagella2; maria Carmela Caria2; Xavier d. Quintana1; stéphanie Gascón 1. 1 Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari. Via Piandanna 4. 07100. Sassari. Italy. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Connectivity is an important attribute for the dispersal and the colonisation of organisms in the ecosystems, and plays a key role in the processes that structure the metacommunities. In the Mediterranean area, the fragmentation and loss of temporary wetlands pose a threat to the conservation of the biodiversity in these systems (which are considered as priority habitats following the European Directive). In the island of Sardinia (Italy), two different sets of temporary ponds with different connectivity were selected for the study of the micro- 180 International Conference Wetlands 2014 crustacean (Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda) assemblages. Within these two sets, we analized the effect of several environmental and biotic factors (pond characteristics, trophic status, predation pressure) that may control microcrustacean assemblage structure descriptors (species richness, beta diversity, size diversity, biomass) affecting the metacommunity dynamics. Higher values of species richness and microcrustacean biomass, and lower values of beta diversity were found in the high-connectivity pond system, whereas the descriptors of size structure were more related to trophic status. Pools, plants and people: challenges for wetland conservation in Malta sammut, sheriyl; Kelly Briffa; Jilly Camilleri; sandro Lanfranco Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta. [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected] The Maltese Islands are characterised by the smallest land area (316km2) and the highest population density in the European Union (1261 km-1). These factors, coupled with intensive habitat loss and a strongly biseasonal climate with a long summer drought, interact to present considerable challenges for wetland conservation in Malta. In general, although habitats consistent with European Commission habitat-type 3170 *Mediterranean Temporary Ponds are protected by legislation, the remaining pool landscapes are highly fragmented and subject to frequent disturbance or to deliberate destruction. The diversity of macrophytes in these habitats is dependent on the morphometric properties of the basin, on the volume of the effective seed bank and on proximity to other sources of colonisers. As such, any conservation or restoration strategies should take all these factors into account. Conservation strategies that are being undertaken or envisaged include conservation and management of remaining pool landscapes, educational initiatives and ad hoc restoration strategies. The increasing volume of specific research about temporary pools in the Maltese Islands suggests that restoration strategies can be based in information concerning the influence of morphometric heterogeneity of basins, of hydroperiod characteristics and of habitat-connectivity in determining macrophyte richness and life-form richness. Project LIFE Nitrates. “Repercussions of agricultural practices on the nitrate pollution of inland waters” sanz Azcarate, Luis; maria Vela moriones; José Chérrez Bermejo Gestión Ambiental de Navarra, S.A., http://www.life-nitratos.eu/ The Nitrates Life Project in Navarra focuses on analysing the major sources of nitrates leaching responsible for diffuse pollution of inland water: irrigated agriculture areas in which an excess of fertilisers produces losses favoured by irrigation water and farming areas with intensive livestock in which crop plots and prairies are fertilised by manure and slurry. Methods: A) Analysis of agricultural practices in a pilot area with impermeable soil where irrigation farming takes place. Field trials were developed along with actual cropping plots managed by local farmers in the pilot basin (Landazuria basin). Basin exit flow and nitrate concentration were measured in a continuous basis. Identifying cause-effect relationships and developing a computer tool for nitrogen balances. B) Analysis of livestock farming prac- International Conference Wetlands 2014 181 tices in a pilot area with impermeable soil. Field trials were developed along with actual cropping plots managed by local farmers in the pilot basin (Oskotz-Muskitz basin). Basin exit flow and nitrate concentration were measured in a continuous basis. Identifying cause-effect relationships and developing a computer tool for nitrogen balances. C) Evaluation of the action programmes in the alluvial of the River Ebro and its main tributaries. To evaluate the effectiveness of Action Programmes and Good Agricultural Practices applied in the River Ebro alluvial and create a simulation model for the flow and transportation of nitrates for the Ebro alluvial and its main tributaries. The first task was the agronomic and hydrological characterization of entire area that it was carried out with existing data and surveys of farmers in the area. At the same time, priority areas were selected for modelling, and a number of wells were drilled and built as new control well points. The data collected will be used to validate and calibrate the pollution simulation model which is a combination of two different software: MODFLOW for groundwater flow and SWAP for the Unsaturated Zone. Finally, different scenarios will be simulated when the model is running so it will be possible to see the evolution of the concentration of nitrates from agricultural sources in groundwater. D) Public awareness raising and dissemination of the results: Disseminate results/outputs obtained to stakeholders at regional, national and international levels in order to extrapolate the results obtained in other fields with similar characteristics. Results: The progress of this project show the importance of to take into account the existing soil nitrogen (mineralised nitrogen) in the nitrogen balance and the need to improve our current knowledge about N dynamics at a plot scale i.e N mineralisation is greatly affected by soil conditions (temperature and humidity) and farming practices (fallows, cultivation rotation, direct drilling). Thereby farmers can check that fertiliser doses can be reduced significantly without reducing profits by using proper techniques. These guidelines will be incorporated into a reviewed Good Agricultural Practices Program. It is expected that a more efficient use of fertilizers in agriculture will imply a reduction of nitrogen in continental water in compliance of the EU Nitrates Directive and its Action Programs for Vulnerable Areas. Approach to behavior geohydrologic Wetland Lagoons Puebla de Beleña by Landsat 8 sastre, Antonio; maría Cabañero; José Antonio domínguez; silvia martínez-Pérez Universidad de Alcalá. Dpto. de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente (U.D. Geología), [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 1 The Lagunas de Puebla de Beleña wetland (Guadalajara, España), are formed by two water bodies (Laguna Chica and Laguna Grande). They were declared Natural Reserve in 2001; they are in the Ramsar list from 2002 and in Natura 2000 Network. The geohydrological behaviour of the Lagunas of Puebla de Beleña wetland has been studied by means Landsat 8 satellite images. It has obtained the surface of the lagoons at different times of the year, relating it later with the water level in nearby wells and with precipitations regime in the area. It has been observed a relationship between the flooded surface during the filling of the lagoons and the water level in wells that disappears once the lagoons reach maximum capacity. On the other hand, the appearance of the water at the lagoon bowl is related to the distribution and intensity of rainfall, playing the groundwater regime a significant role in the lagoon dynamics. 182 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Ichthyofauna of two wetlands in Brazilian semiarid region serna, marconi; ingrid Cerqueira; Leonardo moraes; edjane santos; Alexandre Clistenes Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] The Chapada Diamantina is an ecoregion of the “caatinga” biome, which is located at Brazilian semiarid region. This ecoregion is composed by a habitats mosaic that features physiognomic variations, with very short distances between them, among which stand out from regions of periodically flooded plains, of alluvial soils locally called “Marimbus”. Trying to understand how fish populations are distributed in time and space, and how these relate to with the environment, this study was directed for taxonomic and ecological characterization of the fish fauna of these areas. Fishes were sampled bimonthly between February 2012 and February 2013 at four sampling sites (two at the Remanso’s marimbus and two at Baiano’s marimbus in Bahia State), using gillnets, traps and small trawl. A total of 3.126 individuals of 33 species belonging to 13 families and 05 orders were collected. Characidae family with 12 species, Cichlid with 05 and Erythrinidae with 03, were the most representative. For Baiano’s marimbus, Hyphessobrycon negodagua, and Hemigrammus marginatus represented 42.31 % of the individuals, while Trachelyopterus galeatus and Hoplias malabaricus corresponded to 50.78 % of the total biomass. For Remanso’s Marimbus, Hyphessobrycon negodagua and Serrapinnus heterodon represented 51.67 % of the individuals, while Hoplias malabaricus and Callichthys callichthys corresponded to 30.83% of the total biomass. Temporal differences were not registered in the annual cycle analysed and the spatial differences were determined mainly by small Characiformes that varied in abundance between the two Marimbus. Effects of perennial crops cultivation on weed communities in a Mediterranean peatland silvestri, nicola1; Vittoria Giannini2; Chiara Pistocchi2,3; Gionata Bocci2; Tiziana sabbatini2; enrico Bonari2 1 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment – University of Pisa, PISA (IT), [email protected] 2 Institute of Life Sciences - Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento, Via Santa Cecilia 3- 5612, PISA(IT), [email protected] 3 Group of Plant Nutrition - ETH Zurich, Lindau (CH), [email protected] Paludiculture has been identified as one of the possible ways to restore ecological functions of drained peatlands. The replacement of arable crops with perennial crops, the higher level of water table and the lower use of inputs can also determine a remarkable change on spontaneous vascular plant communities. A research was carried out in a drained peatland located in the coastal plain of Central Italy. The investigated crops were: a cool-season turfgrasses mix (Festuca arundinacea, Poa prantensis, Lolium perenne), Arundo donax, Miscanthus x giganteus, Phragmites australis, Salix alba and Populus ‘Oudenberg’, in addition to nearby uncultivated and cultivated areas as controls. The weed monitoring was carried out in June and August 2013, during the second year of crops growth. We collected the following data: the percentage of cover for each species (Braun-Blanquet method) and the above ground biomass per unit area (dry weight). The results showed an inverse relationship between the development (cover level and biomass) and the biodiversity (number of identified species) of weeds. The most unbalanced weed communities (few species and many individuals) were observed on Populus and on the uncultivated area. In the cultivated control instead the more intensive use of inputs resulted in a more specialized (low number of species) and less competitive (less growth) flora. International Conference Wetlands 2014 183 Conservation and Management of Freshwater Wetlands in Slovenia - WETMAN simčič, matej1; Aleksander Koren1; nika debeljak Šabec1 1 The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature conservation, Tobačna ulica 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, [email protected] The poster will include general information on the LIFE+ nature project WETMAN (project area information, project background, aim of the research/project), methods used during the implementation of the project, and the results and discussion. It will give an overview of the whole project, combined with photographs and other graphic elements. Dominant species of Chironomidae Fauna Larva (Insecta: Diptera) from Prespa Lake, Republic of Macedonia smiljkov, stoe1; Verica Bakeva2; Ljupcho nastoski3 1 University “Sts Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Institute of Biology, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. 2 University “Sts Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. 3 University “Sts Cyril and Methodius”, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Institute of Mathematics, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. In this paper, we consider different species of Chironomidae fauna larva of Prespa Lake during 2013. In our investigations, we found 36 taxons: group Chironomini (14 taxa), group Orthocladinae (10 taxa), group Tanytarsini (6 taxa) and group Procladini (6 taxa). The species Polipedilum scalaenum and Cricotopus sylvestris are the most abudance during whole period. Taxa Chironomus plumosus and Procladius choreus are the most abudance in literal region of the lake. Improving the conservation status for the priority species and habitats in the Iron Gates wetlands sorescu, Carmen1; Tania Chincea1; Cristiana maria Ciocanea2; steluta manolache2; Corina mihoc1; Alin Catalina1; mirela ianosi1 Environmental Protection Agency Caras-Severin, 73 Petru Maior, Resita, Romania, [email protected] University of Bucharest, Center for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, 1 Nicolae Balcescu, 010041, Bucharest, [email protected] 1 2 Located in the south-western of Romania, ROSPA0026 Danube water course Bazias-Iron Gates overlaps a large area of priority habitats where core pygmy cormorant and ferruginous duck population lives alongside other protected species form Habitats Directive, 3 amphibians (Bombina bombina, Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo), 1 species belonging to the Reptilia (Emys orbicularis) and 4 species from Pisces (Gymnocephalus schraetzer, Gymnocephalus baloni, Zingel streber, Zingel zingel). ROSPA0026 Danube water course Bazias–Iron Gates is classified as the third important bird area from Romania. The area represents an important stop point during the spring–autumn passage seasons for the wild birds, as it is on the flyway for the western part of the country Tisa-Mures-Danube. The area is endangered with severe 184 International Conference Wetlands 2014 biodiversity threats, such as: wetlands eutrophication, aquatic invasive species, birds nesting and resting habitats degradation and wetlands pollution. Our aim through LIFE Nature Programme is to provide a long term favourable conservation status for priority bird species (especially Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Aythya nyroca) by restoring wintering, nestling and feeding habitats; removing aquatic and riverside invasive species through demonstrative actions; enforcing an early warning system for invasive alien species and increasing public awareness on the importance of biodiversity in the Iron Gates wetlands. An eco-audit to Andalusian wetlands (Southern Spain) from ecosystem services approach suárez Alonso, maría Luisa1; maría rosario Vidal-Abarca Gutiérrez1; maría del rosario García mora2 1 Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología. Universidad de Murcia. Campus de Espinardo. 30100. Murcia (Spain). [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Consejeria de Medio Ambiente y Ordenación del Territorio. Junta de Andalucía. [email protected] Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits that people derive from ecosystems and their biodiversity, and which contribute to human well-being. The framework adopted by EMA (www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/ema) categorises ecosystem services into three different classes: provisioning (from biotic and geotic ecosystem structure, e.g., food, water, renewable energy, etc), regulating (from ecosystem functioning, e.g., healthy climate, erosion control, soil fertility and cultural services (intangible contributions that the people get through their experience with ecosystems and biodiversity as a sense of belonging, local ecological knowledge, ecotourism, etc.). We have used a total of 84 indicators to assess the ecosystem services provided by Andalusian lakes and wetlands (25 to assess the provisioning services, 55 for the regulating services and 33 for the cultural services). In summary, 80% (16 of 20) of the ecosystem services evaluated are being degraded or used unsustainably and one missed (renewable energy). The most affected are the regulatory services and cultural related to rural population as local ecological knowledge and cultural identity and sense of belonging. In contrast, some supply technically advanced services (such as poplar plantations, aquaculture, etc.) and cultural services demanded by urban society (ecotourism, environmental education), are increasing. Phytophilous macroinvertebrates in Danube backwaters with different hydrological connectivity Tarjányi, nikolett1, Árpád Berczik1 Danube Research Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-2163, Vácrátót/Hungary, [email protected], [email protected] 1 Wetlands are characterised by high species and habitat diversity therefore play an important role in biodiversity conservation. The spatio-temporally diverse and hydro-ecologically variable conditions of riverine floodplains determine the living conditions and hereby the dynamic changes of the organism assemblages. The phytophilous macrionvertebrates were International Conference Wetlands 2014 185 investigated in two different oxbow-lakes of Béda-Karapancsa (Duna-Dráva National Park, Hungary): in the Mocskos-Danube side arm (3.5 km length, 60 m wide), situated in the active floodplain and has a surface lateral connection with the main channel above the medium water level of the Danube (550 cm at the gauge Mohács, rkm 1447) and in the Riha oxbow (4.5 km length, 80m wide) situated on the protected side and has no connection with the main channel. Along these two oxbows there are two very dense macrophyte stands (Trapa natans and Ceratophyllum demersum respectively). The samplings were carried out monthly between May and October 2012. The investigations were focused on the differences in the phytophilous macroinvertebrate assemblages living in different bed of macrophyte species. Certain phytophilous macroinvertebrate assemblages preferred different macrophyte densities. At the same time there were differences in the individual number of macroinvertebrates between the centre and edge of macrophyte patches. Ecosystem services of the beaver (Castor spp.) Thompson, stella1; mia Vehkaoja1 1 Department of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. [email protected]; [email protected] Beavers (Castor spp.) are ecosystem engineers, raising floodwaters into surrounding forests, killing trees, and releasing organic material into riverine systems and lakes. These changes increase both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem heterogeneity by creating new niches (e.g. open meadows, wetlands, shore forests, water pools) and food sources, thus increasing species diversity. Beavers also provide ecosystem services to humans by offering free and necessary benefits, e.g. economic gain. Ecosystem services can be classified into four categories: productional, regulatory, cultural, and maintenance. This categorization helps evaluate both the economic and ecological value of ecosystems. They mitigate flood peaks by retaining rainwater and drought conditions by slowly releasing water and raising groundwater levels. The economic gain provided by beaver-created wetlands for flood mitigation is extensive, and will probably increase in the future due to climate change. Beavers generate habitats suitable for recreation and relaxation, providing e.g. hunting, fishing, hiking, and canoeing possibilities. They create wetlands that act as buffer zones by filtering impurities (e.g. heavy metals), thus increasing water quality. Wetlands are also important hot spots for species diversity, which provides a nature conservation ecosystem service. Influence of ponds and wetlands on water quality in dump area Tichackova, Jirina Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kam_cká 129, 165 21 Praha 6Suchdol, [email protected] Anthropogenic activities associated with mining of brown coal adversely affect the natural ecosystems on our planet. Efforts to recover these damaged ecosystems to their original form must be in accordance with the principles of their natural functioning. The research area is located west of the Sokolov brown coal region near Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Surface mining includes the complete removal of vegetation cover and the surface mines significantly change the water cycle on the landscape (transfer a large number of streams, 186 International Conference Wetlands 2014 drainage of large areas and last but not least, a significant decline in groundwater level.The research objective is to find solutions that would allow to improve the quality of waters in areas affected by mining especially the removal of iron and manganese compounds, at low economic cost. In the dump was selected sampling points on the longitudinal profile of the stream. Collected samples of dumpwater were examined. It was demonstrated in all cases a downward trend of iron and manganese concentrations. Based on this monitoring performed in the years 2011-2014, the effect of lakes, ponds and constructed wetland systems appears to be the ideal solution for amelioreting impacts of mine areas on water quality of streams. Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services to optimize sustainable re-use for low-productive drained peatlands Tolvanen, Anne1,2; Parviainen, miia 1 1 2 Finnish Forest Research Institute, Oulu, P.O. Box 413, FI 90014 Oulu, FINLAND, [email protected] Thule Institute, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 413, FI 90014 Oulu, FINLAND Almost one-third of European peatland resource is situated in Finland, where more than half of the original peatlands have been drained to increase tree growth. However, 20% of the drained peatland area does not produce enough timber to fulfill commercial purposes. At the same time, their biodiversity is degraded, they may continue environmental loading to watercourses, and act as greenhouse gas (GHG) sources. A key question concerning the use of peatlands is what to do with these low-productive drained peatlands that have been left aside from active forestry. Low-productive peatlands can be re-used in many different ways. The problem is that the impacts of different re-use options on biodiversity, environment and economy are not yet fully understood and thus it is hard to give proposals for re-use actions. The challenge is to develop mechanisms that can balance the conflicting demands on the use of peatlands and to ensure their sustainable use. Our 5-year EU funded LIFE+ project LIFEPeatLandUse (2013–2018) consolidates and increases the knowledge on the impacts of peatland re-use on ecosystem services. Under investigation, there are seven different peatland re-use options, representing the economic activity as well as measures related to the protection. The purpose is to evaluate and predict their potential impacts on the peatland landscapes, if they were applied in practice. The aim is to find cost-efficient re-use options to low-productive drained peatlands, which help to prevent or stop decline of biodiversity and environmental loading to watercourses, and improve capacity of peatlands to store greenhouse gases. Structure and composition of the macrofauna in Mediterranean temporary ponds: analysing the influence of pond size and water quality Tornero, irene1; stéphanie Gascón1; Jordi sala1; núria Àvila1; Xavier d. Quintana1; dani Boix1 1Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Faculty of Sciences. Av. Mª Aurèlia Capmany, 69. 17071. Girona. Spain. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] The biogeographical principle that a larger area has more species has often been more as- International Conference Wetlands 2014 187 sumed than tested. We hypothesized that in high connected pond systems this principle is not ratified. In this work, pond size effect on macrofauna structure and composition was studied. We considered different parameters of the ecological (richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, Index of Faunal Originality), taxonomic (taxonomic distinctness, average taxonomic distinctness, variation in taxonomic distinctness) and size (size diversity, mean size diversity, size spectra slope) structure of the community from twelve Mediterranean temporary ponds located in Vila Nova de Milfontes (SW Portugal). Moreover, water trophic state (WTS) effect was also analysed on the mentioned parameters (WTS was evaluated by means of TRIX index). Neither pond size nor WTS were found to be significant factors to explain the variability in the composition and the structure of the macrofauna. Among all the parameters analysed, Shannon-Wiener diversity was the only one that showed differences, being higher in small than in large ponds. We concluded that there may be some other factors (such as spatial connectivity between ponds) determining community structure. The influence of salinity, temperature and light on germination of hydro-halophyte Halocnemum yurdakulolii Yaprak Tug, Gul nilhan1; isa Baskose1; Ahmet emre yaprak1 1 Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 06100, Tandogan Ankara, TURKEY; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Halocnemum yurdakulolii Yaprak is a hydro-halophytic species from eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It was aimed to find out the influence of light, temperature and changing salinity on germination of its seeds. Seeds were collected from Mersin – Silifke Goksun Delta on 29/12/2013. For determination of the influence of temperature on germination ratio and rate, tree different temperature regimes with 12/12 h photoperiod were applied and 25 °C day and 17 °C night temperatures are found as optimum. The results of photoperiodism and the complete darkness are similar and it can be said that light did not effective on germination ratio. As in other halophytes increase in salinity resulted in decrease is germination ratio and rate of the seeds of H. yurdakulolii. Wetland plants as potential bioengineer for phytoremediation of boron contaminated wastewater Türker, onur Can1; Harun Böcük2; Anıl yakar2; Cengiz Türe2 Aksaray University,Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, Aksaray, Turkey, 68100 and [email protected] 2 Anadolu University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Eski_ehir, Turkey, 26375 and [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 1 Boron (B) contamination in the environment still increases because of various natural sources and anthropogenic activities. This situation has generated increasing interest in the use of several alternative methods in order to remove B from contaminated water. Several researches have reported that some wetland plants accumulate B in their tissues. This study investigates some potential bioengineer wetland plants for boron removal from wastewater. Studies carried out with machrophytes showed that Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis, 188 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Sagittaria latifolia, Iris pseudacorus, Scirpus validus, Thalia dealbata, Polypogon monspeliensis and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani were the most frequently reported potential wetlands species for phytoremediation of B contaminated wastewater. Some floating aquatic plants such as Lemna gibba, Lemna minor and Lemna trisulca have been recognized as species with high potential for B accumulation and they accumulate B directly into their biomass. On the other hand, some other aquatic plants such as Potamogeton spp., Iris spp. and Scirpus spp. were demonstrated as species with high potential for storing B in their biomass. Therefore, this study mainly focuses on available data regarding potential wetland plants for B removal from wastewater. Role of plants in the greenhouse gas budget of a sedge fen Vítková, Jitka1; Jiří dušek2; Hana Čížková 1 Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, Studenská 13, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 2 Global Change Research Centre AS CR, v. v. i., Na Sádkách 7, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] 3 Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, Studenská 13, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, [email protected] Wetlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle. These ecosystems release methane and fix or release CO2 depending on particular site conditions, especially temperature, soil moisture, and performance of the vegetation cover. The object of this study was to determine the effect of plants on the gas emissions from the model wetland “The Wet Meadows” near Třeboň (Czech Republic) in 2013. We compared CO2 and CH4 fluxes from vegetated and unvegetated plots (measured in manual emission chambers). Simultaneously, we measured seasonal course of aboveground biomass and production of these plots. The results confirm the close relationship of CO2 emissions with plant biomass. CO2 emissions were significantly higher from the plots with vegetation than from the plots without vegetation. The emissions of CO2 depended more on total biomass of plants than only on Carex acuta. The relation of CH4 emissions to the plant measures is more complicated and apparently includes the rooting depth and extent of root flooding. Spatial distribution pattern of zoobenthos in the upper Huaihe River Basin Wan, yun1; sheng sheng1,2,3 ; Jing Hu1; shuqing An1 1School of Life Science and Institute of Wetland Ecology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, Jiangsu, P. R. China 2 Nanjing University Ecology Research Institute of Changshu (NJUecoRICH), Changshu 215500, Jiangsu, P. R. China 3 Hydrochina Huadong Engineering Corporation, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China The spatial pattern of a community are of crucial importance for understanding ecosystem functioning. We attempted to identify spatial patterns of zoobenthos assemblages in the upper Huaihe River Basin, which located in the Eastern part of China. Samples were collected at 15 sites along the main stream Huaihe and its tributaries in August 2010. Four sites were located along the main stream, five sites were located in the Northern tributary and eight in the Southern tributary. Three replicate samples were taken at each site. We calculated the International Conference Wetlands 2014 189 species richness, density, biomass, relative abundances of dominant species to describe the zoobenthos community structure. Among-sites separation was evaluated by non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Analysis of species composition (56 taxa), density (up to 38825 ind m–2 with juveniles) and biomass (up to 302.9228 g m–2 wet wt) indicates high spatial difference in the upper huaihe river basin. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Polypedilum scalaenum Schrank, Limnodrilus claparedeianus, Einfeldia sp, Branchiura sowerbyi, Diptera sp. and Chironomus plumosus were numerically dominated the community in the upper Huaihe river basin.non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) identified three groups of stations that had significantly different macrozoobenthic communities. Forecasting heavy metal hazards in sediments on the basis of Wilanowski pond in Warsaw Witeska, Anna Warsaw University of Technology, Environmental Engineering Faculty Department of Informatics and Environmental Quality Research, Nowowiejska 20, 00-653 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Heavy metals are one of the main hazards in surface water environments. They can be transferred into water from the atmosphere as a result of rainfall, snowfall etc. These elements are often washed out from bedrocks or soils, but most often, exceeding the acceptable level of concentration is connected with emissions from industrial areas. Heavy metal cations present in surface waters may appear in several forms including: ionic form (most toxic to living organisms), ligand connected ions (complex compounds), precipitated particles from chemical compounds, suspended in liquid phase and adsorbed on suspended matter and colloids. In Poland, studies most often concern the average concentration of heavy metals in the body of water or sediments. Very often, heavy metal labeling is made only for filtrate samples. There is no research concerning the migration of metals in dissolved and adsorbed forms between the supernatant and the sediment. The aim of the study is to determine the conditions in which heavy metals migrate between the supernatant and the sediment as it is essential for assessing the hazard due to presence of heavy metals in water. A simultaneous methodological study will concern ways of forecasting the mechanisms of releasing metals from sediments and negative effects of this phenomenon in relation to biochemical processes in water. Water and sediments of the Wilanowski pond were chosen for the study as it is a part of the old left-side riverbed of Vistula river. The study will determine essential dependence between the presence of heavy metals in water (dissolved and suspended forms) and sediments (from sequential extraction for the speciation analysis). Complex assessment of heavy metal migration, including their transformation and defining the physical-chemical parameters of water and sediments on migration will serve as a base for rational development of threat analysis method. Developing such methods will allow for control of the natural processes including toxicity reduction of metals and understanding of basic processes governing the heavy metal cycle in the environment. The results of the study will result in describing the geochemical cycle, pointing out the selective water and sediment quality indexes which determine heavy metal bonding. This enables assessment of heavy metal toxicity in relation to surface water ecosystems. Results from this study will serve as basis for the water ecosystem protection strategy. 190 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Floristic diversity and habitat classification of Goksu Delta (Turkey) yaprak, Ahmet emre Ankara University Faculty of Science Department of Biology 06100 Tandogan Ankara TURKEY. [email protected] Goksu Delta is a specialy protected area which is located in Mersin, Silifke, Turkey. The area is in the coast of Mediterranean Sea where Goksu River flows in. There are mainly river, lake, sand dunes, estuary, lagoons and salt marshes habitats in the area. The area is totally 228, 4 Km2. Firstly the floristic diversity of the area is investigated from the current literature than the plants checked in the area by field studies which conducted between 2012 and 2013. Distributions of endemic and threatened species are determined and mapped. For the habitat diversity current literature about phytosociology of the area is investigated and Eunis habitat classification of the area is performed by field studies between 2012 and 2013. Distributions of the habitat types are determined and mapped. 577 plant taxa are found in the area in which 13 of them are endemic to Turkey and 28 of them have threat status. 27 different habitat types are found in the area and 20 of them have protection status. International Conference Wetlands 2014 191 Author’s index Abbott, Geoff, 68, 118 Abril, Meritxell, 167 Adame Vivanco, Ma. Fernanda, 73 Ágoston-Szabó, Edit, 37, 59 Aguiar, Janaína Aparecida, 131 Aguilar, Lorena, 93 Aguilera, Héctor, 168 Aguirre-Ruiz, Ernesto, 58 Albernaz, Ruth, 57 Albonette de Nóbrega, Paula Fernanda, 131 Albrecht, Harald, 131 Alcázar, Rita, 102 Almendros, Gonzalo, 178 Alonso-Azcárate, J., 45, 112 Alòs, Gerard, 144 Altenfelder, Sara, 131 Álvarez, Miguel, 81 Álvaro-Fuentes, Jorge, 178 Alves, Armando, 99 Amiche, C., 112, 132 An, Shuqing, 189 Anderson, Neil O., 134 Andreo-Navarro, Bartolomé, 94, 169 Angelstam, Per, 87 Ansaloni, Ivano, 110 Antigüedad, Iñaki, 38, 52, 54, 56, 112 Aragonés, David, 59 Araújo Soares Lopes, Célia Regina, 57 Araújo, Daniel, 46 Arheimer, 40 Arias, Carlos Alberto, 93, 116 Arim, Matías, 66, 105 Armengol, Xavier, 39, 98, 132, 172 Arnold, Jeff G., 117 Arrechea, E., 153 Astel, Aleksander, 170 Attard, E., 112, 128 Áurea, R. A. Ignácio, 84 Àvila, Núria, 66, 133, 144, 187 Ávila De Navia, Sara Lilia, 62, 148 Axmacher, J., 70 Azevedo, Fábia, 118 192 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette, 78 Bacon, P., 53 Badosa, Anna, 105 Bagella, Simonetta, 40, 51, 133, 144, 180 Baisez, Aurore, 140 Bakeva, Verica, 184 Ballesteros, Bruno José, 71 Bankovics, András, 41 Barcos, Alberto, 89, 166 Barret, M., 112 Bart, David, 41, 42, 134 Barta, Jiří, 61 Bartoli, Marco, 46, 83, 102, 136 Baskose, Isa, 188 Bastlová, D., 134 Batista, Eugênia, 135 Bazzoffi, Paolo, 47 Bechtel, Achim, 84 Behn, Kai, 81 Bella, Valentina Della,177 Belo, Anabela, 42, 102 Benito, Xavier, 43 Bennion, H., 70 Bensaci, Ettayib, 43, 136 Berastegi, Asun, 101 Berczik, Árpád, 59, 185 Berger, Daniela, 44 Berit, 40 Bernard-Jannin, Léonard, 38, 44, 45, 49, 112, 117, 132 Besse, Timothée, 140 Bijata, Paweł, 143 Bino, G., 53 Bixquert, Javier, 157 Blanco, Carlos G., 84, 163 Blanco, José María, 105 Blasco, Elena, 50 Boaventura, Geraldo, 46 Bocci, Gionata, 183 Böcük, Harun, 188 Böde, Nóra A., 122 Bodoque, José-María, 38, 45, 49, 54, 56 Boix, Dani, 66, 92, 105, 133, 144, 147, 180, 187 Bolpagni, Rossano, 46, 136 Bomfim, Eudes, 46 Bonari, Enrico, 68, 183 Bonnet, Marie-Paule, 46 Borin, Maurizio, 99, 172 Borrego, Ángeles G., 84, 122, 148, 163 Borthagaray, Ana Inés, 66 Botté, Sandra E., 95 Boualem, Mayache, 136 Boudreau, Stephanie, 69 Bouldjedri, Mohamed, 136 Bouzegag, Abdelaziz, 43 Bowszys, Magdalena, 155 Boz, Bruno, 47 Bravo, Tania, 47, 137 Brendonck, Luc, 124, 126, 176 Bresciani, Mariano, 102 Březinová, Tereza, 125 Briffa, Kelly, 48, 181 Brito, David, 44, 49, 56, 112 Brix, Hans, 116 Brucet, Sandra, 105 Btissam, Amami, 176 Buchraya, Salem, 137 Burandt, Paweł, 155, 171 Bürger-Arndt, R. , 159 Burnside, Niall, 126 Bustamante, Javier, 59 Cabañero, María, 182 Cabezas, Álvaro, 128 Cacho, Gema, 89, 166 Calero, Sara, 138 Callicó Fortunato, Roberta, 138 Calvo-Cubero, Juan, 50 Calvo, Alfonso, 89, 139, 166 Camacho, Antonio, 39, 50 Camilleri, Jilly, 181 Campo-Bescós, Miguel A., 51, 139 Canal, Julie, 140, 151 Carbon, Anne, 146 Cardoso de Lima, Aldeniza, 57 Caria, María Carmela, 40, 51, 133, 144, 180 Carmona, María José, 64, 66, 98, 150, 151 Carnevale, Silvia, 47 Carniello, Maria Antonia, 57 Caro, Patricia, 93 Carranza, Fabián, 38, 52, 56, 62, 112 Carrasco Cantos, Francisco, 94 Casalí Sarasibar, Javier, 139 Casamayor, Emilio O., 52, 121 Castañeda, Carmen, 52, 86, 140, 146, 164, 178 Castaño, Silvino, 141, 168 Castellano, C., 90 Castillo-Escrivà, Andreu, 39 Catalina, Alin, 184 Catelotti, Katharine, 53 Causapé, J., 158 Cerqueira, Ingrid, 183 Chamier, Jessica, 112 Chamsi, Ousama, 54, 112 Charcosset, J. Y. , 112, 132 Chaumont, C., 120 Chen, Yi, 54 Chérrez Bermejo, José, 181 Chincea, Tania, 55, 184 Čiampor, Fedor Jr., 55 Čiamporová-Zaťovičová, Zuzana, 55 Cillero, Carmen, 142 Cindrić, Ines, 143 Ciocanea, Cristiana Maria, 55, 184 Ciszewski, Dariusz, 143 Čížková, Hana, 56, 61, 134, 189 Clavero, Miguel, 65 Clistenes, Alexandre , 183 Cogoni, Annalena, 133 Colelli, Stefano, 50 Colom, William, 88, 138, 177 Comín, Francisco A, 38, 49, 54, 56, 58, 62, 63, 89, 90,92, 112, 119, 137, 158, 166 Compte, Jordi, 105, 144, 180 Conesa, J. A., 115 Cooke, Dave, 68 Cooke, David, 118 Côrtes Figueira, José Eugênio,131 Cozma, Nastasia J.,122 Cruz, Ana, 118 Cunillera, David, 144 Čurn, Vladislav, 134 da Silva Nunes, Josué Ribeiro, 57 International Conference Wetlands 2014 193 da Silva, Carolina Joana, 57, 84 Dalgaard, Tommy, 78 Darwiche-Criado, Nadia, 58, 89, 166 Datry, Thibault, 109 Davenport, Tara, 42 de Arruda, Joari Costa, 57 de Eyto, Elvira, 105 de Freitas Junior, Djair Sergio, 57 de la Hera Portillo, África, 145 de la Losa Román, Almudena 141, 168 de Miguel, Eduardo, 58 Deary, Michael, 68, 118 Del Arco, C., 115 del Río, Amanda, 58 Demierre, Eliane, 74, 97, 145 Díaz-Paniagua, Carmen, 59, 113, 146, 149, 150, 152 Díaz-Varela, Ramón A., 142 Díez, Silvia, 39 Díez, Sergi, 84 Dimitriou, E., 146 Dinka, Mária, 37, 59 Diz Salgado, Carmen, 74 Dolinar, Nataša, 60 Dolz Ripollés, Josep, 88 Domínguez, José Antonio, 182 Donovan, Kotze, 81 Dorado Valiño, Miriam, 163 Dražina, Tvrtko, 115 Drumond, Maria Auxiliadora, 131 Durà, Vicent Benedito, 138, 179 Durán Valsero, Juan José, 71, 145 Duran, Robert, 112, 128, 146 Dušek, Jiří, 56, 60, 189 Edwards, Keith R., 61, 134 Egemose, Sara, 78 Egozcue, Juan J., 105 El Madihi, Mohammed, 124, 176 Er-Riyahi, Saber, 176 Eric, Pinelli, 54, 112 Escoriza-Abril, Eduardo, 173 Escoriza, Daniel, 147 Español, Cecilia, 38, 52, 56, 62, 112 Espenberg, Mikk, 77 Esther, Amler, 81 Estupiñán Torres, Sandra Mónica, 62, 148 194 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Evans, Christopher, 92 Façanha, Cristiane Lima, 57 Fandos, Deborah, 98, 172 Felipe-Lucía, María R., 63 Fenner, Nathalie, 92 Fernández Álvarez, Adrián, 148 Fernández Ayuso, Ana, 149 Fernández Zamudio, Rocío, 149, 152 Fernández-Rodríguez, M. J., 63 Fiebig, Jens, 163 Figueira, José, 135 Filigheddu, Rossella, 40 Filippino, Giorgia, 133 Florencio, Margarita, 113, 150 Flores de Oliveira, Robson, 57 Florín, Máximo, 39 Folegot, Silvia, 136 Fornés Azcoiti, Juan Mª, 145 Franch-Gras, Lluís, 64, 150 Fressl, Jelena, 115 Gabaldón, Carmen, 151 Gaberščik, Alenka, 60, 129 Gabriel y Galán, José María, 82 Gaedke, Ursula, 105 Gallardo, Belinda, 65 Gallego, Francisca, 89, 166 Gallegos, Ángel, 93 Gandar, Allison, 151 García Mora, María del Rosario, 185 García Murillo, Pablo, 149, 152 García-García, Victoria, 154 García-González, Ricardo, 153 García-Roger, Eduardo M., 64, 66, 150 García-Serrano, Alicia, 153 García, Mercedes, 58, 89,166 Gargallo, Sara, 97, 152, 157 Garneau, Cyril, 117 Garnier, Jérémie, 46 Gascón, Stéphanie, 66, 92, 105, 133, 144, 180, 187 Gasparini, Valentina, 172 Gelbrecht, Jörg, 128 Gerino, Magali, 56, 62, 112, 128 Germ, Mateja, 67 Germain, Christophe, 82 Gertz, Flemming, 78 Giannini, Vittoria, 68, 183 Gil de Solá, Luis, 105 Gil-Delgado, José A., 39 Gilbert, Franck, 151 Gilbert, Peter, 68, 118 Giménez-Anaya, Alberto, 153 Giménez, Mario, 88 Giménez, Rafael, 139 Giralda Carrera, Gloria, 69 Glińska-Lewczuk, Katarzyna, 155, 171 Goffová, Katarína, 55 Gomes, Iris, 57 Gomes, Leonardo, 46 Gómez-Rodríguez, C., 113 Gómez, Marta, 144 Gómez, Rosa, 154 González Trilla, Gabriela, 95 González-Farias, Fernando A., 154 González, Eduardo, 69, 90, 92 Goodyer, Emma, 70, 155 Gosálvez, Rafael U., 39 Goździejewska, Anna, 155 Grabowska, Magdalena, 155 Grčić, Ivana, 143 Greaves, Helen, 70 Grillas, Patrick, 124, 126, 176 Grima, Juan, 71 Guerrero Moreno, Naret, 71 Guest, Janine, 92 Guillem, Antonio, 88 Guimarães, Jean R.D., 84 Guirado, Víctor, 89, 166 Gumiero, Bruna, 47 Gutiérrez, Silvia, 58, 89, 166 Haaning Nielsen, Asbjørn, 93, 116 Hamerlík, Ladislav, 72, 91, 96, 145, 166 Hansen, R., 120 Haq, Mohammed, 155 Harris, Lorna, 155 Hashim, Roslan, 94 Hassine, Jihène Ben, 147 Heckrath, Goswin, 78 Heras, Patxi, 101 Heredia, Javier, 156 Hernández Santos, Víctor, 154 Hernández-Crespo, Carmen, 97, 152, 157 Hernández, Héctor, 73 Herrera-Silveira, Jorge A., 73, 119 Herrero, Juan, 52, 153 Hesslerová, Petra, 104 Hlávek, Michal, 72, 91 Hoffmann, Carl Christian, 73, 78 Horváth, Zsófia, 74, 101, 122 Houhamdi, Moussa, 43, 136 Hrivnák, Richard, 72, 91, 96, 166 Hu, Jing, 189 Huertas, Netty, 75, 108 Hurtado, Blanca, 58 Huryna, Hanna, 104 Husák, Štěpán, 161 Hvitved-Jacobsen, Thorkild, 116 Ianosi, Mirela, 184 Ibàñez, Carles, 43, 50 Iglesias, Ana, 111 Ikeda, Solange, 57 Ilg, Christiane, 74, 97, 109, 145 Infante, Marta, 101 Irvine, Kenneth, 105 Jaime, R., 90 Januš, Vojtěch,134 Jaramillo Londoño, Ángela M., 179 Järveoja, Järvi, 77 Jeffries, Michael, 68, 75, 118 Jensen, Henning, 78 Jeppesen, Erik, 105 Jiménez Castilla, Tania, 75, 108 Jiménez-Hernández, María Emilia, 168 Jiménez-Rodríguez, A., 63 Jiménez, J. J., 158 Jirka, Vladimír, 104 Jonatar, Weslei, 57 Jones, Laurence,92 Jones, Peter, 92 Jongman, Robert H. G., 57 Joniak, Tomasz, 76, 79, 159, 169 Jörg Gelbrecht, 107 Jouany, Claire, 140 Joyce, Christopher, 126 Juan, Fernando, 88 Juárez-Escario, A. 115 Kalettka, Thomas, 76, 100 Kamlun, K. U., 159 International Conference Wetlands 2014 195 Kaplan, David A., 51 Kasak, K., 77 Kaštovská, Eva, 61 Katarzyna, Glińska-Lewczuk, 170 Katrin, Wagner, 81 Kávová, Tereza, 134 Keissler, Kornelia, 81 Ki-IL, Song, 94 Kingsford, R. T., 53 Kiss, Anita, 37, 59 Kjaergaard, Charlotte, 73 Kleeberg, Andreas, 76 Kloskowski, Janusz, 77 Kobus, Szymon, 155 Kochjarová, Judita, 72, 91, 96, 166 Kočický, Dušan, 96 Koh, Chul-Hwan, 160 Kolář, Jan, 160 Kollmann, Johannes, 71, 131 Koo, Bon Joo, 160 Koren, Aleksander, 78, 184 Koszałka, Jacek, 155 Kreye, Christine, 81 Kronvang, Brian, 78 Kubátová, Barbora, 134 Kuczyńka-Kippen, Natalia, 76, 79, 127, 159, 169 Kujawa, Roman, 155 Květ , Jan, 56, 80, 134, 161 Kyallo, Daniel, 81 Labeid, Abdelfatah M., 137 Lacomba, Ignacio, 118 Ladera, Julián, 38, 45, 56, 62, 112 Laffaille, Pascal, 140 Lagues, Anne-Elisabeth, 46 Lajtner, Jasna, 115 Lambán, Luis Javier, 85 Lanfranco, Sandro, 48, 110, 181 Latorre, Borja, 164 Lauga, Béatrice, 112, 128, 146 Laurén, Kirsi, 80 Lauridsen, Torben L.,105 Leemhuis, Constanze, 81 Lefebvre, Gaëtan, 82 Leira, Manel, 177 León, Carolina A., 82 196 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Li, Shoubo, 129 Linares Girela, Luis, 94 Litaor, M. Iggy, 83 Liu, Bing, 129 Liu, Hu, 129, 162 Lõhmus, Asko, 106 Longhi, Daniele, 83 Lopes Lázaro, Wilkinson, 57, 84 López Hernández, Martín, 154 López Sáez, José Antonio, 163 López-Días, Veneranda, 84, 122, 148, 163 López-Flores, Rocío, 66, 105, 133 López-Martínez, Carlos, 88 López-Montero, Teresa, 85 López-Vicente, Manuel, 85 Loriente, Ana, 89, 166 Loureiro, Elaine, 57 Lucassen, E. C. H. E. T., 113 Luigi Nimis, Pier, 40 Lumbreras Corujo, Ana, 42, 102 Luna, Estela, 86, 140, 164 Maddison, Martín, 77 Magalhães, Sónia, 86 Magyari, Máté, 165 Maltby, Edward, 36 Mander, Ülo L., 77, 87, 120 Manolache, Steluta, 55, 184 Manton, Michael, 87 Marca Natalio, Roque, 174 Marchand, M. A., 113 Mariotti, Paulo Roberto, 57 Márquez San Emeterio, Layla, 178 Martí-Cardona, Belén, 88 Martín, Miguel, 88, 97, 152, 157 Martínez, Carlos, 66 Martínez-Santos, Miren, 38, 112 Martínez Santos, Pedro, 141 Martínez-Pérez, Silvia, 165, 182 Martins, Bruno, 118 Marty-Gasset, Nathalie, 151 Masip, Adriá, 58, 89, 90, 166 Masuda, Yosuke, 90 Matijašec, Dora, 115 Matulić, Daniel, 115 Matúšová, Zuzana, 72, 91, 106, 166 Mazuelos, N., 63 McDougall, Kenny, 70 McInnes, Rob J., 127, 128 Medialdea, M., 63 Mediavilla López, Rosa, 141 Megyer, Csaba, 165 Mehner, Thomas, 105 Menéndez, Margarita, 119, 167 Menichino, Nina, 92 Mesquita-Joanes, Francesc, 39 Miguel-Chinchilla, Leticia, 92 Mihoc, Corina, 184 Milberg, Per 87 Miłobędzka, Aleksandra, 167 Minelgaite, Greta, 93 Miracle, María Rosa, 180 Møller, Henrik B., 78 Mónica, Sandra, 148 Montalván, Francisco Javier, 156 Montero-Pau, Javier, 151 Móra, Arnold, 74, 122 Moraes, Leonardo, 183 Moral Martos, Francisco, 107, 178 Morales-Rubio, Ángel, 174 Morales, Tomás, 38 Morató, Jordi, 93 Moreno, Luis, 168 Morini, Alessandra, 57 Motamedi, Shervin, 94 Mouhssine, Rhazi, 176 Moussoulis, E., 146 Mudarra-Martínez, Matías, 94, 169 Muhel, M., 120 Muñoz, Isabel, 167 Muñoz-Carpena, Rafael, 51 Murillo Díaz, Jose Manuel, 71, 145 Murueta, Nayeli, 50 Nagengast, Barbara, 79, 159, 169 Nandini, S., 175 Nastoski, Ljupcho, 184 Nasuti, Stéphanie, 46 Navarro, Enrique, 52, 54, 56, 112, 158 Navas, Ana, 85 Negrin, Vanesa L., 95 Neves, Ramiro, 44, 49, 56, 112 Neyen, Marielle, 76 Niedda, Alessandro, 51 Nieoczym, Marek, 77 Nieto-López, José Manuel, 169 Nizzoli, Daniele, 83 Nouidjem, Yacine, 43 Novikmec, Milan, 72, 91, 96, 106, 166 Oberholster, Paul, 177 Obolewski, Krystian, 155, 170, 171 Oboňa, Jozef, 72, 91 Oertli, Beat, 74, 97, 109, 145 Olarieta, José Ramón, 108 Oliván, Gisela, 82 Oliveira, Margarida, 171 Oliver, Núria, 97, 152, 157 Olmo, Carla, 98, 132, 172 Olsen, Søren B., 78 Ortells, Raquel, 98, 132, 172 Osadowski, Zbigniew, 171 Oťaheľová, Helena, 72, 91, 96, 166 Otto, Stefan, 172 Paiva, Ricardo, 46 Pál, Boda, 74 Palhas, Jael, 99 Paľove-Balang, Peter, 72, 91, 96, 166 Pappalardo, Salvatore Eugenio, 99, 172 Parra Cachada, Mario, 107, 178 Parrondo-Celdrán, Paz, 173 Parviainen, Miia, 187 Pascal, Laffaille, 151 Pascual, Miguel, 165 Pastor, Agustín, 174 Patmore, I., 70 Pätzig, Marlene, 100 Pech, Daniel, 73 Pedersen, Morten Lauge, 93 Pedrocchi, C., 158 Pedrol, J., 115 Péntek, Attila L., 101, 122 Peralta, Javier, 101 Pérez, Carlos, 58, 93 Pérez Peña, Martín, 154 Pérez-Bielsa, Cristina, 85 Pérez-Ceballos, Rosela, 73 Perrault, Annie, 158 Pers, Charlotta B., 40 Phua, M.-H., 159 Picazo, Antonio, 50 International Conference Wetlands 2014 197 Picek, Tomáš, 61 Pimentel Rocha, Renata, 131 Pinardi, Monica, 102 Pinto-Cruz, Carla, 42, 102 Pinto, Valcir Rogério, 57 Pintor, María de los Ángeles, 153 Pistocchi, Chiara, 68, 183 Pla, Alberto, 174 Poddar, Parthendu, 103 Pokorný, Jan, 80, 104, 113 Ponsac, Claire, 174 Pontes, Angeles, 58 Pontevedra Pombal, Xabier, 137 Popović, Nina, 143, 175 Poulin, Brigitte, 82 Poulin, Monique, 69 Prada, Carlos, 153 Pratolongo, Paula D., 95 Prenda, José, 104 Prevedelli, Daniela, 110 Prim, Biserka, 115 Pronin, Eugeniusz, 127 Ptacnik, Robert, 74, 122 Puelles, María, 82 Pullin, Andrew, 92 Püttmann, Wilhelm, 84, 163 Quintana, Xavier D., 66, 105, 133, 144, 180, 187 Ramburn, H., 128 Ramil-Rego, Pablo, 142 Ramos-Merchante, Adrián, 104 Rannap, Riinu, 106, 123 Redondo, Isabel, 104 Reduciendo Klementová, Barbora, 72, 91, 106 Regal, Ramón, 153 Regidor, Mª del Carmen, 88 Reinhard, Lila, 138 Remic, Urša, 67 Remm, Liina, 106, 123 Rendón Martos, Manuel, 156, 169 Reuter, Hendrik, 107 Reyes-García, Ricardo, 175 Reyes, Enrique, 50 Rhazi, Laila, 124, 176 Rhazi, Mouhssine, 124 198 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Riato, Luisa, 177 Rochefort, Line, 47, 69 Rochera, Carlos, 39 Rodrigo, María A. 39, 138, 177 Rodríguez, Argantonio, 152 Rodríguez, Javier, 89, 166 Rodríguez, Mauricio, 108 Rodríguez-Ochoa, Rafael, 86, 108 Rodríguez Rodríguez, Miguel, 107, 149, 178 Roelofs, J. G. M., 113 Rojo, Carmen, 177 Romo, Susana, 66, 105, 132 Rosset, Véronique, 109 Roulet, Albertine, 109 Rovira, Albert, 50 Rubæk, Gitte, 78 Rubinos, Marco, 142 Rubio, Silvia, 104 Rueda Sevilla, Juan, 179 Ruhí, Albert, 109 Ruiz-Matute, Ana Isabel, 178 Ruiz, Estilita, 38, 56, 112 Ruiz, José María, 156 Ruocco, Matteo, 110 Sabbatini, Tiziana, 68, 183 Šabec, Nika Debeljak, 184 Saccò, Mattia, 179 Saheb, Menouar, 43, 136 Sahuquillo, María, 180 Sahuquillo, Santiago, 93 Sala, Jordi, 66, 133, 144, 180, 187 Sala, Luigi, 110 Sammons, Nancy B., 117 Sammut, Sheriyl, 48, 110, 181 Sánchez-Pérez, José Miguel, 38, 44, 45, 49, 52, 54, 56, 62, 88, 112, 117, 128, 132, 151, 158 Sánchez, Berta, 111 Sánchez, Marina, 144 Sánchez, Marta, 65 Sancho, Vicente, 118 Sander, Nilo Leal, 57 Santamans, Anna C., 50 Santisteban Navarro, Juan Ignacio, 141 Santos, Edjane, 183 Sanz Azcarate, Luis, 181 Sanz, Jesús, 178 Sarma, S. S. S., 175 Sastre, Antonio, 165, 182 Sauvage, Sabine, 38, 44, 45, 49, 52, 54, 56, 112, 117, 128 Sayer, C., 70 Schachtschneider, K., 112 Schkade, Uwe-Karsten, 76 Schmitz, Melanie, 131 Schöll, Károly, 37, 59 Schutten, Johan, 70, 155 Scott, Dianne, 71 Sebastián, Francisco, 153 Segura, Matilde, 177 Segurado, Pedro, 86 Seják, Josef, 113 Sepp, Kalev, 126 Serna, Marconi, 183 Serra, Manuel, 64, 66, 98, 150, 151 Serrano, Laura, 63, 113, 146, 150 Séverine, Jean, 112, 151, 158 Sharpe, Peter J., 50 Sheng, Sheng, 189 Siham, Bouahim, 176 Silva Sousa, Keid Nolan, 57 Silvestri, Nicola, 68, 183 Simčič, Matej, 78, 114, 184 Simonini, Roberto, 110 Šípošová, Darina, 55 Skrzypczak, Andrzej, 155 Sliva, Jan, 71 Smiljkov, Stoe, 184 Soana, Elisa, 102 Solé-Senan, X.O., 115 Somerset, Vernon, 112 Søndergaard, Martín, 105 Sonja, Beuel, 81 Soosaar, K., 120 Sorando, Ricardo, 48, 89, 166 Sorescu, Carmen, 55, 184 Soria, Juan Miguel, 132 Sousa, Eunice, 99 Southworth, Jane, 51 Špoljar, Maria, 115 Spray, Debbie, 70 Squeo, Francisco A., 174 Srinivasan, Raghavan, 117 Stellner, Stanislav, 60 Stephansen, Diana Agnete, 93, 116 Stewart, Rebecca, 116 Stibilj, Vekoslava, 67 Strack, Maria, 47, 137 Strzelczak, Agnieszka, 171 Stupák, Radovan, 72, 91 Stutter, Marc, 78 Suárez Alonso, María Luisa, 154, 185 Sueilem, Magfri E., 137 Sun, Xiaoling, 38, 45, 112, 117 Svitok, Marek, 72, 91, 96, 106, 166 Tanskanen, Minna, 117 Tarazona, Eva, 64 Tarjányi, Nikolett, 185 Taylor, Scott, 68, 118 Teasdale, Phillip, 126 Teissier, Samuel, 38, 45, 52, 56, 112, 128, 132 Teixeira, José, 86, 99, 118 Tersa, Andueza, 73 Teutli-Hernández, Claudia, 73, 119 Thompson, Stella, 125, 186 Tichackova, Jirina,186 Tolvanen, Anne, 120, 187 Toman, Mihael J., 129 Tomàs, Carles, 144 Tomljanović, Tea, 115 Tornero, Irene, 144, 187 Torres Guerrero, Jaime, 154 Torres, Ricardo, 73 Tóth, Adrienn, 74, 122 Tóth, Bence, 122 Tournebize, Julien, 87, 120 Triadó-Margarit, Xavier, 52, 121 Triest, Ludwig, 124 Trobajo, Rosa, 43 Trokanova, Lucie, 121 Tug, Gul Nilhan, 188 Türe, Cengiz, 188 Türker, Onur Can, 188 Urbanczyk, Justyna, 122, 148 Urbón, Jesús, 153 Uriarte, Jesús, 38 Vad, Csaba F., 74, 101, 122 International Conference Wetlands 2014 199 Vaikre, Maarja, 123 Valls, Luis, 39 Van den Broeck, Maarten, 124, 176 Van Diggelen, Rudy, 128 Van Halsema, Gerardo E., 36 Van Onsem, Stijn, 124 Vehkaoja, Mia, 125, 186 Vela Moriones, Maria, 181 Velasco, Ángel, 39 Verdiell-Cubedo, David, 173 Veselská, Marta, 72 Viaroli, Pierluigi, 46, 83, 136 Vidal-Abarca, Mª Rosario, 154, 185 Vieira, Ludgero, 46 Vilà, Montserrat, 65 Vila, Rosa, 144 Villa, Paolo, 102 Villar de Pablo, M. del Mar, 179 Vincent, Bernard, 87, 120 Virdis, Salvatore, 51 Vítková, Jitka, 189 Vollertsen, Jes, 93, 116 Volpedo, Alejandra, 138 Vymazal, Jan, 54, 125 Wagner Zago, Bruno, 57 Walters, Chavon, 112 Wan, Yun, 189 Ward, Raymond, 126 Waterkeyn, Aline, 124, 126, 176 Wen, Yue, 54 Wiborg, Irene, 78 Wiśniewska, Malgorzata, 127 Witeska, Anna, 190 Yakar, Anıl, 188 Yamashita, H., 127 Yao, J. M, 56, 62, 112, 128 Yaprak, Ahmet Emre, 188, 191 Yela, J. L., Yela, José Luis, 45, 56, 62, 112 Zabaleta, Ane, 38, 49, 52, 56, 62, 112 Zak, Dominic, 107, 128 Zaldívar Jiménez, Arturo, 73 Zanin, Giuseppe, 172 Zapriháčová, Andrea, 72, 91 Zelnik, Igor, 129 Zhao, Wenzhi, 129, 162 200 International Conference Wetlands 2014 Zhou, Qi, 54 Ziegler, Susanne, 81 Zrinščak, Ivana, 115 Zsuga, Katalin, 101, 122 Zulsdorff, Valentina, 116 Zumalacárregui, Carlos, 58
