Publication: Ecology of temporary waters : Integrating aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate community responses to drying
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Date
2025-12-02
Authors
Freixinós Campillo, Zeus
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Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
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Sánchez Montoya, María Mar ; Gómez Cerezo, Rosa María
Publisher
Universidad de Murcia
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
Description
Abstract
Los ecosistemas acuáticos continentales temporales, caracterizados por la alternancia de períodos húmedos y secos, constituyen una parte importante de las masas de agua a nivel mundial. Estos sistemas albergan una elevada biodiversidad, no solo a través de las comunidades acuáticas, sino también mediante las comunidades terrestres que colonizan las fases secas, convirtiéndolos en componentes clave de la biodiversidad global. A pesar de su relevancia, existen importantes lagunas de conocimiento sobre cómo el proceso de secado afecta a la biodiversidad acuática y terrestre.
Esta tesis doctoral aborda las respuestas de las comunidades de invertebrados acuáticos y terrestres al secado en ecosistemas temporales lóticos y lénticos.
Los objetivos principales fueron: i) analizar los efectos del secado en ambas comunidades desde una perspectiva integradora, considerando dimensiones estructurales, taxonómicas y funcionales; ii) comparar las respuestas de estas comunidades en ecosistemas lóticos y lénticos para identificar patrones comunes y divergentes; iii) evaluar el impacto del secado sobre los flujos de subsidios entre hábitats acuáticos y terrestres y sus implicaciones en la estructura y complejidad de las redes tróficas acuáticas y terrestres en conjunto (red trófica meta-ecosistémica); y iv) determinar cómo la disponibilidad de subsidios alimentarios acuáticos promueve la colonización de las comunidades terrestres en lechos secos de arroyos.
Para ello, se muestrearon comunidades de invertebrados acuáticos y terrestres a lo largo de la desecación de ecosistemas temporales lóticos y lénticos, y se evaluaron las respuestas de estas comunidades al secado a través de las dimensiones estructurales (abundancia, riqueza), composicionales y funcionales. Se aplicaron análisis de isótopos estables (δ¹³C y δ¹⁵N) para investigar el flujo de subsidios entre hábitats y caracterizar las redes alimentarias meta-ecosistémicas. Complementariamente, se desarrolló un experimento de campo con adición controlada de distintos tipos y estados de subsidios en lechos secos, evaluando su efecto sobre la comunidad terrestre.
Los resultados demuestran que el secado es un factor ecológico clave que influye no solo en las comunidades acuáticas y terrestres por separado, sino que también reconfigura sus interacciones, produciendo cambios profundos en los patrones de biodiversidad y en el funcionamiento trófico de los ecosistemas temporales. Las respuestas estructurales, composicionales y funcionales de los invertebrados acuáticos están fuertemente moduladas por características específicas de cada ecosistema, especialmente la conectividad hidrológica, que puede amortiguar o exacerbar los impactos del secado y la salinidad. Se destaca el papel fundamental, aunque aún poco estudiado, de los lechos secos como hábitat para una diversidad significativa de invertebrados terrestres, especialmente depredadores y carroñeros, cuya abundancia y composición varían según el tipo de ecosistema y la fase del secado. Además, el secado afecta de manera notable los subsidios entre hábitats acuáticos y terrestres, alterando la estructura y complejidad de las redes tróficas meta-ecosistémicas. Asimismo, esta tesis aporta evidencia sobre cómo los pulsos de subsidios, modulados por la composición de la comunidad local, constituyen un mecanismo importante para la colonización terrestre en lechos secos.
En conclusión, los hallazgos subrayan la necesidad de adoptar un enfoque integrador y multidimensional que abarque las comunidades acuáticas y terrestres, para entender mejor cómo el secado, fenómeno cada vez más frecuente bajo el cambio global, transforma la biodiversidad de estos ecosistemas. Las diferencias observadas entre ecosistemas lóticos y lénticos, más marcadas en las respuestas estructurales de los invertebrados acuáticos y más sutiles en las comunidades terrestres, evidencian la importancia de ampliar la investigación a un rango más amplio de ecosistemas acuáticos temporales.
Temporary inland waters, characterized by alternating wet and dry periods, constitute an important part of the aquatic ecosystems worldwide. These ecosystems harbor high biodiversity, not only through aquatic communities but also through terrestrial communities that colonize the dry phases, making them key components of global biodiversity. Despite their relevance, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding how the drying process affects aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. This doctoral thesis addresses the responses of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate communities to drying in temporary lotic and lentic ecosystems. The main objectives were: i) to analyze the effects of drying in both communities from an integrative perspective, considering structural, taxonomic, and functional dimensions; ii) to compare the responses of these communities in lotic and lentic ecosystems to identify common and divergent patterns; iii) to evaluate the impact of drying on cross-habitat subsidies between aquatic and terrestrial habitats and their implications for the structure and complexity of the coupled aquatic and terrestrial trophic food webs (meta-ecosystem food web); and iv) to determine how the availability of aquatic food subsidies promotes the colonization of terrestrial communities in dry streambeds. To this end, aquatic invertebrates and terrestrial invertebrate communities were sampled along the drying of lotic and lentic temporary ecosystems, evaluating their responses through structural (abundance, richness), compositional, and functional dimensions. Stable isotope analyses (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) were applied to investigate subsidy flows between habitats and characterize the meta-ecosystem food webs. Additionally, a field experiment was conducted with controlled addition of different types and states of subsidies in dry beds, assessing their effect on the terrestrial community. The results demonstrate that drying is a key ecological factor that influences aquatic and terrestrial communities not only separately but also reconfigures their interactions, producing profound changes in biodiversity patterns and trophic functioning in temporary ecosystems. The structural, compositional, and functional responses of aquatic invertebrates are strongly modulated by ecosystem-specific characteristics, especially hydrological connectivity, which can buffer or exacerbate the impacts of drying and salinity. The fundamental, yet still little-studied, role of dry beds as habitats for a significant diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, especially predators and scavengers, is highlighted, with their abundance and composition varying according to ecosystem type and drying phase. Moreover, drying notably affects subsidies between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, altering the structure and complexity of meta-ecosystem trophic networks. This thesis also provides evidence on how subsidy pulses, modulated by the local community composition, constitute an important mechanism for terrestrial colonization in dry beds. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the need to adopt an integrative and multidimensional approach encompassing both aquatic and terrestrial communities to better understand how drying, a phenomenon increasingly frequent under global change, transforms biodiversity in these ecosystems. The differences observed between lotic and lentic ecosystems, more marked in the structural responses of aquatic invertebrates and subtler in terrestrial communities, highlight the importance of expanding research to a broader range of temporary aquatic ecosystems.
Temporary inland waters, characterized by alternating wet and dry periods, constitute an important part of the aquatic ecosystems worldwide. These ecosystems harbor high biodiversity, not only through aquatic communities but also through terrestrial communities that colonize the dry phases, making them key components of global biodiversity. Despite their relevance, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding how the drying process affects aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. This doctoral thesis addresses the responses of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate communities to drying in temporary lotic and lentic ecosystems. The main objectives were: i) to analyze the effects of drying in both communities from an integrative perspective, considering structural, taxonomic, and functional dimensions; ii) to compare the responses of these communities in lotic and lentic ecosystems to identify common and divergent patterns; iii) to evaluate the impact of drying on cross-habitat subsidies between aquatic and terrestrial habitats and their implications for the structure and complexity of the coupled aquatic and terrestrial trophic food webs (meta-ecosystem food web); and iv) to determine how the availability of aquatic food subsidies promotes the colonization of terrestrial communities in dry streambeds. To this end, aquatic invertebrates and terrestrial invertebrate communities were sampled along the drying of lotic and lentic temporary ecosystems, evaluating their responses through structural (abundance, richness), compositional, and functional dimensions. Stable isotope analyses (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) were applied to investigate subsidy flows between habitats and characterize the meta-ecosystem food webs. Additionally, a field experiment was conducted with controlled addition of different types and states of subsidies in dry beds, assessing their effect on the terrestrial community. The results demonstrate that drying is a key ecological factor that influences aquatic and terrestrial communities not only separately but also reconfigures their interactions, producing profound changes in biodiversity patterns and trophic functioning in temporary ecosystems. The structural, compositional, and functional responses of aquatic invertebrates are strongly modulated by ecosystem-specific characteristics, especially hydrological connectivity, which can buffer or exacerbate the impacts of drying and salinity. The fundamental, yet still little-studied, role of dry beds as habitats for a significant diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, especially predators and scavengers, is highlighted, with their abundance and composition varying according to ecosystem type and drying phase. Moreover, drying notably affects subsidies between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, altering the structure and complexity of meta-ecosystem trophic networks. This thesis also provides evidence on how subsidy pulses, modulated by the local community composition, constitute an important mechanism for terrestrial colonization in dry beds. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the need to adopt an integrative and multidimensional approach encompassing both aquatic and terrestrial communities to better understand how drying, a phenomenon increasingly frequent under global change, transforms biodiversity in these ecosystems. The differences observed between lotic and lentic ecosystems, more marked in the structural responses of aquatic invertebrates and subtler in terrestrial communities, highlight the importance of expanding research to a broader range of temporary aquatic ecosystems.
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