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The use of urban wastewater reclaimed water has recently increased across the globe to restore stream environmental flows and mitigate the effects of water scarcity. Reclaimed water is disinfected using different treatments, but their effects into the receiving rivers are little studied. Physiological bioassays and biomarkers can detect sub-lethal effects on target species, but do not provide information on changes in community structure. In contrast, official monitoring programs use community structure information but often at coarse taxonomic resolution level that may fail to detect species level impacts. Here, we combined commonly used biomonitoring approaches from organism physiology to community species composition to scan a broad range of effects of disinfection of reclaimed water by UV-light only and both UV/chlorine on the biota. We (1) performed bioassays in one laboratory species (water flea Daphnia magna) and measured biomarkers in two wild species (caddisfly Hydropsyche exocellata and the barbel Luciobarbus graellsii), (2) calculated standard indices of biotic quality (IBQ) for diatoms, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fishes, and (3) analysed community species composition of eukaryotes determined by Cytochrome Oxidase C subunit I (cox1) metabarcoding. Only the UV/chlorine treatment caused significant changes in feeding rates of D. magna and reduced antioxidant defenses, increased anaerobic metabolism and altered the levels of lipid peroxidiation in H. exocellata. However, inputs of reclaimed water were significantly associated with a greater proportion of circulating neutrophils and LG-PAS cells in L. graellsii. Despite IBQ did not discriminate between the two water treatments, metabarcoding data detected community composition changes upon exposure to UV/chlorine reclaimed water. Overall, despite the effects of UV/chlorine-treated water were transient, our study suggests that UV-light treated is less harmful for freshwater biota than UV/chlorine-treated

A comprehensive review of the natural history of the dojo Misgurnus anguillicaudatus in Spain.

We provide a unique fish individual body size dataset collected from our own sampling and public sources in north-eastern Spain. The dataset includes individual body size measures (fork length and mass) of 12,288 individuals of 24 fish species within 10 families collected at 118 locations in large rivers and small streams. Fish were caught by one-pass electrofishing following European standard protocols. The fish dataset has information on the local instream conditions including climatic variables (i.e., temperature and precipitation), topography (i.e., altitude), nutrient concentration (i.e., total phosphorus and nitrates), and the IMPRESS values (a measure of cumulative human impacts in lotic ecosystems). The potential uses of this new fish dataset are manifold, including developing size-based indices to further estimate the ecological status of freshwater ecosystems, allometric models, and analysis of variation in body size structure along environmental gradients

Nature-based solutions including rooftop-water storage ponds are increasingly adopted in cities as new eco-designs to address climate change issues, such as water scarcity and storm-water runoff. Macrophytes may be valuable additions for treating stored rooftop waters and provisioning other services, including aquaponics, esthetic and wildlife-conservation values. However, the efficacy of macrophyte treatments has not been tested with influxes of different labile carbon loadings such as those occurring in storms. Moreover, little is known about how macrophytes affect communities of metazoans and microbes, including protozoans, which are key players in the water-treatment process. Here, we experimentally investigated the effectiveness of two widely distributed macrophytes, Ceratophyllum demersum and Egeria densa, for treating drained rooftop water fed with two types of leaf litter, namely Quercus robur (high C lability) and Quercus rubra (low C lability). C. demersum was better than E. densa at reducing water conductivity (by 10 ̶ 40 µS/cm), TDS (by 10–18 mg/L), DOC (by 4–5 mg/L) and at increasing water transparency (by 4–9%), water O2 levels (by 19–27%) and daylight pH (by 0.9–1.3) compared to leaf-litter only microcosms after 30 days. Each treatment developed a different community of algae, protozoa and metazoa. Greater plant mass and epiphytic chlorophyll-a suggested that C. demersum was better at providing supporting habitat than E. densa. The two macrophytes did not differ in detritus accumulation, but E. densa was more prone to develop filamentous bacteria, which cause sludge bulking in water-treatment systems. Our study highlights the superior capacity of C. demersum and the usefulness of whole-ecosystem experiments in choosing the most adequate macrophyte species for nature-based engineered solutions.

Water quality and riparian communities are among the most affected stream components by agriculture. However, little is known about the effects of riparian management for both aquatic and terrestrial taxa at different spatial scales. Here, we surveyed aquatic (diatoms) and terrestrial taxa (bryophytes, vascular plants, litter-dwelling snails, and ground and volant arthropods), to compare the abundance and richness of riparian taxa and chemical quality between reference and exposed sites in two stream reaches each of c. 3.5 km in northwestern Spain. Impacts in exposed sites were mainly due to traditional farming practices (TFPs), which included traditional meadow management, weirs built for now-unused water mills and sporadic timber harvesting. Therefore, we measured ten covariates and predictors related to the intensification of TFPs at local and within-stream scales and explored associations with riparian and water-quality measures to study the potential effects of TFPs in more detail. Reference and exposed sites did not differ significantly in water properties (diatom-biotic indices, conductivity, total organic carbon and nitrates), but exposed sites had less concentrations of soil metals Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn and less cover and richness of riparian trees, as inferred by the index QBR. Exposed sites had more volant insect decomposers and reference sites a greater abundance or richness of snails, ground predators and decomposers. Bryophyte richness was greater in reference sites. Our inferences may inform the joint cumulative downstream effects of weirs, meadow uses and riparian alterations but were generally consistent with most riparian taxa benefiting from having larger forested areas. Given the contrasting responses among taxa, we argue that land snails, terrestrial flies, and centipedes may be valuable additions to current riparian assessments mostly based on plants, beetles and spiders as indicator taxa. Our study also suggests caution when inferring farming impa

Streams are likely to be increasingly important for the conservation of non-riparian forest diversity with increased aridity due to climate change in many parts of the world. However, the importance of streams as promoters of non-riparian forest diversity has not been explored in detail. Given the likely stronger effect of surrounding habitats on open forests, we examined chestnut woodlands in northern Spain (n = 32) to explore the contribution of streams to variation in arthropod measures. We captured 5,490 arthropods (21 orders and 60 families) from which we calculated total abundance and richness and the abundance of trophic guilds. Vegetation structure at the tree and understory levels often made the largest independent contributions to explained variation in arthropod numbers and effects suggested alterations in arthropods’ food-web. Negative effects of stream-distance on taxon richness and the abundance of predators, omnivores and phytophages seemed to be largely mediated by vegetation structure. The exception was a strong univariate inverse association between the abundance of aerial predators and stream distance, possibly because wasps might be exploiting riverine habitats. Overall, effects of stream-distance were weaker for ground than for aerial arthropod groups. Moreover, arthropod numbers were greater at sites with low tree species richness and tall and species-rich understories, raising concerns for the ecological consequences of the abandonment of traditional forest practices in these woodlands. There are likely to be advantages for arthropod diversity and ecosystem services (e.g. pest control, nutrient cycling, pollination) if non-riparian forests are managed in a way that depends on stream-distance. Inferences may improve with a more complete knowledge of the biology of poorly studied groups, such as flies., Streams are likely to be increasingly important for the conservation of non-riparian forest diversity with increased aridity due to climate change in many parts of the world. However, the importance of streams as promoters of non-riparian forest diversity has not been explored in detail. Given the likely stronger effect of surrounding habitats on open forests, we examined chestnut woodlands in northern Spain (n = 32) to explore the contribution of streams to variation in arthropod measures. We captured 5,490 arthropods (21 orders and 60 families) from which we calculated total abundance and richness and the abundance of trophic guilds. Vegetation structure at the tree and understory levels often made the largest independent contributions to explained variation in arthropod numbers and effects suggested alterations in arthropods’ food-web. Negative effects of stream-distance on taxon richness and the abundance of predators, omnivores and phytophages seemed to be largely mediated by vegetation structure. The exception was a strong univariate inverse association between the abundance of aerial predators and stream distance, possibly because wasps might be exploiting riverine habitats. Overall, effects of stream-distance were weaker for ground than for aerial arthropod groups. Moreover, arthropod numbers were greater at sites with low tree species richness and tall and species-rich understories, raising concerns for the ecological consequences of the abandonment of traditional forest practices in these woodlands. There are likely to be advantages for arthropod diversity and ecosystem services (e.g. pest control, nutrient cycling, pollination) if non-riparian forests are managed in a way that depends on stream-distance. Inferences may improve with a more complete knowledge of the biology of poorly studied groups, such as flies., Streams are likely to be increasingly important for the conservation of non-riparian forest diversity with increased aridity due to climate change in many parts of the world. However, the importance of streams as promoters of non-riparian forest diversity has not been explored in detail. Given the likely stronger effect of surrounding habitats on open forests, we examined chestnut woodlands in northern Spain (n = 32) to explore the contribution of streams to variation in arthropod measures. We captured 5,490 arthropods (21 orders and 60 families) from which we calculated total abundance and richness and the abundance of trophic guilds. Vegetation structure at the tree and understory levels often made the largest independent contributions to explained variation in arthropod numbers and effects suggested alterations in arthropods’ food-web. Negative effects of stream-distance on taxon richness and the abundance of predators, omnivores and phytophages seemed to be largely mediated by vegetation structure. The exception was a strong univariate inverse association between the abundance of aerial predators and stream distance, possibly because wasps might be exploiting riverine habitats. Overall, effects of stream-distance were weaker for ground than for aerial arthropod groups. Moreover, arthropod numbers were greater at sites with low tree species richness and tall and species-rich understories, raising concerns for the ecological consequences of the abandonment of traditional forest practices in these woodlands. There are likely to be advantages for arthropod diversity and ecosystem services (e.g. pest control, nutrient cycling, pollination) if non-riparian forests are managed in a way that depends on stream-distance. Inferences may improve with a more complete knowledge of the biology of poorly studied groups, such as flies.

Standardized tools are needed to identify and prioritize the most harmful non-native species (NNS). A plethora of assessment protocols have been developed to evaluate the current and potential impacts of non-native species, but consistency among them has received limited attention. To estimate the consistency across impact assessment protocols, 89 specialists in biological invasions used 11 protocols to screen 57 NNS (2614 assessments). We tested if the consistency in the impact scoring across assessors, quantified as the coefficient of variation (CV), was dependent on the characteristics of the protocol, the taxonomic group and the expertise of the assessor. Mean CV across assessors was 40%, with a maximum of 223%. CV was lower for protocols with a low number of score levels, which demanded high levels of expertise, and when the assessors had greater expertise on the assessed species. The similarity among protocols with respect to the final scores was higher when the protocols considered the same impact types. We conclude that all protocols led to considerable inconsistency among assessors. In order to improve consistency, we highlight the importance of selecting assessors with high expertise, providing clear guidelines and adequate training but also deriving final decisions collaboratively by consensus.

In this paper, Piezura pardalina Rondani, 1866 (Diptera: Fanniidae) and Mesembrina intermedia Zetterstedt, 1849 (Diptera: Muscidae) are recorded from Spain for the first time. On the other hand, the species Sapromyza nitida Czerny, 1932 (Diptera: Lauxaniidae) must be removed from the Spanish list. The material was collected by means of beer traps in the province of Lugo (Spain)., En este trabajo, Piezura pardalina Rondani, 1866 (Diptera: Fanniidae) y Mesembrina intermedia Zetterstedt, 1849 (Diptera: Muscidae) se citan por primera vez de España. Por otro lado, la especie Sapromyza nitida Czerny, 1932 (Diptera: Lauxaniidae) debe ser eliminada de la lista española. El material fue capturado mediante trampas de cerveza en la provincia de Lugo (España).

Millions of fish are transported between countries annually for the aquarium trade, yet no quantitative study has examined how disease frequency differs among species and stakeholders. Here we visually inspected freshwater fish species in 12 specialised and non-specialised aquarium retailers in Spain for the presence of diseased fish in 2015 and in 2016. This information was complemented with disease records from 3 internet fora (>100 000 users) and pathogen identification at a retailer. Overall, 22 fish species out of the 312 recorded were reported diseased, with species of Poeciliidae accounting for most records. Ichthyophthirius, dropsy, bacterial and monogenean infections were the most common diseases, but disease frequency differed amongst retailers and private aquarists. Although only 11 fish species at retailers were deemed unhealthy, they were popular species amongst aquarists. We encourage improved management of fish stocks, and more education campaigns to promote fish welfare and avoid misdiagnosis in the Spanish aquarium hobby.

This work applies ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) to characterize for the first time the lipidome of the skeletal muscle of two fish species (Barbus meridionalis, Squalius laietanus) collected in a Mediterranean River affected by urban and industrial outflows. The untargeted analysis allowed a clear separation of the lipidome of fish from polluted and reference sites; phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and their lyso and ether-linked forms were among the distinctive features. The targeted analysis consistently detected a decrease in PC-plasmalogens (36:4, 36:6, 38:6) and highly unsaturated PCs (36:5, 36:6, 38:6, 40:6, 40:7) and an increase in plasmanyl-PCs (36:5, 38:5), lyso-PCs (16:1, 18:1, 22:4) and cholesteryl esters (CEs) (16:0, 18:0, 20:4) in fish from polluted sites. These lipid profiles were indicative of oxidative stress and dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis in fish from polluted sites. This methodology represents a promising tool for the development of novel noninvasive diagnostic methods based on muscle tissue biopsies to assess the effects of water pollution in wildlife.

Mediterranean rivers are strongly affected by pollution and water scarcity. Over the summer period, urban and industrial effluents arrive into the rivers with little dilution. In order to assess the water quality, two native fish species, Barbus meridionalis and Squalius laietanus, were collected from six sites along the Ripoll River (Spain). PAH metabolites, alkylphenols (nonylphenol and octylphenol) and the musk galaxolide levels were determined in bile. 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and 7-benzyloxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin O-debenzyloxylase (BFCOD) were measured as metabolic biomarkers, and the activity of CYP19 aromatase was determined in the ovaries of B. meridionalis as a biomarker of endocrine disruption. The analysis of bile indicated that fish from the lower course of the river were highly exposed to different pollutants. Accordingly, a significant induction of EROD (9 to 10-fold) and BFCOD (3 to 5-fold) activities were detected in both fish species together with an increased aromatase activity in females of B. meridionalis from the most polluted sites. Considering that sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents are essential for maintaining environmental flows in small Mediterranean rivers, this study highlights the need to improve the efficiency of STPs to protect fish health. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Trail-based ecology has been developed for decades lo infer ecosystem responses to stressors based on the functional structure of communities, yet its value in species-poor systems is largely unknown. Here, we used an extensive clataset in a Spanish region highly prone to non-native fish invasions (15 catchments, N 389 sites) to assess for the first time how species-poor communities respond to large-scale environmental gradients using a taxonomic and functional trait-based approach in riverine fish. We examined total species richness and three functional trait-based indices available when many sites have <= 3 species (specialization, FSpe; onginaliy, FOri and entropy, FEnt). We assessed the responses of these taxonomic and functional indices along gradients of altitude, water pollution, physical habitat degradation and non-native fish biomass. Whilst species richness was relatively sensitive to spatial effects, functional diversity indices were responsive across natural and anthropogenic gradients. All four diversity measures declined with altitude but this decline was modulated by physical habitat degradation (richness, FSpe and FEnt) and the non-native total fish biomass ratio (FSpe and FOri) in ways that varied between indices. Furthermore, FSpe and FOri were significantly correlated with Total Nitrogen. Non-native fish were a major component of the taxonomic and functional structure of fish communities, raising concerns about potential misdiagnosis between invaded and environmentally-degraded river reaches. Such misdiagnosis was evident in a regional fish index widely used in official monitoring programs. We recommend the application of FSpe and FOri to extensive clatasets from monitoring programs in order to generate valuable cross-system information about the impacts of non-native species and habitat degradation, even in species-poor systems. Scoring non-native species apart from habitat degradation in the indices used to determine ecosystem health is essentia

In this paper three dipterans are recorded for the first time from Spain: Sapromyza nitida Czerny, 1932 (Lauxaniidae), Periscelis fugax Roháček & Andrade, 2017 (Periscelididae), and Fannia clara Collin, 1939 (Fanniidae). The material was collected by means of beer traps in the province of Lugo (Galicia, NW Spain)., En este trabajo se citan por primera vez de España tres dípteros: Sapromyza nitida Czerny, 1932 (Lauxaniidae), Periscelis fugax Roháček & Andrade, 2017 (Periscelididae) y Fannia clara Collin, 1939 (Fanniidae). El material fue capturado mediante trampas de cerveza en la provincia de Lugo (Galicia, N.O. España).

There is a risk of ‘ecological surprises’ if multiple potentially interacting stressors are managed individually, which is a question attracting significant current interest. Habitat degradation and species introductions are major threats to global biodiversity, and riverine fish are among the most threatened taxa in the world. Our interest was whether the presence of non-native species can affect native fish sensitivity to water quality deterioration in a large region in northeastern Spain (99,700 km, 15 catchments, 530 sites). We used a ‘base model’ with geographical and hydro-morphological variables, which are the major shaping factors in rivers. We tested whether water pollution, non-native species, or their interaction provided an improved understanding of patterns of distributions and health measurements of the twelve most common native species. There was little evidence that variation in native species abundance, where they occurred, the presence of diseases and changes in mean fish length or body condition was affected by water deterioration, the presence of non-native species, or their interaction. The disease rate and occurrence of native species might be affected, to a minor degree, by water quality changes and the presence of non-native species. Environmental conditions between sites with and without non-native fish differed in the condition of riparian areas and in water quality. Based on presence-absence data and changes in abundances through weighted average equations we also derived potential safe levels of salinization, nutrient pollution, and pH for the native fish. Overall, additive effects of stressors prevail over interactions, and the restoration of natural hydro-morphology in rivers is likely to be the most effective management approach to improving the prospects for the native fish fauna.

Recycled water is important for maintaining river flow in semi-arid regions. However, it has ecological risk, as suggested by comparison of habitat and white and red blood cell count in two wild fish species (Barbus meridionalis and Squalius laietanus) before and after an input of recycled water in Ripoll River (NE Spain) in 2009. Due to the lack of normal ranges for blood variables in wild fish, we surveyed seasonally the same river reaches in 2013 to test if blood alterations from 2009 compromised the viability of the fish populations. By examining other indicators of river health in baseline and polluted sites (fish abundance, mass-length relationships, and community indices in fish, diatoms and invertebrates), we tested for the superior utility of blood tests in biomonitoring. The comparison of water quality and scores of diatoms and invertebrate indices between polluted and reference sites showed that polluted sites improved from 2009 to 2013. The abundance of B. meridionalis also increased in polluted sites, but that of S. laietanus declined in 2013 compared to 2009. These results contrast with results of blood analyses in 2009, which suggested that B. meridionalis was more seriously affected by pollution than S. laietanus. The fish index did not reveal the risk of recycled water to fish health, whereas fish mass-length relationships suggested that S. laietanus individuals in 2013 had a better body condition in polluted than in reference sites. Given that the two fish species had opposite results in reference sites, and that the physical habitat was more suitable for B. meridionalis in polluted sites in 2013 than was for S. laietanus, trends in population size are not only explained by pollution. The role of phenology is suggested by peaks in blood disorders during the breeding season. However, more long-term studies combining indicators of river health at the individual and community scales are needed to fully assess the ecological risk of recycled water in t

In increasingly fragmented landscapes tree plantations are thought to help maintain forest continuity among native patches. Epiphytic lichens are one of the most sensitive groups to change in forest conditions, but the effects of this management practice are still poorly studied in temperate regions. In this study we compared epiphytic lichen diversity among small patches of old, native oaks (Quercus pyrenaica) and young, planted chestnuts (Castanea sativa) and Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) in a major forestry area in northwestern Spain. Our results showed that the richness of epiphytic lichens was higher in C. sativa than Q. pyrenaica, but that the latter had more lichen species typical of mature forests, including macrocyanolichens. Overall, C. sativa plantations had more species typical of well-lit, dry environments than Q. pyrenaica or P. radiata, which is likely caused by the natural architecture of each tree species, and to differences in forest age and management. At the tree level, Q. pyrenaica had the highest total richness including all species of conservation interest, which were exclusively found on this species. On a corollary, this study shows that Q. pyrenaica forests had the best preserved epiphytic lichen communities but with marked signs of forest fragmentation. In this fragmented landscape, young plantations of C. sativa and P. radiata seem to be of limited help for providing connectivity to epiphytic lichens among old native forest patches.

Mediterranean shallow lakes support high biodiversity but suffer many anthropogenic threats, including introductions of alien fish. We studied the impact of introduction of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to Medina and Zoñar lakes in SW Spain. Both lakes were protected as Ramsar sites because of their importance for waterbirds, particularly the globally threatened white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala IUCN Endangered) and common pochard (Aythya ferina IUCN Vulnerable). Two carp introduction events in Medina lake, with total eradication of carp in between, provided a unique opportunity to study the impacts of carp on the waterbird community (counted monthly from 2001 to 2013, with up to 69 species) and submerged macrophyte cover (quantified with satellite images). A comparison of waterbird abundance before and after carp eradication in the smaller Zoñar lake supported the results from Medina lake. Carp consistently led to the destruction of macrophyte beds and a radical change in the waterbird community. After controlling for the influence of depth fluctuations, the numbers and species richness of diving ducks were significantly reduced by carp, whilst the opposite effect was observed for piscivores such as herons. Negative impacts on O. leucocephala, A. ferina, red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) and herbivorous coots (Fulica spp.) were particularly pronounced. A significant negative impact of carp was also recorded on greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber), black-necked grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), little grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis) and gadwall (Anas strepera). In contrast, carp presence had a positive impact on grey herons (Ardea cinerea). The ongoing expansion of alien cyprinids in the Mediterranean region constitutes a major threat for waterbirds and particularly for sedentary, threatened taxa such as the white-headed duck and red-knobbed coot (F. cristata). Of 22 key sites for the isolated Iberian population of white-headed duck identified in a European a

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates while non-native species are expanding. Examining diversity patterns across variable river conditions can help develop better management strategies. However, many indicators can be used to determine the conservartion value of aquatic communities, and little is known of how well they correlate to each other in making diagnostics, including when testing for the efficacy of protected areas. Using an extensive data set (99,700 km, n = 530 sites) across protected and unprotected river reaches in 15 catchments of NE Spain, we examine correlations among 20 indicators of conservation value of fish communities, including the benefits they provide to birds and threatened mammals and mussels. Our results showed that total native fish abundance or richness correlated reasonably well with many native indicators. However, the lack of a strong congruence led modelling techniques to identify different river attributes for each indicator of conservation value. Overall, tributaries were identified as native fish refugees, and nutrient pollution, salinization, low water velocity and poor habitat structure as major threats to the native biota. We also found that protected areas offered limited coverage to major components of biodiversity, including rarity, threat and host-parasite relationships, even though values of non-native indicators were notably reduced. In conclusion, restoring natural hydrological regimes and water chemical status is a priority to stem freshwater biodiversity loss in this region. A complementary action can be the protection of tributaries, but more studies examining multiple components of diversity are necessary to fully test their potential as fluvial reserves in Mediterranean climate areas.

Mediterranean rivers are probably one of the most singular and endangered ecosystems worldwide due to the presence of many endemic species and a long history of anthropogenic impacts. Besides a conservation value per se, biodiversity is related to the services that ecosystems provide to society and the ability of these to cope with stressors, including climate change. Using macro-invertebrates and fish as sentinel organisms, this overview presents a synthesis of the state of the art in the application of biomarkers (stress and enzymatic responses, endocrine disruptors, trophic tracers, energy and bile metabolites, genotoxic indicators, histopathological and behavioural alterations, and genetic and cutting edge omic markers) to determine the causes and effects of anthropogenic stressors on the biodiversity of European Mediterranean rivers. We also discuss how a careful selection of sentinel species according to their ecological traits and the food-web structure of Mediterranean rivers could increase the ecological relevance of biomarker responses. Further, we provide suggestions to better harmonise ecological realism with experimental design in biomarker studies, including statistical analyses, which may also deliver a more comprehensible message to managers and policy makers. By keeping on the safe side the health status of populations of multiple-species in a community, we advocate to increase the resilience of fluvial ecosystems to face present and forecasted stressors. In conclusion, this review provides evidence that multi-biomarker approaches detect early signs of impairment in populations, and supports their incorporation in the standardised procedures of the Water Frame Work Directive to better appraise the status of European water bodies.