Effects of extreme climate events on the macrobenthic communities' structure and functioning of a temperate estuary.
The Mondego estuary (Portugal) experienced profound structural and functional modifications due to eutrophication, which was exacerbated by consecutive weather extremes that compromised a previous restoration project. This work explores multiple climate impacts on macrobenthic communities' structure and functioning and its implications on ecosystem's recovery. Floods and heat waves had a stronger negative effect on macrobenthic assemblages than the droughts, imposing a total abundance decline. Contrarily, biomass was not so affected by climate events, being stable and even increased in a mudflat area, where seagrass is re-colonizing. Bivalves and oligochaetes decreased with the flooding episodes, likewise subsurface-deposit feeders and suspension feeders, while crustaceans were particularly sensitive to heat waves. Species richness declined with the floods and heat waves, whilst evenness increased in sandflat area, constituting a positive sign towards recovery. Succession of different climate extremes affected ecosystem structure and functioning, delaying its recovery with possible consequent effects at higher trophic levels.
Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. tfgrilo@student.biologia.uc.pt
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Grilo
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Cardoso
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Dolbeth
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D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D057231:Climate Change / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017753:Ecosystem; D055873:Extreme Cold; D055874:Extreme Heat; D055868:Floods; D020387:Food Chain; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011174:Portugal; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry