title: Invertebrate diversity in relation to chemical pollution in an Umbrian stream system (Italy).
abstract: We used self-organizing maps (SOM, neural network) to bring out patterns of benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in relation to river pollution. Fourteen stations were sampled over various seasons in the Nestore drainage basin (Central Italy) and characterized for macroinvertebrate communities, nutrient and heavy metal concentrations. Physicochemical variables were introduced into a SOM previously trained with macroinvertebrate data. Patterns of communities matched spatial and seasonal changes in environmental conditions, including water chemistry related to economic activities in the catchment. Although our analyses did not allow us to establish the specific effect of any given environmental parameter upon macroinvertebrate community composition based on the field study, they enabled us to map the ecological health of river ecosystems in a readily interpretable manner.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce Di Sotto, 06123 Perugia, Italy; Laboratoire « Écologie fonctionnelle et Environnement », université de Toulouse, INP, UPS EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab (UMR CNRS 5245), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallottini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce Di Sotto, 06123 Perugia, Italy. Electronic address: enzo.goretti@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goretti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce Di Sotto, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Elda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce Di Sotto, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce Di Sotto, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cappelletti
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire « Écologie fonctionnelle et Environnement », université de Toulouse, INP, UPS EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab (UMR CNRS 5245), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Régis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Céréghino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000145:classification*; D007558:Italy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D045483:Rivers; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Benthos; Cartes auto-organisatrices; Ecosystem health; Heavy metals; Métaux lourds; Rivers; Rivières; Santé des écosystèmes; Self-organizing maps