title: Benthic foraminifera as indicators of habitat change in anthropogenically impacted coastal wetlands of the Ebro Delta (NE Iberian Peninsula).
abstract: Present-day habitats of the Ebro Delta, NE Iberian Peninsula, have been ecologically altered as a consequence of intensive human impacts in the last two centuries (especially rice farming). Benthic foraminiferal palaeoassemblages and sediment characteristics of five short cores were used to reconstruct past wetland habitats, through application of multivariate DCA and CONISS techniques, and dissimilarity coefficients (SCD). The timing of environmental changes was compared to known natural and anthropogenic events in order to identify their possible relationships. In deltaic wetlands under altered hydrological conditions, we found a decrease in species diversity and calcareous-dominated assemblages, and a significant positive correlation between microfaunal changes and organic matter content. Modern analogues supported palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the recent evolution of the Delta wetlands. This research provides the first recent reconstruction of change in the Ebro Delta wetlands, and also illustrates the importance of benthic foraminifera for biomonitoring present and future conditions in Mediterranean deltas.
authors.affiliation: IRTA, Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology, Aquatic Ecosystems Program, Carretera Poble Nou km 5.5, E-43540 St. Carles de la Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain; Centre for Climate Change, Geography Department, University Rovira i Virgili, E-43500 Tortosa, Spain. Electronic address: xavier.benito@irta.cat.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: IRTA, Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology, Aquatic Ecosystems Program, Carretera Poble Nou km 5.5, E-43540 St. Carles de la Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: rosa.trobajo@irta.cat.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trobajo
authors.affiliation: IRTA, Institute of Agriculture and Food Research and Technology, Aquatic Ecosystems Program, Carretera Poble Nou km 5.5, E-43540 St. Carles de la Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: carles.ibanez@irta.cat.
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibáñez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: alejandro.cearreta@ehu.eus.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cearreta
authors.affiliation: Centre for Climate Change, Geography Department, University Rovira i Virgili, E-43500 Tortosa, Spain; Climatic Research Unit, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Electronic address: manola.brunet@urv.cat.
authors.forename: Manola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunet
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D059001:Aquatic Organisms; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D056908:Foraminifera; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013030:Spain; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Hydrological alteration; Mediterranean coastal wetlands; Organic matter; Palaeoecology; Rice agriculture