Non-perennial Mediterranean rivers in Europe: Status, pressures, and challenges for research and management.
Non-perennial rivers and streams (NPRS) cover >50% of the global river network. They are particularly predominant in Mediterranean Europe as a result of dry climate conditions, climate change and land use development. Historically, both scientists and policy makers underestimated the importance of NRPS for nature and humans alike, mainly because they have been considered as systems of low ecological and economic value. During the past decades, diminishing water resources have increased the spatial and temporal extent of artificial NPRS as well as their exposure to multiple stressors, which threatening their ecological integrity, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural and functional characteristics of NPRS in the European Mediterranean, and discuss gaps and problems in their management, concerning their typology, ecological assessment, legislative and policy protection, and incorporation in River Basin Management Plans. Because NPRS comprise highly unstable ecosystems, with strong and often unpredictable temporal and spatial variability - at least as far as it is possible to assess - we outline the future research needs required to better understand, manage and conserve them as highly valuable and sensitive ecosystems. Efficient collaborative activities among multidisciplinary research groups aiming to create innovative knowledge, water managers and policy makers are urgently needed in order to establish an appropriate methodological and legislative background. The incorporation of NPRS in EU-Med River Basin Management Plans in combination with the application of ecological flows is a first step towards enhancing NPRS management and conservation in order to effectively safeguard these highly valuable albeit threatened ecosystems.
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece.
Nikolaos T
NT
Skoulikidis
Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain.
Sergi
S
Sabater
IRSTEA, UR-MALY, centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua CS70077, FR-69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
Thibault
T
Datry
Dept. Biology, Institute of Earth Sciences (ICT), University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 Évora, Portugal.
Manuela M
MM
Morais
IRSA-CNR, Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy.
Andrea
A
Buffagni
Water Development Department, 100-110 Kennenty Avenue, Pallouriotissa, 1047 Lefkosia, Cyprus.
Gerald
G
Dörflinger
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece.
Stamatis
S
Zogaris
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
Maria
M
Del Mar Sánchez-Montoya
Group de Recerca Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM), Departament d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Nuria
N
Bonada
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece.
Eleni
E
Kalogianni
Institute of Earth Sciences (ICT), University of Évora, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 Évora, Portugal.
Joana
J
Rosado
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece. Electronic address: louisvard@gmail.com.
Leonidas
L
Vardakas
IRSA-CNR, Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy.
Anna Maria
AM
De Girolamo
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
Klement
K
Tockner
Biogeochemistry; Climate; Hydrobiology; Hydrology; Management; Non-perennial (temporary, intermittent, ephemeral) rivers and streams; Pressures; WFD