Responses of a Northern Adriatic Ampelisca– Corbula community to seasonality and short-term hydrological changes in the Po river

• Published in: Marine environmental research Vol. 66; no. 4; pp. 466 - 476
• Main Authors: N’Siala, Gloria Massamba, Grandi, Valentina, Iotti, Mirko, Montanari, Giuseppe, Prevedelli, Daniela, Simonini, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ampelisca diadema; Analysis of Variance; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aricidea claudiae; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Corbula gibba; Diadema; Ecosystem; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrates - physiology; Levinsenia gracilis; Lumbrineris; Macrozoobenthos; Marine; Northern Adriatic Sea; Nucula nucleus; Oceans and Seas; Population Density; River regime; Rivers; Sea water ecosystems; Seasonality; Seasons; Seawater - chemistry; Synecology; Temporal scale; Water Movements; Mediterranean Sea; Adriatic Sea; Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Forli, Cesenatico; MED, Italy, Po R; Italy, Po R; MED, Adriatic Sea; MED, Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Forli, Cesenatico; MED, Italy, Emilia-Romagna; River regime; Macrozoobenthos; Temporal scale; Seasonality; Northern Adriatic Sea; Short term; Marine environment; Seasonal variation; Stream; Po River; Community
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2008.08.002

During the 20th century, increased nutrient inflow has increased the frequency and intensity of eutrophication events in the North-western Adriatic Sea. More recently, evidence of a reduction in the Po river flow and a recovery of the benthic environment were reported. We examined the role played by Po river regime and seasonality in determining the temporal pattern of macrozoobenthos variation: samples were collected from a site located 10–12 km off Cesenatico during two years from October 2004 to September 2006, when the mean Po discharge remained exceptionally low. 88 taxa were found, and the community was dominated by few species: Ampelisca diadema, Lumbrineris latreillii, Corbula gibba, Aricidea claudiae, Levinsenia gracilis and Nucula nucleus account for about 80% of total abundances. The density of these species exhibited a marked seasonal variability. Moreover, the total abundance and the density of the sensitive species, A. diadema, were negatively affected by several disturbance events (hypoxic conditions, frequent storms and an anomalous winter flood) that occurred between November 2005 and March 2006. The reduction of C. gibba and the increase of A. diadema densities observed in the investigated period, and verified recently by other authors could be related to the reduction in river inputs as a consequence of climatic changes.