Trophic descriptors of a series of Mediterranean reservoirs (Catalonia, Spain)

• Grant number: 11/02952-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 28, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Viviane Moschini Carlos
• Grantee: Viviane Moschini Carlos
• Host Investigator: Juan Armengol Bachero
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Sorocaba. Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Spain

Abstract

Reservoirs have their own dynamic, influenced by both external and internal factors. They have horizontal and vertical gradients and a continuous flow of water toward the dam. Eutrophication is a major problem in reservoirs, because it is associated with reduced water quality, and one consequence is the increase in biomass in the community of primary producers. The physical structure of the aquatic ecosystem and nutrient availability are, directly or indirectly, the most important variables influencing the composition of phytoplankton species. Due to the impact that phytoplankton can have on the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, it is crucial to understanding the factors that govern the associations and structure of this community. The comparative study of reservoirs with different trophic spectrums is a way of identifying patterns that explain, at least partially, the phytoplankton association along a particular trophic condition. Spain's rivers annually circulate some 106,000 cubic hectometers of water, but only take advantage of about 9,000 due to the irregularity of the channels. To meet the water demand in Spain, 1,200 reservoirs were built, thus bringing the theoretical usable quantity to 53,000 cubic hectometers. The hypothesis of this research is to analyze how the phytoplankton community responds to different trophy at a series of Mediterranean reservoirs (La Llosa del Cavallo - La Baells - Sant Pon - Santa Fe - Susqueda - Sal - Foix), located in Catalonia (Spain). These reservoirs are located along a range of different altitudes, but in the same ecosystem, have a similar geological type and form a trophic gradient ranging from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic. Thus, the objective of this project is to conduct a study on the trophic status of this series of reservoirs and analyze the horizontal spatial distribution of phytoplankton along a longitudinal axis. The Reynolds et al. (2002) functional classification will be used in order to describe the structural changes in the phytoplankton along a gradient of available resources (nutrients and light). This research will be supervised by Dr. Juan Armengol Bachero (Department of Ecology, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain) and is inserted in the work of "Grupo de Investigación de Excelencia de la Generalitat de Catalunya en Dinámica Fluvial - FLUMEN", coordinated by Professor Bachero. We expect that the experience gained abroad and regular contact with FLUMEN researchers enable the contribution of greater and better knowledge of ecological issues related to the reservoirs in the metropolitan region of the city of São Paulo and in solving numerous environmental and water quality problems which afflict these reservoirs. This project also aims to understand aspects of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) for application in studies in Brazilian tropical reservoirs. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOSCHINI-CARLOS, VIVIANE; POMPEO, MARCELO; NISHIMURA, PAULA YURI; ARMENGOL, JOAN. Phytoplankton as trophic descriptors of a series of Mediterranean reservoirs (Catalonia, Spain). Fundamental and Applied Limnology, v. 191, n. 1, p. 37-52, DEC 2017. (11/02952-3)