Hydrological, Environmental and Taxonomical Heterogeneity during the Transition from Drying to Flowing Conditions in a Mediterranean Intermittent River.
Andy Banegas-Medina, Isis-Yelena Montes, Ourania Tzoraki, Luc Brendonck, Tom Pinceel, Gustavo Diaz, Pedro Arriagada, Jose-Luis Arumi, Pablo Pedreros, Ricardo Figueroa
Author Information
Andy Banegas-Medina: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile. ORCID
Isis-Yelena Montes: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile. ORCID
Ourania Tzoraki: Marine Sciences Department, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece. ORCID
Luc Brendonck: Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. ORCID
Tom Pinceel: Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Gustavo Diaz: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile. ORCID
Pedro Arriagada: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile.
Jose-Luis Arumi: Water Resources Department, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Mendez 595, 3812120 Chillán, Chile. ORCID
Pablo Pedreros: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile. ORCID
Ricardo Figueroa: Centre of Environmental Sciences EULA-Chile and CHRIAM Water Research Centre, Department of Aquatic Systems, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C Concepción, Chile. ORCID
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are increasingly studied because of their often-unique aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, biogeochemical processes and associated ecosystem services. This study is the first to examine the hydrological, physicochemical and taxonomic variability during the dry-wet transition of an intermittent river in the Chilean Mediterranean Zone. Based on 30-years of river monitoring data and the TREHS tool, the hydrology of the river was characterised. Overall, the river shows a significant reduction in streamflow (-0.031 m/s per year) and a substantial increase of zero flow days (+3.5 days per year). During the transition of hydrological states, variations were observed in the environmental conditions and invertebrate communities. During the drying phase, abundance, richness, and diversity were highest, while species turn-over was highest during base flow conditions. The disconnected pools and the flow resumption phases were characterised by high proportions of lentic taxa and non-insects, such as the endemic species of bivalves, gastropods, and crustaceans, highlighting the relevance of disconnected pools as refuges. Future climatic change scenarios are expected to impact further the hydrology of IRES, which could result in the loss of biodiversity. Biomonitoring and conservation programmes should acknowledge these important ecosystems.
