ComeniusComeniusWater a vital elementWater a vital element

5th. Meeting5th. Meeting

Datteln (Germany)Datteln (Germany)

11th – 15 th April 201111th – 15 th April 2011

IndexIndex

• Fresh aquatic ecosystems:Fresh aquatic ecosystems:– Fresh water microorganismsFresh water microorganisms– RiversRivers– LakesLakes

• Salt water ecosystems:Salt water ecosystems:– SeaSea

Fresh water microorganismsFresh water microorganisms

• Plankton: organisms that live over the water Plankton: organisms that live over the water (usually microscopic)(usually microscopic)

• Nekton: organisms that swim (fishes)Nekton: organisms that swim (fishes)• Bentos: organisms that live in the bottom of rivers Bentos: organisms that live in the bottom of rivers

or lakes.or lakes.• Neuston: organisms that swim or walk over the Neuston: organisms that swim or walk over the

surface of watersurface of water• Seston: alive or dead organisms that float on water.Seston: alive or dead organisms that float on water.• Perifiton: vegetables or animal organisms that stick Perifiton: vegetables or animal organisms that stick

to stem and leaves of plants with roots in the to stem and leaves of plants with roots in the bottom.bottom.

Fresh water microorganismsFresh water microorganisms

RiversRivers

• Function: The river has a big relation with Function: The river has a big relation with the earth ecosystems, from these take the earth ecosystems, from these take part of energy like: MOPG, MOPF, MODpart of energy like: MOPG, MOPF, MOD

• Continuous functional. Parts of the river:Continuous functional. Parts of the river:– The top The top – Middle part Middle part – Final part Final part

RiversRivers

Rivers of CataloniaRivers of Catalonia

• Rivers of Pyrenees:Rivers of Pyrenees:– SegreSegre– EbreEbre– CardedeuCardedeu– Noguera PallaresaNoguera Pallaresa– Noguera RibagorçanaNoguera Ribagorçana– LlobregatLlobregat– TerTer

• Mediterranean riversMediterranean rivers::– BesòsBesòs– FoixFoix

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the top of riverstop of rivers• General characteristics:General characteristics:

– Dip of more than 10%Dip of more than 10%– Cold waterCold water

• Classes:Classes:– Forest basin (alocton material), basin no Forest basin (alocton material), basin no

forest (more primary production)forest (more primary production)– Granitic and calcareous rivers of the Granitic and calcareous rivers of the

Pyrenees (+ dissolved salts, + nutrients, + Pyrenees (+ dissolved salts, + nutrients, + primary producers)primary producers)

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the top of riverstop of rivers• Rivers of Pyrenees:Rivers of Pyrenees:

– Low water Low water temperature 7-8 ºCtemperature 7-8 ºC

– Strong pendent Strong pendent between 15-30%between 15-30%

– Low mineralizationLow mineralization– Good oxygenationGood oxygenation

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the top of rivertop of river• Rivers of Pyrenees – Rivers of Pyrenees –

communities:communities:– MossMoss– Beaters: plecopters, Beaters: plecopters,

tricopterstricopters– Filters: simulids, Filters: simulids,

chironomidschironomids– Predators: invertebrates Predators: invertebrates

(insects), little (insects), little vertebrates (tritons), vertebrates (tritons), warms.warms.

– Fishes: troutsFishes: trouts

Trouts

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the top of rivertop of river• Calcareous rivers:Calcareous rivers:

– Primary production: Primary production: moss and diatoms and moss and diatoms and seaweedseaweed

– Sweeping: Sweeping: efemeropters, molluscsefemeropters, molluscs

– Filters: chironomidsFilters: chironomids– Predators: invertebrates Predators: invertebrates

(insects), little (insects), little vertebrates (tritons), vertebrates (tritons), warms.warms.

– Fishes: troutsFishes: trouts

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the middle partmiddle part• Characteristics:Characteristics:

– Constant temperature Constant temperature and hotterand hotter

– More salts and more More salts and more nutrientsnutrients

– More polluted for man More polluted for man action (more nutrients, action (more nutrients, more pollution, canals, more pollution, canals, salt pollution and water salt pollution and water and arid extractionand arid extraction..

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the middle partmiddle part• Communities:Communities:

– Primary producers: Primary producers: seaweeds (diatoms), seaweeds (diatoms), macrofits, moss macrofits, moss (Phanerogams)(Phanerogams)

– Filters: simulids and Filters: simulids and tricopters.tricopters.

– Sweeping: chironomids Sweeping: chironomids and efemeropters.and efemeropters.

– Predators: insects, Predators: insects, bloodsucker.bloodsucker.

– Fishes: barbels, carps, Fishes: barbels, carps, gudgeon, catfish…gudgeon, catfish…

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the final partfinal part• Characteristics:Characteristics:

– Very polluted by man Very polluted by man actionaction

– Dry flow Dry flow

Exception: Final part of Exception: Final part of Ebre river: more quality Ebre river: more quality of water, changed by of water, changed by man for the regulation man for the regulation of damming of water, of damming of water, final part invasion of final part invasion of sea salt water, like salt sea salt water, like salt lakelake

Rivers: communities of the Rivers: communities of the final partfinal part• Communities:Communities:

– Few diatomsFew diatoms– Macrofits (moss)Macrofits (moss)– ChironomidsChironomids– Macroinvertebrates that resist Macroinvertebrates that resist

the pollution: warms and the pollution: warms and larvas of beettleslarvas of beettles

• Communities of Delta of Communities of Delta of Ebre:Ebre:– More seaweeds on suspensionMore seaweeds on suspension– Filters: tricopter and Filters: tricopter and

efemeropterefemeropter– Sweeping: molluscsSweeping: molluscs– Fishes: more than 37 speciesFishes: more than 37 species

Delta of EbreDelta of Ebre

Rivers: communities of Rivers: communities of Mediterranean riversMediterranean riversThey pass for three periods:They pass for three periods:

• Expansion (inundation)Expansion (inundation)

• Contraction (middle Contraction (middle period)period)

• Low water level (isolation Low water level (isolation of parts of the rivers)of parts of the rivers)

• Characteristics:Characteristics:– Born on Prelitoral mountains Born on Prelitoral mountains – Short wayShort way– Communities interrupted by Communities interrupted by

flows and droughtflows and drought

Rivers: communities of Rivers: communities of Mediterranean riversMediterranean rivers• Communities:Communities:

– Seaweeds (diatoms)Seaweeds (diatoms)– PlecopterPlecopter– EfereropterEfereropter– Filters: chironomids and Filters: chironomids and

simulids (tricopters)simulids (tricopters)– Lots of sweepingLots of sweeping– Larvas of beettlesLarvas of beettles

LakesLakes

• Origen:Origen:– GlacialGlacial– VolcanicVolcanic– Human: dammingHuman: damming

• Function: important providing Function: important providing of nutrients of earthly of nutrients of earthly ecosystems for biological, ecosystems for biological, geological and geological and meteorological way; nutrients meteorological way; nutrients de detritic kind (carbons)de detritic kind (carbons)

• Zones:Zones:– Coastal zone Coastal zone – Limnetic zoneLimnetic zone– Deep zone Deep zone

Lakes of CataloniaLakes of Catalonia

• Pyrinees:Pyrinees:– Aigües tortes (Sant Aigües tortes (Sant

Maurici)Maurici)– Estany RedóEstany Redó– Estany de ToroEstany de Toro

• Karstic:Karstic:– BanyolesBanyoles– MontcortèsMontcortès

• Damms:Damms:– OlianaOliana– SauSau

Lakes of Catalonia: Lakes of Catalonia: communitiescommunities• Lakes of Pyrenees:Lakes of Pyrenees:

– Fitoplankton: flagellatae Fitoplankton: flagellatae (crisophicies),dinoflagell(crisophicies),dinoflagellatae,diattomaceae(nanoatae,diattomaceae(nanoplankton): plankton): clorophicies,criptophicieclorophicies,criptophicies.s.

– Zooplankton: rotifers, Zooplankton: rotifers, cladocers, diaptomidescladocers, diaptomides

– Bentos (coastal z.): Bentos (coastal z.): macrophits, water viola, macrophits, water viola, ranuncles, algues; ranuncles, algues; crustacis (cladocers), crustacis (cladocers), molluscs, spongs, larvas.molluscs, spongs, larvas.

– Fish: trouts, red barbels Fish: trouts, red barbels – Vertebrates: amphibious Vertebrates: amphibious

and tritonand triton

Lakes of Catalonia

Lakes of Catalonia: Lakes of Catalonia: communitiescommunities• Karstic lakes:Karstic lakes:

– Fitoplànkton: few seaweed Fitoplànkton: few seaweed and little (diatoms), and little (diatoms), crisophices, clorophices, crisophices, clorophices, dinoflagellataedinoflagellatae

– Zooplankton: crustaceae Zooplankton: crustaceae (copepodes), filters (copepodes), filters (diaptomids), depredators (diaptomids), depredators (ciclopids) and rotiphers(ciclopids) and rotiphers

– Bentos (coastal z.): reed, Bentos (coastal z.): reed, rush, snails, rotiphers, rush, snails, rotiphers, spongs, crustaceae.spongs, crustaceae.

– Fish (introduced by men): Fish (introduced by men): carp, beech marten, carp, beech marten, American perch, wolfAmerican perch, wolf

– Communities of Communities of bacterium.bacterium.

Sea ecosystems (salt water)Sea ecosystems (salt water)

• Characteristics:Characteristics:– A lot of dissolved A lot of dissolved

substances: chlorine, substances: chlorine, bromine, iodine, boron, bromine, iodine, boron, nitrogennitrogen

– Mineral salts Mineral salts – Nutrients provided by Nutrients provided by

the riversthe rivers

• Communities of organisms:Communities of organisms:– Plankton:Plankton:

• PhitoplanktonPhitoplankton

• ZooplanktonZooplankton– Communities of bacterium.Communities of bacterium.– Fish and other vertebratesFish and other vertebrates

Mediterranean sea: Mediterranean sea: communitiescommunities• Phitoplankton: microcospic Phitoplankton: microcospic

seacreed (dinoflagellatae, seacreed (dinoflagellatae, diattomaceae)diattomaceae)

• Zooplankton:Zooplankton:– Unicellular Organisms:Unicellular Organisms:

• ForeminífersForeminífers

• RadiolariumRadiolarium

• AcantariaeAcantariae

• RizòpodesRizòpodes

• CiliatedCiliated– Pluricellular organisms: Pluricellular organisms:

• CnidariaeCnidariae

• QuetonataeQuetonatae

• TunicaeTunicae

• CrustacieaeCrustacieae

• CnetariaeCnetariae

• AnnelidsAnnelids

• MolluscsMolluscs

Mediterranean sea: Mediterranean sea: communitiescommunities• Fish:Fish:

– Flying fish: tuna fishFlying fish: tuna fish– SwordfishSwordfish– StarlingStarling– White king of rayWhite king of ray– BotBot– Sharks planktophags (migrating)Sharks planktophags (migrating)– SardinesSardines– anchovyanchovy– Squid(cefalopodes)Squid(cefalopodes)

• Other vertebrates: Other vertebrates: – Turtles (green, lute)Turtles (green, lute)– Planators birds (gannet)Planators birds (gannet)– Dolphins and sperm whaleDolphins and sperm whale

Mediterranean sea

Mediterranean seaMediterranean sea

Invader species

• Main invader species of aquatic Catalan ecosystems:– Crayfish of American

river– Zebra mussel– Reed and false

acacia– Catfish and sun fish

Invader species