Multiple stressor effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a Mediterranean temporary river

Abstract

The hydrological and biological complexity of temporary rivers as well as their importance in providing goods and services is increasingly recognized, as much as it is the vulnerability of the biotic communities in view of climate change and increased anthropogenic pressures. However, the effects of flow intermittency (resulting from both seasonal variations and rising hydrological pressure) and pollution on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning have been overlooked in these ecosystems. We explore the way multiple stressors affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (B-EF) relationship in a Mediterranean temporary river. We measured diversity of benthic communities (i.e. diatoms and macroinvertebrates) and related ecosystem processes (i.e. resource use efficiency-RUE and organic matter breakdown-OMB) across a pollution and flow intermittency gradient. Our results showed decreases in macroinvertebrate diversity and the opposite trend in diatom assemblages, whereas ecosystem functioning was negatively affected by both pollution and flow intermittency. The explored B-EF relationships showed contrasting results: RUE decreased with higher diatom diversity, whereas OMB increased with increased macroinvertebrate diversity. The different responses suggest contrasting operating mechanisms, selection effects possibly driving the B-EF relationship in diatoms and complementarity effects driving the B-EF relationship in macroinvertebrates. The understanding of multiple stressor effects on diversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the B-EF relationship in temporary rivers could provide insights on the risks affecting ecosystem functioning under global change.

Keywords: Biodiversity; Flow intermittency; Organic matter breakdown; Organic pollutants; Resource use efficiency.