Ainhoa Gaudes

The nematode community in cyanobacterial biofilms in the river Llobregat, Spain

The aim of our study was to understand the role of the nematode community in a cyanobacterial-dominated biofilm located in the river Llobregat, NE Spain. This biofilm was mainly composed of oscillatorial species and diatoms. Fractions of these mats can become detached from the substrata and become free-floating, dispersing downstream and acquiring different structural and physiological properties. Both cyanobacterial biofilms, attached and free-floating, were compared with another benthic biofilm that occurred in the reach of the river that was studied. The nematode diversity was restricted, and was dominated by Chromadorita leuckarti, Diplogaster rivalis, Plectus parvus, Neotobrilus diversipapillatus, Monhystera spp., Dorylaimus sp. and Mononchus sp. Nematode density and biomass were significantly greater in the free-floating biofilm (maximum values of 752 ind/cm2 and 171.3 μgC/cm2). Different trophic and sexual strategies were observed. The free-floating biofilm showed higher abundances of juveniles and a high proportion of gravid females. A positive correlation was observed between cyanobacterial density and the abundance of juveniles or adults of the commonest nematode species, indicating their potential as food resources.

Contribution of microbial and invertebrate communities to leaf litter colonization in a Mediterranean stream

Abstract Leaf litter inputs and retention play an important role in ecosystem functioning in forested streams. We examined colonization of leaves by microbes (bacteria, fungi, and protozoa) and fauna in Fuirosos, an intermittent forested Mediterranean stream. Black poplar (Populus nigra) and plane (Platanus acerifolia) leaf packs were placed in the stream for 4 mo. We measured the biomasses and calculated the densities of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, meiofauna, and macroinvertebrates to determine their dynamics and potential interactions throughout the colonization process. Colonization was strongly correlated with hydrological variability (defined mainly by water temperature and discharge). The 1st week of colonization was characterized by hydrological stability and warm water temperatures, and allocation of C from microbial to invertebrate compartments on the leaf packs was rapid. Clumps of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) were retained by the leaf packs, and enhanced rapid colonization by microfauna and meiofaunal collector-gatherers (ostracods and copepods). After 2 wk, an autumnal flood caused a 20-fold increase in water flow. Higher discharge and lower water temperature caused FPOM-related fauna to drift away from the packs and modified the subsequent colonization sequence. Fungi showed the highest biomass, with similar values to those recorded at the beginning of the experiment. After 70 d of postflood colonization, fungi decreased to nearly 40% of the total C in the leaf packs, whereas invertebrates became more abundant and accounted for 60% of the C. Natural flood occurrence in Mediterranean streams could be a key factor in the colonization and processing of organic matter.

Species traits and resilience of meiofauna to floods and drought in a Mediterranean stream

In Mediterranean streams, droughts and floods are mainly seasonal and predictable, occurring twice or three times a year. Under these conditions, multivoltinism and short life-cycles would be favoured, particularly for organisms with low migratory capacity. The meiofaunal community is therefore hypothesised to have species traits adapted to these hydrological perturbations. However, meiofauna have been neglected in many lotic studies. The present study examined the temporal variability of meiofaunal density and biomass over a 2-year period in three reaches of a low-order Mediterranean stream. Relationships between biological traits and hydrological and environmental characteristics were investigated. Resilience of meiofauna to floods was quantified using regression. Small differences in basin drainage resulted in different responses. The abundance and resilience of the meiofauna were higher in the upstream reach than those in the downstream communities. A small, worm-shaped body and active locomotor structures conferred higher resilience in the face of natural hydrological disturbances. Low-order reaches are refugia for functionally important meiofauna that can eventually repopulate downstream reaches.

Bottom-up effects on freshwater bacterivorous nematode populations: a microcosm approach

Nutrient enrichment may alter population dynamics of species in different ways depending on their life strategies. The aim of this study was to test the effect of different nutrient concentrations on the population development of two bacterivorous freshwater nematodes, Bursilla monhystera and Plectus aquatilis. Microcosms with autoclaved natural sand from a pristine stream (Fuirosos, NE of Spain) were enriched with different levels of phosphate, nitrate and ammonia as inorganic nutrients and glucose as a biodegradable dissolved organic carbon source. Although leaching of carbon and nutrients from the detritus fraction in the sediment initially may have overruled differences between treatments, later samplings revealed bottom-up control, with Bursilla monhystera abundances positively correlated to bacterial abundances at high nutrient concentrations. Nevertheless, there were several indications that nematodes in turn affected microbial abundance, most likely through excretion of ammonia and through grazing. In contrast to B. monhystera, Plectus aquatilis at high nutrient concentrations showed a unimodal abundance curve, while not increasing in abundance at low nutrient concentrations. Glucose enrichment did not have any stimulatory effect on either microbial or nematode abundances, probably as a result of unfavourable C:N:P stoichiometry. P enrichment, by contrast, stimulated microbial and Bursilla abundances. Our results indicate that episodic nutrient enrichment may affect populations of bacterial-feeding nematodes in the short term. Their longer-term dynamics may, however, be more dependent on leaching of carbon and nutrients from the pools of sediment-bound detritus.