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The relevance of bryophytes in the macrophyte-based reference conditions in Portuguese rivers

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Abstract

The identification of macrophyte reference communities represents a significant challenge in Mediterranean zones, where few aquatic taxa exist compared to other regions of the world. In the highly seasonal rivers of Portugal, we explored the contribution of bryophytes to enhance the compositional and ecological characterization of reference conditions. We performed partitioning, classification, and ordination analyses and obtained eight groups of bryophytic assemblages explained by water availability and quality. Groups A, B, and H assemblages are type-specific of the inland areas of the northern eco-region, reflecting the neutral minerotrophic currents with summer low currents. Groups C and D are type-specific of acidic oligotrophic shifting currents dependent of precipitation events in the mountainous streams of the North Atlantic eco-region. Groups E, F, and G are widespread in continental northern, central, and southern zones in neutral and highly mineralized watercourses with seasonal dryness. We propose bryophytes as a tool in the characterization of the reference conditions for two main reasons: (i) many of the recorded taxa are capable of withstanding the natural seasonal desiccation, and (ii) the type-specific bryophytes have perennial life-strategies and can be assessed at any time of year as a support for other type-specific macrophytes in compositional assessments of reference conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Fundação para Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for providing funding through post-doctoral grants to the first two authors (SFRH/BPD/63741/2009; SFRH/BPD/29333/2006). We also acknowledge the reviewers for their constructive comments regarding the earlier version of this manuscript. Also we thank Helena Hespanhol for assistance with Figs. 1 and 2 of this manuscript. We are grateful to Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) for the supply of biological and environmental data.

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  1. Research Center In Biodiversity and Genetic Resources - CIBIO (Research Network In Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology - InBIO), Rua Do Campo Alegre, S/N, Edifício FC4, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    Cristiana Vieira

  2. Center of Forestry Research, Institute of Agronomy, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Francisca C. Aguiar & Maria Teresa Ferreira

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  1. Cristiana Vieira
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  2. Francisca C. Aguiar
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  3. Maria Teresa Ferreira
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Guest editors: M. T. Ferreira, M. O’Hare, K. Szoszkiewicz & S. Hellsten / Plants in Hydrosystems: From Functional Ecology to Weed Research

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Vieira, C., Aguiar, F.C. & Ferreira, M.T. The relevance of bryophytes in the macrophyte-based reference conditions in Portuguese rivers. Hydrobiologia 737, 245–264 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1784-2

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