Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2011 Feb;62(2):303-11. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.10.010. Epub 2010 Nov 10.
The Mondego estuary (Portugal) experienced profound structural and functional modifications due to eutrophication, which was exacerbated by consecutive weather extremes that compromised a previous restoration project. This work explores multiple climate impacts on macrobenthic communities' structure and functioning and its implications on ecosystem's recovery. Floods and heat waves had a stronger negative effect on macrobenthic assemblages than the droughts, imposing a total abundance decline. Contrarily, biomass was not so affected by climate events, being stable and even increased in a mudflat area, where seagrass is re-colonizing. Bivalves and oligochaetes decreased with the flooding episodes, likewise subsurface-deposit feeders and suspension feeders, while crustaceans were particularly sensitive to heat waves. Species richness declined with the floods and heat waves, whilst evenness increased in sandflat area, constituting a positive sign towards recovery. Succession of different climate extremes affected ecosystem structure and functioning, delaying its recovery with possible consequent effects at higher trophic levels.
蒙蒂霍河口（葡萄牙）经历了由于富营养化导致的深刻的结构和功能改变，连续的极端天气情况加剧了这一问题，破坏了之前的一个恢复项目。这项工作探讨了多种气候因素对大型底栖动物群落结构和功能的影响，以及这些因素对生态系统恢复的影响。洪水和热浪对大型底栖动物群落的负面影响比干旱更强，导致总丰度下降。相反，生物量并没有受到气候事件的太大影响，在一个正在重新殖民海草的泥滩地区，生物量甚至有所增加。随着洪水的发生，双壳类动物和寡毛类动物减少了，同样，底栖沉积物食者和悬浮食者也减少了，而甲壳类动物对热浪特别敏感。物种丰富度随着洪水和热浪而下降，而在沙滩地区均匀度增加，这是恢复的一个积极迹象。不同的极端气候的连续发生影响了生态系统的结构和功能，可能会对更高营养级别的生物产生相应的影响，从而延迟了其恢复。
