Research line No. 1. Biodiversity, Functioning and Management of Continental Aquatic Ecosystems.

The research line in Biodiversity, Functioning and Management of Continental Aquatic Ecosystems is offered by a group of teachers-researchers extensively experienced in the study of river systems and wetlands in the Mediterranean basin.

Research in this area focuses on knowledge of the structure, functioning and dynamics of Mediterranean rivers and wetlands, especially those of a saline and temporary nature, really scarce in the European context. Studies on the biodiversity of their communities, nutrient dynamics, food webs, primary and secondary production, organic matter decomposition, functional diversity, etc. are also addressed as well as studies on the impact of natural and anthropic disturbances on different processes in these media.

The extensive knowledge base acquired has been used for the implementation of applied research works to the conservation and restoration of water ecosystems (analysis and determination of the ecological status of Mediterranean rivers and wetlands in general and of the basin of river Segura in particular, by means of biological indicators, detection of priority conservation areas and gaps in the network of protected areas at different scales, using groups of organisms that are indicative of aquatic biodiversity, etc.). Other eco-hydrological studies are part of research works for the design of environmental flow regimes in rivers in the Segura basin and, more recently, studies on the assessment of services provided by aquatic ecosystems from a socio-ecological perspective.

At specie and population level, the programme offers research topics on life cycles, genetic variability, biological and physiological features, vulnerability, etc.; other studies integrate ecological, physiological and evolutionary aspects to explain the distribution patterns of these species at wide spatial scales. Other macro-ecological studies are integrated in research works aiming to analyze the origin of the Mediterranean aquatic fauna, in particular the origin of some groups of insects of hyper-diverse character, and its sensitivity to the global change.