The project will consider multiple waterscape scales. At the range scale, the entire Pyrenean lake district will be analyzed, focusing on how landscape characteristics influence aquatic microhabitats. Specifically, we will examine epilithic diatom communities. The research team has collected approximately 500 lake samples across the entire range, enabling us to assess whether dispersal and stochastic processes predominate over biotic interactions and to determine the extent to which topography and landscape spatial properties influence these dynamics.
At the catchment scale, the waterscape will be characterized with high precision, incorporating both extensive surveys and field experiments using artificial substrates to study diatom microhabitats comprehensively. The Sant Nicolau Valley, located in Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, has been selected for this study due to the availability of previous data and field instrumentation.
Finally, the project will investigate the proximal environment of diatoms and their species autoecology through single-species cultures. Laboratory experiments will be conducted to characterize their relative fitness and niche differentiation across key environmental gradients. This fundamental information will provide critical feedback for interpreting the patterns observed at the broader waterscape scales.
By integrating empirical and theoretical approaches, the project aims to make significant contributions to species coexistence theory, enhancing our understanding of the interactions between environmental variability and biodiversity patterns.