37. ALKALDIA: The pH-alkalinity gradient in space and time, an ecological framework for freshwater biodiversity
25. ALTER-Net – A Long-term Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Awareness Research Network (Action 1–3)
WATERSCAPE
The waterscape is defined as the spatially and temporally dynamic water present on and within the uppermost layer of the Earth, which serves as the interface between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere—known as the critical zone. The WATERSCAPE project aims to elucidate how waterscapes contribute to the coexistence of aquatic species.
Diatoms will serve as our model organisms, and the high-mountain waterscape—where theoretical expectations can be empirically tested—will be our model system. Specifically, we aim to demonstrate that the spatial and temporal variability of waterscapes facilitates diatom species coexistence by either equalizing relative fitness or promoting niche differentiation. The project will integrate field observations, field experiments, and laboratory experiments to characterize the growth responses of a large number of diatom species (hundreds) to environmental gradients. Ultimately, this approach will allow us to fit parameters of coexistence theory and investigate the role of different spatial and temporal environmental fluctuations in shaping species distribution patterns across the high-mountain waterscape
21. Los lagos de montaña como sistemas de observación del cambio climático…
02. Comportamiento fotosintético del fitoplancton bajo el hielo en un lago de alta montaña (Estany Redó, Pirineos Centrales)
CIANOMONT
High-mountain lakes represent exceptional ecosystems for monitoring global change. Despite the absence of obvious signs of eutrophication, an increase in littoral algae has been observed in mountain lakes worldwide. In the Pyrenees, a rise in the proportion of cyanobacteria in the biofilms along lake shores has been detected, although their impact on the lakes of the National Parks Network in mountain areas is not yet fully understood.
This project aims to determine whether cyanobacterial proliferation is a common phenomenon in these lakes, identify their composition, and examine the environmental factors that may influence their development. To this end, the composition of cyanobacterial communities will be compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in samples collected in 2011 and in the present day across more than a hundred lakes in the network.