The Iberian Rivers
2009; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/b978-0-12-369449-2.00004-7
AutoresSergi Sabater, Isabel Muñoz, Maria João Feio, Anna M. Romaní, Manuel A. S. Graça,
Tópico(s)Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
ResumoThis chapter highlights that Iberian rivers are naturally rich in terms of their biota. The biological richness in Iberian inland waters is under threat because of the high number of biological invasions. For example, the river Ebro has been invaded by the molluscs D. polymorpha and C. fluminea, but also by the fishes S. glanis and Ictalurus melas in its lower course. These invasions have resulted in a decrease in habitat diversity and in the number of native species. Water transfer between basins is a constant issue in the different hydrological plans that the governments develop to satisfy the high water demands and which would increase the possibility for species invasion. The management of rivers and their associated disturbance regimes has a cultural or societal component. The human presence and management of watercourses may have very different affects depending on the cultural perception of rivers. People in arid and semi-arid regions have the least respect toward rivers since the rivers are often dry or have catastrophic floods and are, therefore, viewed more as a danger than as a natural resource to be preserved. Moreover, there is a well-rooted perception that any water that reaches the sea is wasted. The chapter suggests that this perception being difficult to change, the progressive implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the different basins will hopefully force a change in attitude toward the rivers as well as the required administrative steps to secure their conservation and sound management.
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