Title of article :
Species composition and monthly variation of the Molluscan fauna in the freshwater subtidal area of the River Minho estuary
Author/Authors :
Ronaldo Sousa، نويسنده , , Carlos Antunes، نويسنده , , Lucia Guilhermino، نويسنده ,
Issue Information :
روزنامه با شماره پیاپی سال 2007
Abstract :
Despite their high ecological and environmental importance, little attention has been devoted to the study of freshwater tidal estuarine areas.
Information about the biodiversity of these ecosystems remains scarce and very fragmented. In this study, the molluscan fauna of three sites
located in the freshwater subtidal area of the River Minho estuary (NW of Portugal) was surveyed monthly between January and December
2005. The molluscan structure showed significant differences between sites and months of the year. A total of 14,684 specimens from 15 different
species were identified. Abundance ranged from 304 to 3500 ind./m2, with an annual mean of 1632 ind./m2. Biomass ranged from 23.4 to
425.4 g AFDW/m2, with an annual mean of 167.7 g AFDW/m2. The non-indigenous invasive species Corbicula fluminea (Mu¨ller, 1774) had
a clear predominance in the total abundance and biomass gathered. The multivariate analysis used revealed a community with three distinct
groups, principally related to sediment characteristics. Due to great abundance and biomass recorded, C. fluminea is a potential key species
in this estuarine ecosystem and its possible biological and environmental impacts need urgent investigation.
Keywords :
Minho estuary , Abundance , Biomass , molluscs diversity , environmental factors
Journal title :
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Journal title :
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science