Insects, crustaceans and other water macroinvertebrates are more affected by the effect of sediment accumulation in river courses than the excess of nitrate in water environments, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Sediments that get accumulated in rivers –due intensive agriculture and deforestation in gallery forests- alter the ecological traits of fluvial habitats and deteriorate the biological communities at all levels.
The following experts take part in the new study: Narcís Prats and Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles, from the Faculty of Biology and the Water Research Institute (IdRA) of the University of Barcelona, Rubén Ladrera and Rafael Tomás, from University of La Rioja (UR), and Óscar Belmar, from the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA).
Water ecosystems with high nitrate concentration
The new study focuses on fluvial systems located in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) –the Ebro valley, in western areas of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja- where farmers are required a series of requirements from the current regulation to recover the quality of the water. This area has shown one of the highest concentrations of nitrates in shallow waters in the Ebro basin.
Read more at University of Barcelona
Image Credit: Rubén Ladrera (University of La Rioja)