PHYSICO-CHEMICAL TYPOLOGY AND LARGE FRESHWATER BRANCHIOPODA

DISTRIBUTION IN WEST MEDITERRANEAN TEMPORARY PONDS

M. R. Miracle, M. Sahuquillo, S.M. Morata & E. Vicente Spain
Dpto. Microbiología y Ecología.

In the Iberian system (Spain) one can find a high number of temporary waters called “navajos” or “lavajos” which are mainly small METHODS
rain pools that have been traditionally used as watering-places for cattle, but also there are others with more entity located in larger In winter-spring 2006 and 2007 (February to May) 85 temporary pools
were sampled in Valencian community . Branchiopod samples were taken
basins. Although these temporary pools constitute a special habitat of high biodiversity in this part of the country, little is known with a hand net of 90mm mesh size and plankton net of 45mm mesh and
about them and their fauna or flora. This research is part of a wider project on the aquatic fauna and the preservation of amphibians preserved in 4 % formaline.
in these Mediterranean temporary waters and it is focused in the ecology and distribution of large branchiopods, endangered
LIMNOLOGICAL AND MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS
invertebrates of greatest conservation need.
50 30
Area (m2) Z máx (m)
DISTRIBUTION MAP AND LOCATIONS 40 25

20
30
15
20
10

10 5

Triops cancriformis simplex

Streptocephalus torvicornis
0 0

Chirocephalus diaphanus
0 500 2000 3000 0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0

Branchipus schaefferi
35 35

Branchinecta sp.
Temperature (ºC)

Magrebestheria
Conductivity (uS/cm)

Isaura mayeti
30 30

maroccanna
B. visnyai

B. cortesi
25 25

bucheti
20 20
Locations LONG. LAT. m.a.s.l.
15 15

Lavajo de Abajo (La Plana de Utiel-Requena) 1º 14' W 39º 45' N 869 x x x h h x x h 10 10

Rebalsador (Los Serranos) 0º 39' W 39º 49' N 859 x x x x
Barranc Horts arriba (Alt Maestrat) 0º 3' W 40º 24' N 1037 x x 5 5
Navajo Elias (Alt Palancia) 0º 48' W 39º 49' N 1080 x x
Barranc Horts abajo (Alt Maestrat) 0º 4' W 40º 25' N 960 h 0 0
La Balsilla (Los Serranos) 0º 40' W 39º 48' N 833 x x 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Balsa del Cavall (El Camp de Morvedre) 0º 21' W 39º 38' N 211 h
Charca de Benirrama (Vall d'Ebo) 0º 11' W 38º 49' N 532 x
Mas de Cambra (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 18' W 40º 20' N 1173 x 40 30
Mas de Planillar abajo (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 18' W 40º 19' N 1123 h x
pH % Disolved Oxigen
Mas de Planillar arriba (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 18' W 40º 19' N 1124 h x 25
Navajo Camino Celades 0º 18' W 40º 19' N 1133 x 30
Mas de Alberta I (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 20' W 40º 18' N 1180 h
20
Las Balsas I (Los Serranos) 1º 5' W 39º 41' N 842 x x ¿
La Bellida (Los Serranos) 0º 44' W 39º 51' N 1266 x x
Navajo de Los Palos (Alt Palancia) 0º 50' W 39º 55' N 1493 x h 20 15
Navajo Canales (El Rincón de Ademuz) 1º 6' W 39º 51' N 820 x
Navajo ctra. Caudiel-Higueras (Alt Palancia) 0º 32' W 39º 57' N 661 x 10
Navajo de la Cueva Negra I (Los Serranos) 0º 55' W 39º 57' N 1475 x
10
Navajo de la Cueva Negra II (Los Serranos) 0º 55' W 39º 57' N 1474 x
Navajo de la Zorra (Los Serranos) 0º 55' W 39º 56' N 1425 x 5
Balsa Blanca pequeña (Canal de Navarrés) 0º 44' W 38º 56' N 504 x
Balsa Vicario (Canal de Navarrés) 0º 44' W 38º 56' N 480 x 0 0
Balsillas Higueras (Alt Palancia) 0º 29' W 40º 0' N 880 x 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 0 40 80 120 160 200
Bassa del Sespar (La Safor) 0º 18' W 38º 59' N 631 x
Cañada de Jorge (El Rincón de Ademuz) 1º 6' W 40º 2' N 1581 x
Charca camino Barranco Sancho (Los Serranos) 0º 56' W 39º 56' N 1443 x 60
Charco de la Corteza (La Plana de Utiel-Requena) 1º 11' W 39º 44' N 889 x
Turbidity (NTU) 16 Alcalinity (meq L-1)
Molló del Sabater (La Safor) 0º 19' W 39º 0' N 561 x ¿ 50
Navajo Loma Camarillas (Alt Palancia) 0º 43' W 39º 57' N 970 x 14
Navajo Los Rubiales (Los Serranos) 1º 11' W 39º 55' N 752 x
40 12
Navajo Portillo 1 ((Canal de Navarrés) 0º 47' W 38º 56' N 604 x
Navajo Pozo del Espino arriba (Alt Palancia) 0º 48' W 39º 58' N 1352 x 10
Navajo Tristán (El Camp de Túria) 0º 30' W 39º 43' N 527 x 30
Volteales (Los Serranos) 0º 44' W 39º 50' N 1274 x 8
Camino Cubillo (El Rincón de Ademuz) 1º 10' W 40º 2' N 1180 h 20 6
Charca hormigón camino Bco. Sancho (Los Serranos) 0º 58' W 39º 56' N 1242 h
Charco del Remedio (La Plana de Utiel-Requena) 1º 7' W 39º 38' N 1243 h 4
10
Las Balsas II (Los Serranos) 1º 5' W 39º 41' N 854 h 2
Mas de Canaleta II (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 21' W 40º 18' N 1249 h
Mas de la Costa (L'Alcaten Penyagolosa) 0º 18' W 40º 10' N 990 h 0 0
Mas del Carbó (Els Ports) 0º 14' W 40º 37' N 926 h 0 20 40 60 80 300 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Navajo de Monreal (Alt Palancia) 0º 46' W 39º 54' N 1386 h
Navajo del Pozo del Espino abajo (Alt Palancia) 0º 48' W 39º 58' N 1340 h
Navajo Zalón (Alt Palancia) 0º 39' W 39º 56' N 891 h 100 60
Pinar Montesinos (Los Serranos) 1º 3' W 39º 58' N 1180 h
Chlorophyll-a (Pg L-1) 50
Total Phosphorous (PM)
80
Localities with adults (black) or with only eggs (grey). Eight species of large 40
60
branchiopods were found including 5 anostracans, 2 conchostracans and 1 30
notostraca. Branchipus shaefferi was the most widespread species. We have 40
20
enlarged the distribution of the endemism Branchipus cortesi, once thought to be
20
restricted to SW Spain to two localities in the Eastern end of the Iberian System. 10

We reported new localities for rare species as Magrebesteria maroccana and 0 0

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Streptocephalus torvicornis and we have found for the first time in the Iberic
1 2 Peninsula Isaura mayeti, only reported before from Balearic Islands. Histograms showing the number of samples in each interval of the
range of different morphometrical and environmental variables (grey
1.-Isaura mayeti (male with female) 2.- In a few places, we found males presenting the bars) and that part of them in which adult branchiopods were found
controversial Branchipus visnyai form of the 2nd antenna. The picture shows one (black bars). They are very small and shallow freshwater ponds, most
specimen with both antenna shaped as B. visnyai and the other two, B. schaefferi and B. have large branchiopods except the most eutrophic ones (indicated by
cortesi, with one antenna visnyai-shaped.
TP and chlorophyll-a).
CYSTS MORPHOLOGY AND VARIABILITY B. schaefferi C. diaphanus T. cancriformis LAND USES AND THREATS
Turbidity (NTU) Mean 209.6 16.3 413.6
(máx-mín) 0.58-816 16.3-38 0.58-811
Lifestock feces and urine enter directly
-1
or are washed into the pools causing
Conductivity (PS cm ) 422.2 139.3 498.7
(máx-mín) 71-516 100-196 314-847
eutrophication and excessive
trampling degradates diapausing
Temperature (ºC) 15.4 7.9 15.9
3 stages.
1 2 4
(máx-mín) 6-27.9 7.1-16.9 13.3-24.8
1 2
Total phosphorous (PM) 11.6 3.0 22.1
(máx-mín) < 0.002 -44 0,15-6.84 3.5-874.6 1, 2.- Barranc dels Horts.
Chlorophyll-a (Pg L-1) 1.1 1.6 0.2 3, 4.- Los Serranos.
(máx-mín) <0.001 -27.4 0.47-6.2 0.8-4 5.- Lavajo de Abajo, Sinarcas.
Mean average of several environmental variables for main 6.- Rebalsador, Alcublas.
species of Branchiopods (calculated from the sum of adult
5 6 7 8 density x variable value in each sample divided by the 3 4 Vineyards invade the wide and shallow
sum of adult densities in all samples) edge area of the temporary pond
1.- Branchipus cortesi from Lavajo de Abajo damaging the existing large
2 .- B. schaefferi from Lavajo de Abajo. brachiopod cyst bank . Most rare
3, 4, 5.- B. schaefferi/visnyai form from Rebalsador, Molló de Sabater and Las Balsas. species occur in rainy years when the
6.- Streptocephalus torvicornis bucheti from Balsa del Cavall pond are thoroughly filled and their
7, 8.- S. torvicornis from Las Balsillas de Alcublas with morphology like S. ovamboensis. cysts accumulate in the peripheral
5 zone.
6
The conservation of the pond borders is essential to preserve
biodiversity.