A Fish-Based Tool for the Quality Assessment of Portuguese Large Rivers

Faro, António Tovar; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Oliveira, João Manuel

Publication

A Fish-Based Tool for the Quality Assessment of Portuguese Large Rivers

2024-04-23Contribution to journal

datacite.subject.fos	Ciências Naturais::Ciências Biológicas
dc.contributor.author	Faro, António Tovar
dc.contributor.author	Ferreira, Maria Teresa
dc.contributor.author	Oliveira, João Manuel
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-29T16:35:05Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-29T16:35:05Z
dc.date.issued	2024-04-23
dc.description.abstract	Multimetric indices play a pivotal role in assessing river ecological quality, aligning with the European Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) requirements. However, indices developed specifically for large rivers are uncommon. Our objective was to develop a fish-based tool specifically tailored to assess the ecological quality in Portuguese large rivers. Data were collected from seven sites in each of three Portuguese large rivers (Minho, Guadiana, and Tagus). Each site was classified using an environmental disturbance score, combining different pressure types, such as water chemistry, land use, and hydromorphological alterations. The Fish-based Multimetric Index for Portuguese Large Rivers (F-MMIP-LR) comprises four metrics: % native lithophilic individuals; % alien individuals; % migrant individuals; and % freshwater native individuals, representing compositional, reproductive, and migratory guilds. The index showed good performance in separating least- and most-disturbed sites. Least-disturbed sites were rated ‘high’ or ‘good’ by F-MMIP-LR, contrasting with no such classification for most-disturbed sites, highlighting index robustness. The three rivers presented a wide range of F-MMIP-LR values across the gradient of ‘bad’ to ‘high’, indicating that, on a large spatial extent, the biological condition was substantially altered. The F-MMIP-LR provides vital information for managers and decision-makers, guiding restoration efforts and strengthening conservation initiatives in line with the WFD	eng
dc.identifier.citation	Faro, A. T., Ferreira, M. T., & Oliveira, J. M. (2024). A Fish-Based Tool for the Quality Assessment of Portuguese Large Rivers. Fishes, 9(5), 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9050149
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9050149
dc.identifier.issn	2410-3888
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/5678
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.peerreviewed	yes
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation	project ALBUFEIRA (0489_ALBUFEIRA_6_E) INTERREG V POCTEP)
dc.relation	project “Aquisição de serviços para melhorar e complementar os critérios de classificação do estado das massas de água superficiais interiores” for APA—Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente I.P., supported by the POSEUR—“Programa Operacional Sustentabilidade e Eficiência no Uso de Recursos” through the application POSEUR-03-2013-FC-000001—“Melhoria da Avaliação do Estado das Massas de Água”.
dc.relation	Forest Research Centre (CEF) is a research unit funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT), Portugal (UIDB/00239/2020)
dc.relation	Project UIDB/00239/2020 from CEF (Forest Research Centre)
dc.relation	Ph.D. grant from the FLUVIO–River Restoration and Management program funded by FCT, Portugal (2021.06859.BD)
dc.relation	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT) under Project UIDP/00681/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/00681/2020)
dc.relation	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT) under Project UIDB/00239/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00239/2020).
dc.relation.hasversion	https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/9/5/149
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject	ecological quality
dc.subject	large rivers
dc.subject	water framework directive
dc.subject	multimetric indices
dc.subject	fishes
dc.subject	freshwater ecosystems
dc.subject	peixe de água doce
dc.subject	Rio Minho
dc.subject	Rio Tejo
dc.subject	Rio Guadiana
dc.title	A Fish-Based Tool for the Quality Assessment of Portuguese Large Rivers	eng
dc.type	contribution to journal
dspace.entity.type	Publication
oaire.citation.issue	149
oaire.citation.title	Fishes
oaire.citation.volume	9
oaire.version	http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85