Abstract
The European river (Lampetra fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758) and brook (Lampetra planeri Bloch, 1784) lampreys are considered ‘paired species’, i.e., they are closely related and morphologically very similar but have distinct modes of adult life (anadromous vs. resident). In the Iberian Peninsula, the southern limit of both species’ distribution, they face different pressures (e.g., barriers, pollution, hydrological stress) that reduce the available habitat, which is exacerbated by the actual climate change context. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate meso- and microhabitat preferences of Lampetra sp. On the mesohabitat scale, the environmental variables that influence these species’ distributions on the watershed scale were identified. On the microhabitat level, besides identifying the fine-scale variables that influence the presence and abundance of Lampetra sp., possible changes in habitat preferences throughout the larval stage (i.e., distinct size/age classes) were also assessed. Mesohabitat results suggest that the relative abundance of Lampetra sp. is related to variables such as pH and riparian vegetation. Regarding the microhabitat, the relative abundance of the size classes’ distribution seems to be associated with variables such as substrate granulometry. The results in terms of habitat preferences on a Mediterranean basin are discussed in the context of a climate change scenario (e.g., decrease in habitat quality and availability) and management and conservation perspective.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, B.R.Q., C.S.M., C.M.A. and P.R.A.; software, formal analysis, visualization, I.C.O.; data curation, writing—original draft preparation, I.C.O. and B.R.Q.; methodology, investigation, resources, writing—review and editing, I.C.O., B.R.Q., C.S.M., C.M.A. and P.R.A.; supervision and project administration, P.R.A.; funding acquisition, P.R.A., B.R.Q., C.S.M. and C.M.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by EDP—Energias de Portugal, S.A. with the award Fundo EDP para a Biodiversidade 2008. Support was also provided by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the strategy plan for MARE (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre), via project UIDB/04292/2020, and under the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. FCT also supported this study through the individual contract attributed to Carlos M. Alexandre within the project CEECIND/02265/2018 and individual contract attributed to Bernardo Quintella 2020.02413.CEECIND.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the ICNF - Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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