查看文章

Size spectra show common patterns of variation among ecosystem types, functional guilds and taxonomic groups, as well as predictable responses to pressures. Here, we extend the size spectra approach to macroinvertebrate ecological status assessment in transitional waters, by developing, testing and validating a multi-metric index of size spectra sensitivity (ISS), which integrates size structure metrics with metrics describing the sensitivity of size classes to anthropogenic disturbance and species richness measures. The ability of different theoretical models of size spectra sensitivity to discriminate between undisturbed and disturbed ecosystems and levels of environmental stress was evaluated. We have used data on benthic macroinvertebrates within 12 Mediterranean and Black Sea transitional water bodies (i.e. coastal lagoons) from Italy, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania and compared the models …