The effect of climatic fluctuations and extreme events running water ecosystems.

Climate change is a natural part of the Earth system, but the rates provided for in the next century are much stronger than in recent decades. Most research on the effects of environmental change on freshwater focuses on incremental changes in average conditions, rather than fluctuations or extreme events such as heat waves, cold, drought, floods or forest fires, which can consequences even deeper. These extreme events are predicted to increase in frequency, intensity and duration of global climate change.
A team of researchers among them Nuria Bonada, member IRBio-UB, propose a mechanism frame for the prediction of potential environmental impacts of fluctuations in ecosystems of running water due to the expansion of effects of fluctuations from individuals to entire ecosystems. This framework requires the integration of the four key components: environmental effects on the metabolism of the individual, metabolic and biomechanical limitations in the fluctuation of species interactions, the dynamic assembly of local food networks, mapping and dynamics the target community-based ecosystem.