Fernández-Torquemada, Yolanda, Díaz Valdés, Marta, Colilla, Francisco, Luna i Pérez, Beatriz, Sánchez-Lizaso, José Luis, Ramos-Esplá, Alfonso A.
Descriptors from Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadows in coastal waters of Valencia, Spain, in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive
FERNÁNDEZ TORQUEMADA, Yolanda, et al. “Descriptors from Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadows in coastal waters of Valencia, Spain, in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive”. ICES Journal of Marine Science. Vol. 65, No. 8 (Nov. 2008). ISSN 1054-3139, pp. 1492-197
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/9558
DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsn146
ISSN: 1054-3139 (Print)
Abstract: 
Evaluations are provided of 21 descriptors of Posidonia oceanica meadows along the coast of Valencia, Spain, with a view to using these in implementing the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). The descriptors selected are known to respond to a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Data were collected at 17 locations during three consecutive years. A principal components analysis was used to classify the ecological status of each locality according to five classes as prescribed by the WFD. To identify the descriptors
that contributed most to similarity among localities within each class and to dissimilarity between adjacent classes, a similarity percentage analysis was performed. We also correlated the descriptors with an independent set of indicators for various types of
anthropogenic pressures on the water bodies associated with the different localities. The descriptors providing the most consistent information on status as well as demonstrating a significant relationship with estimated pressures were: shoot density, shoot foliar surface, dead-matte cover, meadow cover, herbivore pressure, rhizome baring/burial, foliar necrosis, percentage of plagiotropic rhizomes, and leaf-epiphyte biomass.
Keywords:Biological quality element, Descriptors, Posidonia oceanica, Seagrass, Water Framework Directive
Oxford University Press
info:eu-repo/semantics/article