| 1. |
- Sanchez-Montoya, Maria Mar, et al.
(författare)
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Women in limnology in the Iberian Peninsula : biases, barriers and recommendations
- 2016
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Ingår i: LIMNETICA. - 0213-8409. ; 35:1, s. 61-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gender biases in science have received increasing attention in recent years. Underrepresentation at the highest academic levels and bias in publication are some of the factors affecting women in science. In this study, we assessed the situation of women in Limnology, a specific field of natural sciences, within the geographic context of the Iberian Peninsula. We used a multi-faceted approach to diagnose the situation, and we propose guidelines to reduce gender gaps in Limnology. The database of members of the Iberian Limological Association (AIL) was used to analyse the. variability between genders at different professional stages. Data was also compiled on plenary speakers who attended conferences organized by different associations (AIL, SEFS and ASLO) to assess women's visibility. A published data set was used to identify leadership patterns in publications with respect to gender. Finally, a survey of AIL members was conducted to understand their perception of the barriers in science that result in differences between the genders. This study recognized differences at the recruitment level (more tenured positions are held by men), visibility at conferences (fewer women are invited as plenary speakers) and publication as team leaders (men have more publications as first and last authors). Survey participants recognised the scarcity of grants/funding, difficulties in balancing life and career, and the scarcity of job opportunities as the three main barriers in science, regardless of gender. Yet, women identified family-related barriers such as having children and gender biases more frequently. Overall, our study indicates that there is a general gender bias in the field of Limnology in the Iberian Peninsula; however, it is slightly lower than the reported levels in Europe and for other disciplines in Spain. Finally, we provide a list of recommendations to balance the current biases based on suggestions made by the participants of a round table held at the XVII Congress of the AIL (Santander, July 2014). We encourage associations in natural sciences and the AIL in particular to use this study as a guideline for best practices as well as a baseline for future analysis of gender biases.
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| 2. |
- Shumilova, Oleksandra, et al.
(författare)
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Simulating rewetting events in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams : A global analysis of leached nutrients and organic matter
- 2019
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : WILEY. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 25:5, s. 1591-1611
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change and human pressures are changing the global distribution and the extent of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which comprise half of the global river network area. IRES are characterized by periods of flow cessation, during which channel substrates accumulate and undergo physico-chemical changes (preconditioning), and periods of flow resumption, when these substrates are rewetted and release pulses of dissolved nutrients and organic matter (OM). However, there are no estimates of the amounts and quality of leached substances, nor is there information on the underlying environmental constraints operating at the global scale. We experimentally simulated, under standard laboratory conditions, rewetting of leaves, riverbed sediments, and epilithic biofilms collected during the dry phase across 205 IRES from five major climate zones. We determined the amounts and qualitative characteristics of the leached nutrients and OM, and estimated their areal fluxes from riverbeds. In addition, we evaluated the variance in leachate characteristics in relation to selected environmental variables and substrate characteristics. We found that sediments, due to their large quantities within riverbeds, contribute most to the overall flux of dissolved substances during rewetting events (56%-98%), and that flux rates distinctly differ among climate zones. Dissolved organic carbon, phenolics, and nitrate contributed most to the areal fluxes. The largest amounts of leached substances were found in the continental climate zone, coinciding with the lowest potential bioavailability of the leached OM. The opposite pattern was found in the arid zone. Environmental variables expected to be modified under climate change (i.e. potential evapotranspiration, aridity, dry period duration, land use) were correlated with the amount of leached substances, with the strongest relationship found for sediments. These results show that the role of IRES should be accounted for in global biogeochemical cycles, especially because prevalence of IRES will increase due to increasing severity of drying events.
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| 3. |
- del Campo, Ruben, et al.
(författare)
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Floodplain Preconditioning of Leaf Litter Modulates the Subsidy of Terrestrial C and Nutrients in Fluvial Ecosystems
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ecosystems (New York. Print). - : Springer. - 1432-9840 .- 1435-0629. ; 24, s. 137-152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Leaf litter can be retained in floodplains for several months before it enters rivers as lateral inputs. During this period, the environmental conditions on the floodplain can alter leaf litter chemistry and, consequently, affect its subsequent processing in the river. We analysed the effect of contrasting floodplain conditions on the chemical composition of leaf litter and its leachates, and how this affected their biodegradability and processing in rivers. To do so, we placed reed leaf litter (Phragmites australis) in open- and closed-canopy habitats of three floodplain sites with contrasting climates (semiarid Mediterranean, humid Mediterranean and continental) for 105 days. We then used litterbags in a river to examine the decomposition of preconditioned leaf litter in comparison with a control (non-preconditioned litter), and laboratory assays to examine the biodegradation of their leachates. Contrasting conditions on the floodplain prompted differences in the nutrient content of leaf litter among floodplain sites. Preconditioning caused a generalized decline in the C content and an increase in the lignin content of leaf litter. Even so, preconditioning did not affect litter decomposition rates in the river, although it did reduce decomposition efficiency and biodegradability of leachates. Shredder colonization of litter was variable and generally higher on preconditioned litter, but not significantly so. Different floodplain conditions had no influence on the aquatic processing of preconditioned litter. Our results demonstrate that the retention of leaf litter in terrestrial environments can affect C budgets of fluvial ecosystems and the recipient food web by reducing the input and the biodegradability of C and nutrients.
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