Corbicula incorporation to indicator parameters to assess the ecological status of northwestern Iberian estuaries

Abstract Ecological status classification systems based on biological elements (e.g., macroinvertebrate communities) are dependent their response to different pressures. However, there is a need determine if invasive species should be incorporated indicator parameters (i.e. metrics measurements of richness and diversity) or as pressure affecting such parameters. Moreover, because ecosystem lacking for northwestern Iberian estuaries, even the possibility develop new metric penalizing presence abundance species. To increase our understanding this topic, we analyze taxonomic functional responses benthic macroinvertebrates Corbicula invasion along environmental gradient 12 estuaries. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were described compared between invaded uninvaded sections. Additionally, assess differences in community structure, assemblages’ similarity was examined two distinct estuarine sections (freshwater oligohaline vs transitional water mesohaline) among body types, including excluding from analysis. The salinity main driver explaining changes group distribution. Freshwater clearly differed groups composition. In addition, river types composition found. inclusion exclusion multivariate analysis significantly affected results feeding Cantabric-Atlantic siliceous axis type. Nevertheless, considering at regional scale did not provide diversity indices calculation. Hence, argue that eradication virtually impossible, it included an additional evidencing its negative indication, within other used assessment ecological status, instance invertebrate dominance indicative impairment.