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Hydrobiology
Special Issues
Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge
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Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge

A special issue of Hydrobiology (ISSN 2673-9917).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 6988

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Genuario Belmonte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Zoogeography and Fauna, DiSTeBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus Ecotekne, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: plankton ecology; resurrection ecology; neuston; hyperbenthos; Copepoda Calanoida (freshwater and marine); zoogeography; submarine caves; aquariums and museums
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sotir Mali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, “Aleksandër Xhuvani” University, Elbasan 3001, Albania
Interests: environmental microbiology; freshwater ecology, environmental monitoring; environmental pollution; water quality; environmental impact assessment
Dr. Spase Shumka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Biotechnology and Food, Agricultural University of Tirana, Kodër Kamëz, SH1, Tiranë 1000, Albania
Interests: freshwater ecology; fish ecology and phylogeny; freshwater zooplankton; ecosystem recovery; integrated ecosystem approach; management for planning protected areas

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Alblakes 4—International Conference on “Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge” will be held from 21 to 22 October 2022 in Elbasan, Albania. The event will bring together a large panel of scientists, policy makers, practitioners and researchers from a variety of geographical regions to discuss and exchange research on water ecosystems at the local, national, regional and international levels. Alblakes 4 will discuss how the scientific community can best support the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures to climate changes and building the resilience of aquatic ecosystems, habitats and species. Furthermore, there will be a special session dedicated to the assessment and conservation of the Vjosa River’s biodiversity.

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Alblakes 4 in 2022. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference will also be considered.

  • Understanding the disaster risk to water ecosystems, habitats and associated species;
  • Water ecology, species and habitats diversity: What is their threshold?
  • Ecosystem resilience vs. society resilience;
  • Biodiversity and alien species;
  • Environmental pollution and eutrophication;
  • Plant diversity and rehabilitation function;
  • Adaptive and resilient design of water infrastructure: water quality, flooding and drought;
  • Environmental Impact Assessment;
  • Water resources and ecology services for climate change;
  • Assessment and conservation approaches to the biodiversity of the Vjosa River;
  • Building awareness and trust among communities, inclusive decision making on future climate risks and ecosystem processes.

Prof. Dr. Genuario Belmonte
Prof. Dr. Sotir Mali
Dr. Spase Shumka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Hydrobiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • water ecology
  • resilience of aquatic ecosystem
  • alien species
  • species and habitats diversity
  • eutrophication
  • climate changes
  • conservation approach
  • community-based knowledge
  • environmental pollution
  • ecosystem degradation
  • water basin decision making
  • recovery of ecosystems

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1193 KiB  
Article
An Approach for Managing Landscapes for a Variety of Ecosystem Services in Prespa Lakes Watershed
by Dorina Grazhdani
Hydrobiology 2023, 2(1), 134-149; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2010008 - 12 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1242
Abstract
The main goal of this research was to evaluate how well existing and emerging land management practices may be used to manage landscapes for various ecosystem services. By employing a mixed methods approach and conducting a case study in the Prespa Lakes watershed [...] Read more.
The main goal of this research was to evaluate how well existing and emerging land management practices may be used to manage landscapes for various ecosystem services. By employing a mixed methods approach and conducting a case study in the Prespa Lakes watershed in southeast Europe, this goal was achieved. The necessary information was initially gathered using a semi-stratified survey. Following that, the primary ecosystem services and land management practices present in Prespa Lakes watershed were determined via a workshop and a Delphi survey. The identified ecosystem services were ranked using the multi-criteria analytical hierarchy process method. The most important ecosystem service topics included tourism and recreation, maintenance of healthy water bodies, wildlife habitats, healthy food production, natural and heritage values, and biodiversity. Finally, a set of primary priority land management practices for meeting production and ecosystem service goals in the current conditions of the Prespa Lakes watershed was produced utilizing a ranking framework. The very high priority land management practices include livestock breeding to meet both production and conservation objectives, organic farming, diversified crop rotation, crop and tree diversity, restored wetlands, and planning at landscape level. This study provides an important tool for assessing changes in ecosystem service provision under alternative land management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge)
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11 pages, 8944 KiB  
Article
The Potentials for the Ecological Management of Landscape Connectivity Including Aquatic Ecosystems in Northeast Albania
by Laura Shumka, Andi Papastefani, Spase Shumka and Sotir Mali
Hydrobiology 2023, 2(1), 44-54; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2010004 - 04 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1436
Abstract
At the landscape level, freshwater ecosystems are linked at various spatial and temporal scales by movements of different fauna components adapted to life in water. We review the literature on the state of landscape connectivity and related aquatic species that connect different types [...] Read more.
At the landscape level, freshwater ecosystems are linked at various spatial and temporal scales by movements of different fauna components adapted to life in water. We review the literature on the state of landscape connectivity and related aquatic species that connect different types of freshwater habitats, focusing on linkages from streams, large rivers and standing water bodies. Based on existing evidence, it is clear that biotic linkages throughout current mosaic have important consequences for biological integrity and biodiversity. The recent developments with regard to urbanization, expansion of urban centers, infrastructure development, and hydropower plant construction in Albania are in line with global destruction and fragmentation of habitats resulting in the parceling up of landscapes that, in this very case, have been caused by human population growth and development activities. The primary aim of this article is to address the landscape connectivity in a wider northeastern part of Albania considering various protected areas. The landscape connectivity is a pillar component of connectivity conservation that has emerged as a response approach to a range of threats to biodiversity, which include habitat degradation and destruction, fragmentation and climate changes. The approach analyses of landscape connectivity were defined from a human perspective in a linkage among different protected areas, including National Park Albanian Alps, Nature Park Korrab-Koritnik, National Park ShebenikJabllanica, Pogradec Landscape Protected Areas and National Park Prespa. The basis of this analysis lies in the Network of Protected Areas (NPAs) of Albania. Cumulatively, the protected areas connectivity, aquatic ecosystem linkage and individual movements connect populations within and among landscape mosaics and contribute to national and regional diversity and resilience to disturbance. This study highlights the importance of considering both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems connectivity in conservation planning and management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge)
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8 pages, 1525 KiB  
Article
Glochidia Infection of Endemic Fishes from Lake Prespa, N. Macedonia
by Dijana Blazhekovikj-Dimovska, Stojmir Stojanovski, Jouni Taskinen, Stoe Smiljkov and Biljana Rimcheska
Hydrobiology 2023, 2(1), 36-43; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2010003 - 31 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1737
Abstract
Large freshwater mussels (Unionida) are long-lived, have large bodies, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) that usually must attach to host fish tissue to complete their life cycle. This is an obligate parasitic stage of mussel larvae. However, less than one [...] Read more.
Large freshwater mussels (Unionida) are long-lived, have large bodies, and produce thousands to millions of larvae (glochidia) that usually must attach to host fish tissue to complete their life cycle. This is an obligate parasitic stage of mussel larvae. However, less than one in onemillion find a suitable host and survive. The degree of host specificity varies among unionid species, from specialists that can successfully parasitize only one or a few closely related fish species to generalists that can complete development on a taxonomically broad range of fish species. In addition, freshwater mussels are among the most threatened groups of animals. This is due to habitat destruction, the introduction of non-native species, and the loss of host fish on which their larvae (glochidia) are obligate parasites. Glochidiosis harms fish by affecting their growth; on the other hand, freshwater mussels play an important role in freshwaters by improving water quality and ridding the water of bacteria, algae, and pollutants, they are an indicator species of water quality. During our parasitological survey of fish from the Macedonian part of Lake Prespa in April 2022, many glochidia were found on the gills, skin, and fins of two endemic fishes, Prespa roach (Rutilus prespensis) and Prespa nase (Chondrostoma prespense), in the range of tens to thousands on one host. We thus recorded these two endemic species as new hosts of A. cygnea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge)
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9 pages, 752 KiB  
Opinion
Importance of EU Integration for Biodiversity and Nature Conservation in Transboundary Protected Areas (TPAs) in the Western Balkan
by Aleko Miho, Jani Marka and Zenel Krasniqi
Hydrobiology 2023, 2(1), 235-243; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2010015 - 28 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1479
Abstract
There are many important protected areas in the Western Balkan region, which are shared between Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece. These areas have special importance based on their species density (mosses and higher plants) per surface unit. These transboundary ecosystems, which [...] Read more.
There are many important protected areas in the Western Balkan region, which are shared between Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece. These areas have special importance based on their species density (mosses and higher plants) per surface unit. These transboundary ecosystems, which include mountainous massifs, lakes, and rivers, are biodiversity hotspots for the whole of Europe. Species and habitat densities are high compared to other countries in Southeast Europe. However, political borders fragment properly across two or three countries, which often have different approaches and rules for nature protection and the use of resources. Hence, in this short opinion piece, we stress common and cooperative transboundary protection and management in these countries. Furthermore, the European Union’s policy towards the Western Balkan countries in the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP), with the goal of their eventual EU membership, is crucial. Therefore, our appeal is addressed not only to the respective local communities and national governments but also to the European Commission and related EU institutions. We stress the importance of these cross-border ecosystems in the integration process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Resilience of Water Ecosystems through Scientific Knowledge)
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