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Nutrients and Eutrophication in Estuaries and Coastal Waters pp 79–90Cite as

Estimation of ecological exergy using weighing parameters determined from DNA contents of organisms — a case study

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Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 164))

Abstract

We studied the changes of exergy and specific exergy with data of benthic macrofauna communities, periodically sampled along an estuarine gradient of eutrophication in the Mondego estuary (Western Portugal). Exergy estimates were calculated from organism biomass, based on weighing factors for the relative content of exergy per unit of biomass determined from DNA contents of organisms. Results were discussed in terms of both the macrofauna biomass production and the structural organisation of the system. Estimates for the exergy indices provided useful indications for the evaluation of environmental impact due to the eutrophication process. Different average values for the indices of exergy and specific exergy were estimated relatively to areas with different levels of eutrophication, in the ‘spatial’ gradient of eutrophication. Higher exergy levels and lower exergy content per unit of biomass (specific exergy) were associated to populations more stabilized or areas less perturbed. Additionally, the index of specific exergy seemed capable of providing indications for the qualitative alterations in the communities (in temporal and spatial terms) that go in the direction of the observations made in this ecosystem.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IMAR — Institute of Marine Research, Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, Portugal

    Júlio C. Fonseca, Miguel A. Pardal, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro & João C. Marques

  2. Department of Science and Technology, Portuguese Open-University, Portugal

    Ulisses M. Azeiteiro

Authors
  1. Júlio C. Fonseca
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  2. Miguel A. Pardal
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  3. Ulisses M. Azeiteiro
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  4. João C. Marques
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain

    Emma Orive

  2. Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies, University of Hull, UK

    Mike Elliott  & Victor N. de Jonge  & 

  3. Department of Marine Biology, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands

    Victor N. de Jonge

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Fonseca, J.C., Pardal, M.A., Azeiteiro, U.M., Marques, J.C. (2002). Estimation of ecological exergy using weighing parameters determined from DNA contents of organisms — a case study. In: Orive, E., Elliott, M., de Jonge, V.N. (eds) Nutrients and Eutrophication in Estuaries and Coastal Waters. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 164. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2464-7_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2464-7_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

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