International Network on Limnology of Drylands

Why create an International Network on Limnology of Drylands (INLD)?

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The INLD hypothesis is that increasing knowledge of dryland freshwater ecosystems would allow us to help decision-makers and managers deal with climate change and anthropogenic impacts. The approach is based on three themes: the state of knowledge of biodiversity, the analysis of multiple stressors, and the development of predictive models.

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State of the knowledge of biodiversity

(1) Identify global patterns in the geographic distribution of aquatic species in the world's drylands and the effects of climate change on species abundance and diversity patterns.
(2) Establish links between community traits and the environment, as these associations are consequences of the filtering effects of climate, disturbance and biotic conditions.

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Multiple stressor analysis

(1) Evaluate the effects of multiple stressors (e.g. drought, morphological degradation, salinisation, eutrophication), their bioindicators and the services they provide to human populations.
(2) Assess how the intensification of droughts in drylands associated with human activities (e.g. irrigation, deforestation and land use) and global warming affect the functioning of intermittent and permanent freshwater systems at different scales (local, regional and global).
(3) Investigate the loss of ecosystem services associated with biotic, taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional homogenisation of aquatic communities driven by multiple stressors.​

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Development of predictive models

(1) Develop predictive models capable of forecasting changes in freshwater community structure as a function of water level fluctuations, in response to floods and droughts, in intermittent and permanent freshwater ecosystems, in particular under climate change scenarios, in order to
- Understand seasonal and short-term fluctuations in water levels and their effects on productivity, biodiversity and increased degradation.
- Assess the effects of flood duration on the distribution and diversity of freshwater species, and evaluate the physiological tolerances and persistence of species under severe habitat disturbance.
(2) Identify key aspects associated with the geographical spread of undesirable species.
(3) Understand and anticipate future threats to vulnerable habitats and their biota and identify critical areas for conservation.