Abstract:
Coastal wetlands are characterized by high biodiversity, which is one of the main criteria considered when establishing
protection policies or when proposing adequate management actions. In this study, the crustacean and aquatic insect
composition of the Emporda wetlands is described. These two faunal groups contribute highly to the total biodiversity in
these wetlands but are seldom considered when managing natural areas. A selection (84 sampling points) of all water body
types present in the Emporda wetlands were sampled monthly (surber and dip net with a 250 μm mesh). Sampling was carried
out during 3 surveys (1991-92, 1996-97 and 1999-2000). A rich fauna of 125 crustacean and 295 aquatic insect taxa was
identified. We characterized each water body type using the most abundant species and the relative species richness of the
taxonomic groups. A classification of the water body types, according to similarity between inventories, groups the brackish
and hyperhaline systems in one cluster and the various freshwater systems in another one. Among freshwater systems, lotic
waters and freshwater wetlands have a high similarity, whereas rice fields and freshwater springs have a low similarity.
