Biological evaluation of water quality

Students should acquire the systemic vision that aquatic ecosystems have, as well as the main existing tools to know the biological quality in aquatic ecosystems.
Specific cognitive and procedural objectives:
- To acquire basic knowledge on the use of organisms as biomonitors, which allow us to determine the quality of the environment; as well as some rudiments on their use.
- To acquire knowledge on toxicological evaluation and toxicity measurement. To acquire the skills and abilities necessary for the understanding of the results from bioassays.
- To acquire basic knowledge on the concept of biological quality of the DIRECTIVE 2000/60/CE. To acquire the necessary skills and abilities to understand the results of the composition and structure data of some communities of this directive.
- To acquire basic knowledge on biological diversity and its quantification, which will allow the development of tools for the diagnosis of impacts on biological communities.

Expository class agenda

1.- INTRODUCTION. Ecosystems. Biocenosis. Triaxial analysis in the evaluation of contamination in ecosystems (1 hour).

BIOMONITORING BLOCK
2.- BIOMONITORING. Biomonitoring. Bioavailability. Biomagnification. Bioconcentration. Bioaccumulation. Main types of biomonitors used in different aquatic environments. Standardization. Use and limitations of biomonitors. Relationship of body concentrations with those of the medium (3 hours).

BIOASSAYS BLOCK
3.- BIOASSAYS. Adaptations to the abiotic environment. Liebig's law and Sheldford's tolerance law. Ecological valence. Toxicological evaluation. Damage and responses in organisms. Measurement of toxicity. Toxicity, dose, intake and concentration. Acute, subacute and chronic toxicity. Dose calculation. Toxicity indices. Evaluation of toxic responses. Main bioassays and endpoints (3 hours).

ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY BLOCK
4.- DIRECTIVE 2000/60/EC. Biological quality and conditions in Directive 2000/60/EC. Biological indicators. Phytoplankton composition, abundance and biomass. Composition and abundance of aquatic flora and benthic invertebrate fauna (macroinvertebrates). Composition, abundance and age structure of the ichthyological fauna (1 hour).
5.- RESPONSE TO POLLUTANTS. Alteration of biotic relationships. Biomass abundance curves (1 hour).
6.- ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY. Biological diversity. Measures of biological diversity. Benchmarking and comparison of biological communities. Statistical analysis in the field of biological diversity (4 hours).

Computer exercises (1 hour sessions)
1. Determination of lethal and sublethal doses.
2. Bioassay data processing.
3. Case study of the calculation of a BMWP index.
4. Calculation of biomass abundance curves.
5. Quantification of biological diversity
6. Characterization of spatiotemporal patterns of biological diversity.
7. Response of communities to environmental gradients (species richness).
8. Response of communities to environmental gradients (community composition).

Seminars (1 hour sessions)
1. Data acquisition with biomonitors. Biomonitor selection, sampling design, processing, data treatment. Fluvial ecosystem.
2. Data acquisition with biomonitors. Biomonitor selection, sampling design, processing, data treatment. Intertidal ecosystem.
3. Case study of the use of a bioassay part 1.
4. Case study on the use of a bioassay part 2.

Tutorial (1 hour)
How to deal with the study of the subject will be discussed. Online questionnaires will be used on the subject taught. Doubts will be solved in them, as well as on other aspects of the subject.

Basic
• Newman M.C. 2014. Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology: The Science of Pollution, 4ªed. Ed. CRC Press. ISBN: 978-1466582293
• Magurran, A. E., & McGill, B. 2011. Biological diversity. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-958067-5

Complementary
• Clements, W. y Newman M.C. 2002. Community Ecotoxicology. Ed. J.Wiley & Sons Ltd. UK. ISBN: 0-471-49519-0 (Acceso libre en: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/0470855150)
• Walker, C.H., Sibly, R.M., Hopkin, S.P. y Peakall, D.B. 2012. Principles of Ecotoxicology. 4ªEd CRC Press. ISBN: 9781439862667
• Connell, D., Lam, P., Richardson, B.Y. y Wu, R. 1999. Introduction to Ecotoxicology. Ed. Balckwell Sc. Londres. ISBN 0-632-03852-7.
• Newman, M.C. 2001. Population Ecotoxicology. Colección: Hierarchical Ecotoxicology. Ed. Wiley & Sons. UK. ISBN-10: 0471988189
• Tannenbaum, L.V. 2017. Ecological Risk Assessment: Innovative Field and Laboratory Studies. CRC Press 1ªed. ISBN: 1498786170
• Borcard, D., Gillet, F., & Legendre, P. 2011. Numerical Ecology with R. Springer New York, NY. ISBN: 978-3-319-71403-5

CON5 Describe the fundamentals of water resources assessment and the main tools for hydrological planning, based on the Water Framework Directive, legislation and global frameworks on water resource allocation, including the environmental component. Demonstrate that ecosystem services linked to water have a high added value and that nature-based solutions allow a sustainable approach to water management.

HAB4 Analyze the EU Water Framework Directive and Flood Directive, their technical implications and implementation, through hydrological planning. Use computer tools for solving problems related to water management, within the framework of both directives. To develop measurements and analysis of data of hydrological interest and linked to the status of water bodies. To evaluate the effect of urban use on its hydrographic basin and to analyze the consequences of water discharge (treated or not) into the receiving water bodies, as well as to develop strategies for the protection of surface and groundwater generation areas in the basins, under the principle of recognition and enhancement of ecosystem services.

COM4 Integrate the different sources that generate water supply and the uses that generate demand, in systems or balances that allow for adequate management. Plan water resources at the macro and micro scales, allocating water to different uses, integrating environmental and social demands.

The Virtual Classroom will be used as a communication tool with the students, offering them information about the teaching program throughout the course in the classroom and complementary materials for the study of the subject (teacher's notes, as well as scientific-technical articles), encouraging the student's autonomous study and the use of bibliographic sources. At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with the following material in the virtual campus of the subject:
1. Teaching guide: the approved guide for the subject 2.
2. Daily planning: a guide where the detailed planning of activities will be indicated.
3. Presentations: the presentations-guide used by the teacher in the expository classes.
4. Complementary material: relevant legislation, scientific articles, links to web pages, etc.
- EXPOSITIVE CLASSES: master classes (exposition and discussion of topics) will be used throughout the course to illustrate the theoretical contents and practical applications and where the professor will try to emphasize the most outstanding aspects of the state of the art, and where the assimilation of contents by the students will be verified. It is therefore very important that students work on the material available to them to promote teacher-student interaction. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked on.
- SEMINARS. Their main objective is to acquire practical skills, to know how to make calculations, to learn to describe, interpret and represent results of the subject. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked on.
- COMPUTER PRACTICES. They have as essential objective to acquire practical skills in relation to calculation processes, by means of the use of the software R or spreadsheets. The competences CON5, HAB4 and COM4 will be worked.

The student's grade will be given by his performance in the final exam and in the continuous evaluation (C.E.).
- Final on-site exam: it will consist of solving theoretical questions, in the form of short questions and solving simple practical cases. 50% of the final score.
- Continuous evaluation (50% of the final score):
- Follow-up questionnaires: to be carried out after each thematic block individually by telematic means. Weighting: 60% of the C.E.
- Individual or team work: presentation (in writing or brief exposition) of bibliographic works or simple prospective works. Weighting: 30% of the C.E.
- Proactive behavior in the classroom: it is intended to value the daily attitude of each student, in particular: a) evidence that he/she keeps up to date with the subject and the discussions that take place in the classroom; b) pertinent comments on what has been discussed; c) motivation and positive attitude in class, among others. Weighting: 10% of the C.E.
Evaluation of competencies
The evaluation of the competencies will be carried out through
- Exam and questionnaires: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.
- Work and tutorials: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.
- Proactive behavior: CON5, HAB4 and COM4.

The subject has a workload equivalent to 3.0 ECTS. Therefore, the dedication time will be:

Classroom work:
13 hours of lectures
8 hours of laboratory practice
4 hours of seminar
1 hour of tutoring
3 hours of exams
Non-contact work:
46 hours of personal work

- Participate in theory and practical classes.
- To carry out and deliver punctually the works pertaining to the continuous evaluation.
- Analyze the bibliography provided.