This dataset comprises the occurrences associated to the riverine invertebrate specimens collected from pool mesohabitat of nearly pristine reaches of rivers in Sardinia Island, the second biggest island of the Mediterranean Sea. Each row in the dataset corresponds to a single vial related to a specific sampling. The single vial contains one or more individuals of the same taxon. A catalogue number consisting of the collection code (SARDRP) and a progressive six digit number is assigned to each row. The final digit can be a letter if pictures of the preserved specimens are taken. This dataset is provided within the Activity WP6.6, "National Network of Aquatic Science Collections," of the ITINERIS project - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System - CUP B53C22002150006.
Purpose
n/a
Keywords
Occurrence, Specimen, global change, Italy, ecological status, Biodiversity, invertebrates
The dataset comprises the occurrences of 53 invertebrate families, divided in four phyla, four classes and 14 orders. The most represented taxonomic group is the Arthropoda phylum and particularly the Insecta class. For three insects orders namely Plecoptera, Odonata and Ephemeroptera, occurrence data are available at the genus level (22 genera). Family: Naididae Family: Hydrometridae Phylum: Mollusca Phylum: Arthropoda Family: Tabanidae Order: Diptera Family: Physidae Family: Elmidae Family: Heptageniidae Family: Gyrinidae Order: Trichoptera Family: Aeshnidae Order: Decapoda Family: Dryopidae Family: Beraeidae Family: Haliplidae Order: Hemiptera Family: Lymnaeidae Family: Ephemerellidae Family: Caenidae Family: Goeridae Family: Hydroptilidae Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Anellida Class: Clitellata Family: Glossosomatidae Family: Calopterygidae Family: Siphlonuridae Family: Philopotamidae Order: Lumbriculida Family: Leptophlebiidae Family: Rhyacophilidae Family: Libellulidae Family: Helodidae Order: Arhynchobdellida Family: Blephariceridae Family: Naucoridae Family: Simuliidae Order: Crassiclitellata Family: Tubificidae Order: Coleoptera Order: Odonata Family: Leuctridae Class: Insecta Phylum: Platyhelminthes Family: Leptoceridae Family: Ceratopogonidae Order: Hygrophila Family: Lumbricidae Family: Atyidae Family: Nepidae Family: Lumbriculidae Family: Corixidae Family: Limoniidae Family: Planorbidae Family: Hydrophilidae Family: Limnephilidae Family: Gomphidae Family: Dytiscidae Family: Chironomidae Order: Tubificida Family: Baetidae Family: Stratiomyiidae Family: Psychomyiidae Family: Lestidae Family: Planariidae Order: Ephemeroptera Order: Plecoptera Family: Notonectidae Class: NA Order: Tricladida Class: Malacostraca Family: Tipulidae Family: Capniidae Class: Gastropoda Family: Coenagrionidae Family: Erpobdellidae
Geographic Coverage
Bounding box: min longitude: 9.49 – max longitude: 9.59 – min latitude: 39.35 – max Latitude: 40.72.
Habitat type: Pool mesohabitat of Mediterranean rivers.
Biogeographic region: Mediterranean (EEA, 2017).
Country: Italy Min Latitude: -90 Max Latitude: 90 Min Longitude: -180 Max Longitude: 180 Global Coverage: 1
Citation
Buffagni A, De Santis V, Cazzola M, Cislaghi S, Erba S (2025). Sardinian invertebrate collection from Reference (nearly pristine) river sites hosted at CNR-IRSA Brugherio (Milano, Italy). Version 1.3. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/32ra6q accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-03.
Andrea Buffagni (Metadata author) Research Director Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) andrea.buffagni@irsa.cnr.it
Marcello Cazzola (Metadata author) Technician Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) marcello.cazzola@irsa.cnr.it
Stefania Erba (Metadata author) Senior Researcher Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) stefania.erba@irsa.cnr.it
Lyudmila Kamburska (Publisher) Researcher Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA)
Andrea Buffagni (Administrative point of contact) Research Director Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) andrea.buffagni@irsa.cnr.it
Marcello Cazzola (Administrative point of contact) Technician Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) marcello.cazzola@irsa.cnr.it
Stefania Erba (Administrative point of contact) Senior Researcher Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA) stefania.erba@irsa.cnr.it
Project
MICARI, INHABIT and ITINERIS
Content: Invertebrates specimens present in this dataset were collected during two distinct research projects. The first is the MICARI (‘Strumenti e procedure per il MIglioramento della CApacità RIcettiva si corpi idrici superficiali e Proposta di stream standard specifici per corsi d’acqua a regime torrentizio’ in Italian) project, which run between 2002 and 2004 and was aimed at, among other objectives, investigating the variability of Sardinian riverine biota, particularly evidencing the important role that habitat have on these assemblages in Mediterranean-like ecosystems (Buffagni et al. 2010). The second project, the INHABIT project (Local hydro-morphology, habitat and RBMPs: new measures to improve ecological quality in South European rivers and lakes) was implemented from 2010 to 2013 and kept on investigating the role of local hydro-morphology and habitat features on aquatic biota of different ecosystems, including Sardinian rivers. Data were digitized within the ITINERIS (Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System) project. The column event Type reports ‘project’ because date are directly linked to research project.
Funding: LIFE INHABIT was financially supported by the European Commission through the LIFE+ programme (LIFE08 ENV/IT/000413 INHABIT; LIFE+INHABIT, 2014). MICARI project was supported by the Italian ministry of university, research and technology (MIUR, 2002. D.M. 408 Ric. 20/03/2002 – Settore “Risorse Idriche”). ITINERIS project (Project IR0000032 – ITINERIS - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System - CUP B53C22002150006) was supported by the EU - Next Generation EU Mission 4 "Education and Research" - Component 2: "From Research to Business" - Investment 3.1: "Fund for the Creation of an Integrated System of Research and Innovation Infrastructures".
Study Extent: Invertebrates were collected in sites with low to absent levels of anthropic disturbance located in the eastern part of Sardinia (south-western Italy). Sampling: The riverine benthic invertebrates were sampled adopting a proportional and quantitative multi-habitat approach (the protocol specified in the column samplingProtocol of the dataset), which is the Italian standard for the monitoring of wadable water bodies under the WFD (CNR-IRSA, 2007; MATTM, 2010). A riffle-pool sequence (mesohabitat scale) was identified in a river section of about 25-50 meters. Microhabitat proportions, in terms of organic and mineral substrate types, were then visually estimated, and invertebrates were collected according to their proportional presence for a total of 10 sampling units in in pool and 10 in riffle mesohabitats, respectively (see Buffagni, 2021 for details on sampling design). For this dataset, only samples collected in the pool mesohabitat are considered. Invertebrates were quantitatively collected in each sampling unit using a Surber net (area 0.05 m2; mesh size 0.5 mm), positioned on each microhabitat, with the opening directed against the main water flow direction and the substrate contained within the area delimited by the sampler is disturbed by hands or feet to dislodge the organisms from the substrate. The collected organisms were then transferred to dedicated buckets or trays, sorted from the substrate, identified, counted and then placed in vials and preserved in alcohol. Quality Control: Quality control for geographic data: Reliability of coordinates was checked in QGIS. Geographic coordinate format, coordinates within country/provincial boundaries, and the absence of anomalous ASCII characters in the dataset were also double checked. Quality control for taxonomic data: even if some taxa have undergone a nomenclature revision, the nomenclature used in this dataset followed the one present in the MacrOper list (Buffagni & Erba, 2014), used to assess the ecological status of Italian water bodies according to the WFD. Specimens were assigned to taxonomic units according to the available literature and identification keys. Identifications were internally checked. Method Steps: Data included in the present dataset were collected, following the aims of MICARI and INHABIT projects. Main underlying purpose was to characterise the benthic aquatic assemblages and investigate the relationship between benthic community, riverine habitat features and ecological status assessment. Along with sampling of the invertebrate benthic community, several abiotic features at different spatial scales (e.g. microhabitat composition, water quality, land uses) were also recorded. Local hydro-morphological characterization of each river reach was also performed following the CARAVAGGIO (Core Assessment of River hAbitat VAlue and hydro-morpholoGIcal cOndition) method (Buffagni et al. 2013; see also Buffagni, 2021).
Additional Info
n/a
Acknowledgements
LIFE INHABIT was financially supported by the European Commission through the LIFE+ programme (LIFE08 ENV/IT/000413 INHABIT; LIFE+INHABIT, 2014). MICARI project was supported by the Italian ministry of university, research and technology (MIUR, 2002. D.M. 408 Ric. 20/03/2002 – Settore “Risorse Idriche”). ITINERIS project (Project IR0000032 – ITINERIS - Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System - CUP B53C22002150006) was supported by the EU - Next Generation EU Mission 4 "Education and Research" - Component 2: "From Research to Business" - Investment 3.1: "Fund for the Creation of an Integrated System of Research and Innovation Infrastructures".
IR0000032 – ITINERIS, Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System
(D.D. n. 130/2022 - CUP B53C22002150006) Funded by EU - Next Generation EU PNRR- Mission 4 “Education and Research” -
Component 2: “From research to business” - Investment 3.1:
“Fund for the realisation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures”
National Research Council of Italy. All Rights Reserved.