Actualitat ICRA

Research scientist, Resources and Ecosystems Area

Contact Details
Catalan Institute for Water Research, ICRA
email: vacuna@icra.cat
Ph: +34 972 183 380
F: +34 972 183 248

Short Biography
- Born in Barcelona, Dec 22nd 1976.
- Degree in Biology at the University of Barcelona, obtained on Oct 19th, 1999.
- Diploma in ‘Advanced Ecological Studies’ at the University of Barcelona, obtained on Apr 16th, 2002.
- PhD titled ‘Hydrology and riparian forest influences on stream ecosystem structure and function’, obtained on Jul 23rd, 2004.
- Fulbright Postdoc at the University of New Mexico (U.S.) with Prof. Cliff Dahm (Oct 2005 to Apr 2007).
- Marie Curie Postdoc at the Swiss Federal Institute of Water Science and Technology with Prof. Peter Reichert (May 2007 to Apr 2009).

Research interests
- Ecosystem studies, stream ecosystems, disturbance ecology, global change.
- Temperature effects on aquatic C fluxes and implications for global C cycle.
- Ecology of semiarid streams, especially flood and intermittency effects.
- Ecosystem services from freshwater ecosystems.
- Management and legislation of freshwater ecosystems.

Current projects
- 2009 - 2013. GWESCB. Global warming effects on the stream carbon balance. Marie Curie European Reintegration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (PERG07-GA-2010-259219). Role: PI.
- 2012 - 2015. CARBONET. Carbon transport and use through river networks: the relevance of global change. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2011-30474-C02-01). Role: Researcher.
- 2010 - 2014. SCARCE. Assessing and predicting effects on water quantity and quality in Iberian rivers caused by global change. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065). Role: work-package leader.
- 2014 - 2018. GLOBAQUA. Water resources management under complex, multi-stressor conditions. Collaborative project within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (ENV.2013.6.2-1). Role: work-package leader.

Key publications
- Acuña V., Datry T., Marshall J., Barceló D., Dahm C.N., Ginebreda A., McGregor G., Sabater S., Tockner K., Palmer M.A. 2014. Why should we care about temporary waterways? Science 343: 1080-1081.
Summary - Reprint - Full text

- Boithias L., Acuña V., Vergoñós L., Ziv G., Marcé R., Sabater S. 2014. Assessment of the water supply:demand ratios in a Mediterranean basin under different global change scenarios and mitigation alternatives. Science of the Total Environment 470–471: 567–577.

- Acuña V., Giorgi A., Muñoz I., Omella M., Sabater F. and Sabater S. 2005. Drought and post-drought recovery cycles in an intermittent Mediterranean stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 24: 919-933.

- Acuña V., Wolf A., Uehlinger U. and Tockner K. 2008. Temperature dependence of respiration in a river network under global warming. Freshwater Biology 53:2076-2088.

- Acuña V. and Tockner K. 2010. The effects of temperature and flow regime alterations on organic carbon dynamics in a Mediterranean river network. Global Change Biology 16: 2638-2650.

- Tonolla D., Acuña V., Uehlinger U., Frank T. and Tockner K. 2010. Thermal heterogeneity in river floodplains. Ecosystems 13: 727-740.

- Acuña V., Giorgi A., Muñoz I., Uehlinger U. and Sabater S. 2004. Flow extremes and benthic organic matter shape the metabolism of a headwater intermittent stream. Freshwater Biology 49: 960-971.

- Timoner X., Acuña V., vonSchiller D., Sabater S. 2012. Functional responses of stream biofilms to flow cessation, desiccation and rewetting. Freshwater Biology 57: 1565–1578.

- Corominas Ll., Acuña V., Ginebreda A., Poch M. 2013. Integration of freshwater environmental policies and wastewater treatment plant management. Science of the Total Environment 445–446: 185–191.

- Acuña V., Díez J.R., Flores L., Meleason M., Elosegi A. 2013. Does it make economic sense to restore rivers for their ecosystem services? Journal of Applied Ecology 50: 988–997.

- Terrado M., Acuña V., Ennaanay D., Tallis H., Sabater S. 2014. Impact of climate extremes on hydrological ecosystem services in a heavily humanized Mediterranean basin. Ecological Indicators 37: 199-209.

Thesis. Completed + Ongoing.
- Ongoing. Xisca Timoner. University of Girona. 2009 - 2014.
- Ongoing. Ibon Aristi. University of the Basque Country. 2010 - 2015.

Honours/Awards
- Associate Editor at Aquatic Sciences. 2010 - 2014.