The role of water chemistry in the distribution of Austropotamobius pallipes (Crustacea Decapoda Astacidae) in Piedmont (Italy)

Over the last decades, the populations of Austropotamobius pallipes have decreased markedly all over Europe. If we evaluate the ecological factors that determine its presence, we will have information that could guide conservation decisions. This study aims to investigate the chemical-physical demands of A. pallipes in NW Italy. To this end, we investigated 98 sites. We performed Principal Component Analysis using chemical-physical parameters, collected in both presence and absence sites. We then used principal components with eigenvalue > 1 to run Discriminant Function Analysis and Logistic Regression. The statistics on the concentration of Ca2+, water hardness, pH and BOD5 were significantly different in the presence and in the absence sites. pH and BOD5 played the most important role in separating the presence from the absence locations. These findings are further evidence that we should reduce dissolved organic matter and fine particles in order to contribute to species management and conservation.