Esta tese identificou vários aspectos importantes da estrutura trófica e dinâmica de nutrientes em ecossistemas aquáticos sujeitos a perturbações externas, tais como mudanças no nível da água, aumento de carga de nutrientes e matéria orgânica, biomanipulação e clima. Para descrever tais efeitos sobre a estrutura trófica, um complexo modelo ecológico, com base em processos físicos, químicos e biológicos, foi desenvolvido e aplicado em ecossistemas aquáticos tropicais, subtropicais e temperados. Em tais aplicações, uma análise integrada foi empregada considerando a transferência de impactos da bacia para o ecossistema, com a finalidade de entender a real dinâmica dos ecossistemas aquáticos. As simulações revelaram importantes aspectos sobre a estrutura e funcionalidade dos ecossistemas frente as pertubações. Por exemplo, a lagoa Mangueira, um lago raso subtropical no sul do Brasil, pode oscilar entre dois estados alternativos estáveis (alta e baixa transparência da água), dependendo da concentração de ortofosfato e da túrbidez. Foi sugerido também que podem ocorrer profundas alterações na composição do fitoplâncton com a aumento sistemático da concentração de ortofosfato. Foram constatados significativos gradientes horizontais e verticais na estrutura trófica da lagoa Mangueira, indicando a importância de considerar a heterogeneidade espacial em grandes lagos para melhorar a compreensão dos processos ecológicos e padrões. Cenários críticos de simulação indicaram que o aumento da carga de nutrientes afeta negativamente a transparência da água, diferentemente do efeito de mudanças climáticas. Pequenas alterações na estrutura trófica causadas por esses fatores indicam uma forte resistência da lagoa Mangueira. O modelo ecológico também foi útil para descrever a dinâmica do ecossistema, antes e depois da biomanipulação do lago Engelsholm localizado na Dinamarca. Nesse caso, o modelo conseguiu razoavelmente prever a mudança para um estado de alta transparência da após a biomanipulação, entretanto a mudança na composição do fitoplâncton foi muito mais difícil de representar. Além disso, aplicações mais simples também auxiliaram o processo de tomada de decisão e planejamento. A modelagem ecológica aplicada em ecossistemas aquáticos mostrou ser uma alternativa promissora para a gestão integrada dos recursos naturais. / This thesis identified several important features of the trophic structure and dynamics of nutrients in ecosystems subjected to external disturbances such as changes in the water level, nutrient and organic matter loading, fish communities and climate. To describe such effects on trophic structure, a complex ecological model, based on physical, chemical and biological processes has been developed and applied in tropical, subtropical and temperate aquatic ecosystems. In such applications, an integrated analysis was employed considering the transfer of impacts from the watershed to the ecosystem, in order to bring closer the understading of the ecosystem dynamics. Simulations revealed important features about system structure and functionality in front of disturbances. For instance, lake Mangueira a subtropical lake in Southern Brazil can oscilate between two alternative steady stables (clear or turbid water), depending orthophosphate concentration and water transparency. It was also suggested that can occurs profound changes in phytoplankton composition from increase of orthophosphate concentration. Horizontal and vertical gradients in the trophic structure are notable in lake Mangueira, indicating the importance to consider spatial heterogeneity in large lakes to improve understanding of ecological processes and patterns. Simulation scenarios indicated that increased nutrient loading negatively affects water transparency, differently from climate changes. Slight changes in trophic structure caused by those factors indicate a strong resistence of the lake Mangueira. The ecological model also was useful to describe the ecosystem dynamics before and after biomanipulation of lake Engelsholm located in Denmark. In that case, the model could reasonably well predict a shift to a clear water state, but the changed composition of phytoplankton functional groups was much more hard to represent. Furthermore, simpler applications also provided support for decision making and planning in the ecosystem. Ecological modeling applied in aquatic ecosystems showed be a promising alternative towards the integrated management of natural resources.

Among tools that are used to fill knowledge gaps on natural systems, ecological modelling has been widely applied during the last two decades. Ecological models are simple representations of a complex reality. They allow to highlight environmental drivers of species ecological niche and better understand species responses to environmental changes. However, applying models to Southern Ocean benthic organisms raises several methodological challenges. Species presence datasets are often aggregated in time and space nearby research stations or along main sailing routes. Data are often limited in number to correctly describe species occupied space and physiology. Finally, environmental datasets are not precise enough to accurately represent the complexity of marine habitats. Can we thus generate performant and accurate models at the scale of the Southern Ocean ?What are the limits of such approaches ?How could we improve methods to build more relevant models ?In this PhD thesis, three different model categories have been studied and their performance evaluated. (1) Mechanistic physiological models (Dynamic Energy Budget models, DEB) simulate how the abiotic environment influences individual metabolism and represent the species fundamental niche. (2) Species distribution models (SDMs) predict species distribution probability by studying the relationship between species presences and the environment. They represent the species realised niche. (3) Dispersal lagrangian models predict the drift of propagules in water masses. Results show that physiological models can be developed for marine Southern Ocean species to simulate the metabolic variations in link with the environment and predict population dynamics. However, more data are necessary to highlight detailed physiological contrasts between populations and to accurately evaluate models. Results obtained for SDMs suggest that models generated at the scale of the Southern Ocean and future simulations are not relevant, given the lack of data available to characterise species occupied space, the lack of precision and accuracy of future climate scenarios and the impossibility to evaluate models. Moreover, model extrapolate on a large proportion of the projected area. Adding information on species physiological limits (observations, results from experiments, physiological model outputs) was shown to reduce extrapolation and to improve the capacity of models to estimate the species realised niche. Spatial aggregation of occurrence data, which influenced model predictions and evaluation was also succefully corrected. Finally, dispersal models showed an interesting potential to highlight the role of geographic barriers or conversely of spatial connectivity and also the link between species distribution, physiology and phylogeny history. This PhD thesis provides several methodological advice, annoted codes and tutorials to help implement future modelling works applied to Southern Ocean marine species. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Empirical studies on severely fragmented regions suggest that decades after fragmentation, forest edges located near human-modified areas exhibit the structure of early successional states, with lower biomass per area and higher mortality compared to non-edge areas. These habitat changes (edge effects) can also have a considerable impact on ecosystem processes such as carbon and water balance, which in turn have a major impact on human activities. Also, the disruption of ecological interactions caused by the loss of animals (defaunation) has the potential of impacting human influenced fragmented landscapes much deeper than only through the microclimate-induced increased tree mortality caused by edge effects. Since large animals are most vulnerable in these landscapes, large tree seeds which are dispersed by them become more vulnerable to pre-dispersal seed predation, reducing tree recruitment in latter stages. Also, the loss large animals which predate on smaller animals can cause relaxation of top-down controls of this small seed-eating animal group, further impacting tree recruitment. Even though detailed and long term studies were developed on the topic of edge effects at local scale, understanding edge effect characteristics in fragmented forests on larger scales and finding indicators for its impact is crucial for predicting habitat loss and developing management options. Using field data from a long-term fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Northeastern Atlantic Forest, and the Forest Model FORMIND, we were able to visualize the time scale in which edge effects influence tropical forests by performing 500-year simulations. We observed changes in community composition, aboveground biomass, total evapotranspiration and total runoff, and evaluate the consequences of defaunation on biomass retention of a Brazilian Northeastern Atlantic Forest tree community by varying pre- and post-dispersal seed predation pressures in fragmented and intact scenarios. Finally, we evaluate the spatial and temporal dimensions of edge effects in large areas using remote sensing by using tree cover as an indicator of habitat quality and in relation to edge distance. FORMIND simulations show forest biomass degradation lasting around 100 years. If edge effects cease, recovery of biomass lasts around 150 years. Carbon loss is especially intense during the first five years after fragmentation, resulting in a decline of over 5 Mg C ha−1 y−1. Finally, edges of large fragments face an evapotranspiration loss of 43% and total runoff gains of 57% in relation to core areas of large fragments. The effects of large seed loss are only notable after 80% seed reduction or 10 times higher predation rates, but can cause the extirpation of this species group and up to 29% less biomass retention for the area. Our remote sensing results show that for all 11 LANDSAT scenes pixel neighborhood variation of tree cover is much higher in the vicinity of forest edges in relation to forest interior. Our studies suggest that fragmented landscapes can be of significantly lower value in terms of ecosystem services, and that defaunation has the potential to reduce biomass retention and species richness through dispersal collapse. Satellite based estimations of tree cover at edges suggest a maximum distance for edge effects and can indicate the location of unaffected core areas. However, tree cover patterns in relation to fragment edge distance vary according to the analyzed region, and maximum edge distance may differ according to local conditions.

Apple orchards as social-ecological systems provide high value crops and habitat for a variety of species. Yields are influenced by pest control and pollination services, and profit-oriented management often motivates the use of inputs, e.g., pesticides, to complement or replace these services. This can cause undesirable side-effects on the agroecosystem. Previous research insufficiently considers the interplay of social, including economic, and ecological aspects of orchard management. I present an economic-ecological model integrating ecosystem services from natural enemies of pests and wild pollinators, and the anthropogenic inputs pesticides and honeybees. The value of ecosystem services is approached by service provisioning of resilient systems granted through the availability of habitat for service providing organisms instead of assessing the contribution of individual species. The model identifies profit-maximising combinations of anthropogenic inputs and land for habitat. Adding a social perspective, the findings of the model are complemented with survey data on perceptions and economic preferences of apple growers in Skåne, southernmost Sweden. The study suggests that initial densities of pest natural enemies and wild pollinators create a path-dependency determining profit-maximising strategies. Over time, either high- or low-input management is economically rational, and switching strategies requires time and foregoing profits. The threshold, determining the optimal trajectory towards high- or low-input management, is influenced by prices for pesticides, land and honeybees, pesticide toxicities for pest vs. non-target organisms, beneficial effects of habitat, and the effectivity of honeybees substituting wild pollinators. Individual perceptions, e.g., on the substitutability of wild pollinators, as well as risk and time preferences play a vital role in decision-making of the apple growers. Future research should continue exploring the economic importance of resilience in perennial crops as well as social and economic drivers of integrated pest and pollination management.

Changing environmental conditions often impose stressful growing conditions in plant communities. Until now, morphological plasticity, i.e. polymorphic growth physiognomies of plants, has not been sufficiently studied as a pivotal strategy for the whole ecosystem adaptation to environmental stress. We consider mangrove ecosystems as suitable models to provide insights on this subject. In the thesis, I investigate the ecological significance of tree morphological plasticity in the structural development and the dynamics of mangrove forests. I conducted field experiments in two regions located on both sides of the Amazon River mouths i.e. in French Guiana and North Brazil. Forest inventories were carried out in contrasting mangrove stands in both regions. The thesis combines empirical analysis of field data, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and mechanistic, individual-based computer simulations. We published results that proved the TLS-based analysis of individual tree structure useful for a better knowledge on biomass allocation between trunk and branches in tall and large Avicennia germinans mangrove trees reaching 45 m high and 125 cm of trunk diameter. Combining structural descriptions of A. germinans trees found in both sites, I highlighted the site-specific differences in tree allometries. The study suggests that regional differences in mangrove tree structure and function could be captured through better description of crown metrics, and that selected indicators of local morphological plasticity and consequent stand structure could generate a plus-value in the understanding of mangrove stand dynamics across contrasting coastal environments. Beyond the extension of allometric models to large Avicennia trees, we proposed new biomass equations with improved predictive power when crown metrics is taken into account. Additionally, we developed a novel software tool, named Lollymangrove, based on the AMAPStudio suite of software, with the objective of maximizing the potential of further field descriptions and modeling works. Lollymangrove allows standardized forest data capture, 3D visualization of structural data, aboveground biomass computations from a configurable module and export formats for forest dynamics and remote sensing models. Simulation experiments were conducted by means of the spatially explicit, individual-based stand model BETTINA_IBM. This model describes the important mechanism of water uptake limited by salt stress, and revealed insights into the relation between environmental conditions, allometric variations and biomass partitioning of mangrove trees, and stand characteristics. The simulation results suggest close matches with observed ecological patterns (e.g., tree allometries, mortality distributions, and self-thinning trajectories) under higher salinity. In low salinity conditions, however, the current parameterization underestimates the maximum tree height and diameter, and consequently, aboveground biomass and self-thinning trajectories of forest stands. This suggests that the morphology of trees under low levels of salinity are explained by further regulation mechanism(s) that still need to be addressed in a subsequent model improvement. Overall, this work has essentially pointed out the need to elucidate how morphological plasticity relates with structural development of forest stands. It establishes that TLS measurements and structural data analysis associated to efforts for integrative software and mechanistic modelling works could link mangrove dynamics to fast-changing coastal processes.

Picophytoplanktonic cells (0.2-2 μm) are the dominant phytoplankters in the largest marine biomes on Earth: the subtropical gyres. The overaching aim of this thesis is to develop algorithms that use remote-sensing observables to map the distribution of the smallest and most abundant member of picophytoplankton, Prochlorococcus, and assess its contribution to the marine carbon cycle. To understand how the photoacclimatory status and growth of Prochlorococcus and its sister genera Synechococcus are influenced by light and nutrients, experiments were conducted in the South Atlantic Gyre (SAG). Results from the manipulation experiments show that, in the central region of the SAG, nutrient addition can induce marked changes in the optical properties of Prochlorococcus cells when subjected to saturating light levels, leading to a decrease in cell abundance, whereas at the gyre periphery no substantive changes in cell growth or optical characteristics were observed. Since light plays a central role in shaping the distribution of cyanobacteria, an empirical algorithm based on relationships between Prochlorococcus abundance and remotely-sensed observables was developed. The outputs were then used in a modified primary production model to predict the vertical distribution of carbon fixation by Prochlorococcus. The models estimate that ∼ 3.4 x 10²⁷ Prochlorococcus cells in the global ocean fix 4.7 Gt C year^-1. Most of the cell biomass and primary productivity is concentrated in the subtropical gyres and areas near the Equatorial Convergence, and 61% of the carbon fixation occurs in the upper water column (0-45 metres), where only 43% of the cells reside. However, in the gyres, carbon fixation is highest (62%) in deeper layers (45-200m), and both cell abundance and carbon fixation show marked seasonal patterns. The models developed in this study provide an unprecedented view of the vertical distribution of Prochlorococcus cells and their corresponding rates of carbon fixation in the global ocean.

Este trabalho parte da hipótese que a hidrodinâmica influencia o metabolismo de um lago. Para testar esta hipótese, este estudo utilizou uma estratégia numérica baseada em processos para avaliar o efeito da hidrodinâmica (governada pelo vento) sobre as estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) considerando a heterogeneidade espacial da lagoa Mangueira, um grande lago raso subtropical na costa sul do Brasil. O efeito da hidrodinâmica dominada pelo vento no metabolismo foi avaliado pela mudança da série de vento original (direção e intensidade), totalizando cinco novos cenários de vento. A avaliação espacial foi desenvolvida em quatro áreas (Norte, Centro, Sul e a lagoa como um todo) e em zonas biológicas (zona limnética e zona litorânea). Os resultados indicaram que há diferenças nas estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) entre as regiões da lagoa Mangueira considerando a situação com a série de vento original. Em geral, a diferença média nas estimativas de metabolismo entre a região Norte e a região Sul foi de 3,81 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para o GPP, 3,32 mgO2/m³/dia para R (p-value<0,05) e 0,49 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para NEP. A diferença entre a zona litorânea e a zona limnética na lagoa Mangueira como um todo foi de 10,1 mgO2/m³/dia para GPP, para R foi de 1,3 mgO2/m³/dia e para NEP foi de 8,8 mgO2/m³/dia. O metabolismo geral da lagoa também apresentou variações sazonais, alternando entre períodos autotróficos (NEP>0, em 41,0 % do tempo) e períodos heterotróficos (NEP<0, em 59,0 % do tempo). As estimativas de metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira e nas regiões delimitadas se mostraram sensíveis a alterações no vento. Cada área delimitada apresentou resposta diferente às alterações nas séries de vento. Os cenários de vento testados mostram que a hidrodinâmica causa diferenças significativas no metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira. O balanço de oxigênio neste ecossistema foi influenciado pela taxa de reaeração, pela produção primária e pela respiração do fitoplâncton. Os outros processos considerados no balanço de oxigênio não demonstraram contribuições importantes para o metabolismo geral do ecossistema. / The hypothesis of this work is that hydrodynamics can alter the lake metabolism. To evaluate this hypothesis this study used a process-based strategy for evaluating the effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics on estimates of lake metabolism (GPP, R, and NEP) considering the spatial heterogeneity in Lake Mangueira, a subtropical grate lake in southern coast of Brazil. The effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics over the lake metabolism was evaluated by changes in the original wind series (direction and intensity), totalizing five new sets of wind scenarios. The spatial evaluation was carried in four different areas (North, Center, South, and the lake as a whole) and in two different biological zones (littoral zone and limnetic zone). Our findings indicate that there are differences on estimates of lake metabolism between the four areas taking into account the original wind time series. In general, the differences on lake metabolism estimates between the Norte region and the South region was 3.81 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for GPP, 3.32 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for R, and 0.49 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for NEP. The difference between the littoral zone and the limnetic zone in the Lake Mangueira as a whole was 10.1 mgO2/m³/day for GPP, 1.3 mgO2/m³/day for R, and 8.8 mgO2/m³/day for NEP. The overall lake metabolism also presented seasonal variations, alternating among autotrophic periods (NEP>0, 41.0% of the time), and heterotrophic periods (NEP<0, 59.0% of the time). Estimates of lake metabolism in Lake Mangueira as a whole were sensitive to changes in the wind time series. Each area showed different response to the changes in wind time series. The tested sets of wind scenarios showed that wind-driven hydrodynamics can significantly alter the Lake Mangueira metabolism estimates. The overall oxygen balance in this system was mostly influenced by reaeration, and by the primary production and respiration of phytoplankton. The other processes considered in the oxygen balance showed no significant contributions to the overall metabolism of the ecosystem.

Este trabalho parte da hipótese que a hidrodinâmica influencia o metabolismo de um lago. Para testar esta hipótese, este estudo utilizou uma estratégia numérica baseada em processos para avaliar o efeito da hidrodinâmica (governada pelo vento) sobre as estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) considerando a heterogeneidade espacial da lagoa Mangueira, um grande lago raso subtropical na costa sul do Brasil. O efeito da hidrodinâmica dominada pelo vento no metabolismo foi avaliado pela mudança da série de vento original (direção e intensidade), totalizando cinco novos cenários de vento. A avaliação espacial foi desenvolvida em quatro áreas (Norte, Centro, Sul e a lagoa como um todo) e em zonas biológicas (zona limnética e zona litorânea). Os resultados indicaram que há diferenças nas estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) entre as regiões da lagoa Mangueira considerando a situação com a série de vento original. Em geral, a diferença média nas estimativas de metabolismo entre a região Norte e a região Sul foi de 3,81 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para o GPP, 3,32 mgO2/m³/dia para R (p-value<0,05) e 0,49 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para NEP. A diferença entre a zona litorânea e a zona limnética na lagoa Mangueira como um todo foi de 10,1 mgO2/m³/dia para GPP, para R foi de 1,3 mgO2/m³/dia e para NEP foi de 8,8 mgO2/m³/dia. O metabolismo geral da lagoa também apresentou variações sazonais, alternando entre períodos autotróficos (NEP>0, em 41,0 % do tempo) e períodos heterotróficos (NEP<0, em 59,0 % do tempo). As estimativas de metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira e nas regiões delimitadas se mostraram sensíveis a alterações no vento. Cada área delimitada apresentou resposta diferente às alterações nas séries de vento. Os cenários de vento testados mostram que a hidrodinâmica causa diferenças significativas no metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira. O balanço de oxigênio neste ecossistema foi influenciado pela taxa de reaeração, pela produção primária e pela respiração do fitoplâncton. Os outros processos considerados no balanço de oxigênio não demonstraram contribuições importantes para o metabolismo geral do ecossistema. / The hypothesis of this work is that hydrodynamics can alter the lake metabolism. To evaluate this hypothesis this study used a process-based strategy for evaluating the effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics on estimates of lake metabolism (GPP, R, and NEP) considering the spatial heterogeneity in Lake Mangueira, a subtropical grate lake in southern coast of Brazil. The effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics over the lake metabolism was evaluated by changes in the original wind series (direction and intensity), totalizing five new sets of wind scenarios. The spatial evaluation was carried in four different areas (North, Center, South, and the lake as a whole) and in two different biological zones (littoral zone and limnetic zone). Our findings indicate that there are differences on estimates of lake metabolism between the four areas taking into account the original wind time series. In general, the differences on lake metabolism estimates between the Norte region and the South region was 3.81 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for GPP, 3.32 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for R, and 0.49 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for NEP. The difference between the littoral zone and the limnetic zone in the Lake Mangueira as a whole was 10.1 mgO2/m³/day for GPP, 1.3 mgO2/m³/day for R, and 8.8 mgO2/m³/day for NEP. The overall lake metabolism also presented seasonal variations, alternating among autotrophic periods (NEP>0, 41.0% of the time), and heterotrophic periods (NEP<0, 59.0% of the time). Estimates of lake metabolism in Lake Mangueira as a whole were sensitive to changes in the wind time series. Each area showed different response to the changes in wind time series. The tested sets of wind scenarios showed that wind-driven hydrodynamics can significantly alter the Lake Mangueira metabolism estimates. The overall oxygen balance in this system was mostly influenced by reaeration, and by the primary production and respiration of phytoplankton. The other processes considered in the oxygen balance showed no significant contributions to the overall metabolism of the ecosystem.

Este trabalho parte da hipótese que a hidrodinâmica influencia o metabolismo de um lago. Para testar esta hipótese, este estudo utilizou uma estratégia numérica baseada em processos para avaliar o efeito da hidrodinâmica (governada pelo vento) sobre as estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) considerando a heterogeneidade espacial da lagoa Mangueira, um grande lago raso subtropical na costa sul do Brasil. O efeito da hidrodinâmica dominada pelo vento no metabolismo foi avaliado pela mudança da série de vento original (direção e intensidade), totalizando cinco novos cenários de vento. A avaliação espacial foi desenvolvida em quatro áreas (Norte, Centro, Sul e a lagoa como um todo) e em zonas biológicas (zona limnética e zona litorânea). Os resultados indicaram que há diferenças nas estimativas de metabolismo (GPP, NEP e R) entre as regiões da lagoa Mangueira considerando a situação com a série de vento original. Em geral, a diferença média nas estimativas de metabolismo entre a região Norte e a região Sul foi de 3,81 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para o GPP, 3,32 mgO2/m³/dia para R (p-value<0,05) e 0,49 mgO2/m³/dia (p-value<0,05) para NEP. A diferença entre a zona litorânea e a zona limnética na lagoa Mangueira como um todo foi de 10,1 mgO2/m³/dia para GPP, para R foi de 1,3 mgO2/m³/dia e para NEP foi de 8,8 mgO2/m³/dia. O metabolismo geral da lagoa também apresentou variações sazonais, alternando entre períodos autotróficos (NEP>0, em 41,0 % do tempo) e períodos heterotróficos (NEP<0, em 59,0 % do tempo). As estimativas de metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira e nas regiões delimitadas se mostraram sensíveis a alterações no vento. Cada área delimitada apresentou resposta diferente às alterações nas séries de vento. Os cenários de vento testados mostram que a hidrodinâmica causa diferenças significativas no metabolismo da Lagoa Mangueira. O balanço de oxigênio neste ecossistema foi influenciado pela taxa de reaeração, pela produção primária e pela respiração do fitoplâncton. Os outros processos considerados no balanço de oxigênio não demonstraram contribuições importantes para o metabolismo geral do ecossistema. / The hypothesis of this work is that hydrodynamics can alter the lake metabolism. To evaluate this hypothesis this study used a process-based strategy for evaluating the effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics on estimates of lake metabolism (GPP, R, and NEP) considering the spatial heterogeneity in Lake Mangueira, a subtropical grate lake in southern coast of Brazil. The effect of wind-driven hydrodynamics over the lake metabolism was evaluated by changes in the original wind series (direction and intensity), totalizing five new sets of wind scenarios. The spatial evaluation was carried in four different areas (North, Center, South, and the lake as a whole) and in two different biological zones (littoral zone and limnetic zone). Our findings indicate that there are differences on estimates of lake metabolism between the four areas taking into account the original wind time series. In general, the differences on lake metabolism estimates between the Norte region and the South region was 3.81 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for GPP, 3.32 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for R, and 0.49 mgO2/m³/day (p-value<0,05) for NEP. The difference between the littoral zone and the limnetic zone in the Lake Mangueira as a whole was 10.1 mgO2/m³/day for GPP, 1.3 mgO2/m³/day for R, and 8.8 mgO2/m³/day for NEP. The overall lake metabolism also presented seasonal variations, alternating among autotrophic periods (NEP>0, 41.0% of the time), and heterotrophic periods (NEP<0, 59.0% of the time). Estimates of lake metabolism in Lake Mangueira as a whole were sensitive to changes in the wind time series. Each area showed different response to the changes in wind time series. The tested sets of wind scenarios showed that wind-driven hydrodynamics can significantly alter the Lake Mangueira metabolism estimates. The overall oxygen balance in this system was mostly influenced by reaeration, and by the primary production and respiration of phytoplankton. The other processes considered in the oxygen balance showed no significant contributions to the overall metabolism of the ecosystem.

As Unidades de Conservação (UCs) foram criadas para proteger e manter os remanescentes de ecossistemas naturais a fim de reduzir a perda da biodiversidade e garantir sua manutenção em longo prazo. Atualmente, muitas UCs se encontram na forma de pequenos fragmentos isolados e sob forte pressão antrópica, exigindo um manejo na forma de uma rede de fragmentos, visando reduzir as pressões das atividades do entorno. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo gerar subsídios para a criação de uma zona de amortecimento (ZA) comum para o Parque Estadual de Vassununga e para a Estação Ecológica de Jataí, visando reduzir as pressões antrópicas sobre as UCs e facilitar o fluxo biológico entre os fragmentos. Foi realizado o mapeamento da paisagem para identificar as principais formas de uso, as fontes de impactos ambientais e verificar o cumprimento da legislação de áreas de preservação permanente. Foram utilizadas métricas de paisagens para analisar a configuração espacial dos remanescentes de vegetação arbórea e selecionar fragmentos importantes para a facilitação do fluxo biológico. Foram utilizados modelos de previsão de riqueza e probabilidade de ocorrência de espécies-alvo de aves para selecionar áreas potencialmente importantes para a manutenção da biodiversidade. A paisagem da área de estudo apresenta menos de 30% de remanescentes de vegetação natural, distribuídos em pequenos fragmentos, imersos em uma matriz de cana-de-açúcar e eucalipto. O desrespeito à legislação e numerosas fontes de impacto ambiental contribuem para aumentar a pressão sobre os recursos naturais. O incremento da conectividade dos fragmentos, principalmente com a restauração das florestas ribeirinhas mostrou ser uma estratégia importante para restabelecer a conectividade funcional entre as UCs e entre os remanescentes da paisagem. Na região existem fragmentos com potencial para facilitar os fluxos biológicos, atuando como uma rede de fragmentos, e auxiliar na manutenção da biodiversidade. Porém, grande parte deles está localizada no interior de propriedades particulares, exigindo esforços para conscientização dos proprietários para proteção e incremento da conectividade destes fragmentos. / Natural reserves have been created to protect and maintain natural ecosystems remnants in order to reduce biodiversity loss and to ensure their maintenance in the long run. Nowadays, most of these reserves are small and isolated fragments under anthropogenic pressure. Such small remnants must be managed and protected as a fragment network to reduce the human pressure and to promote biological fluxes among fragments. This study aimed at producing information to help on the process of designing a common buffer zone for three public natural reserves: Vassununga State Park, Jataí Ecological Station and Luís Antônio Experimental Station. An up to date land cover/land use map was generated to identify the main activities and sources of anthropogenic impacts in the study area, their possible consequences to the environment, and also if and how much the environmental legislation is being followed. To select the most important natural fragments which could facilitate biological fluxes and maintain the regional biodiversity, two approaches were used: analysis of the spatial arrangement of the fragments in the landscape applying landscape metrics, and the use of models to predict bird species richness and occurrence. The studied area presently has less than 30% of remnant natural vegetation, spread as small fragments in a sugar cane and eucalyptus matrix. Environmental legislation is not being obeyed and, together with several sources of impact, produce negative pressures on the natural resources. The restoration of riparian forests would be a good strategy to reestablish the landscape functional connectivity. Fragments able to facilitate biological fluxes and to maintain biological diversity still exist in the region, but a great deal of them are located in private properties. Therefore, efforts to warn and educate the owners are needed to increase the landscape connectivity and to conserve the regional biodiversity.