Emergent macrophytes are an integral part of prairie marshes and involved in many of the services that make these ecosystems valuable. Water depth and hydroperiod are two environmental variables that can influence the growth and nutrient content of emergent macrophytes. This study looked at the growth and nutrient content response of hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca) to water depth and hydroperiod in two prairie marshes in southern Manitoba, Canada. Above- and belowground samples of hybrid cattails were collected along a water depth gradient at Oak Hammock Marsh, Canada, and analyzed for biomass, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen content, shoot height, and density. A second dataset was obtained from the Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP) experiment, and used to determine the biomass and nutrient content response of the hybrid cattail following one or two years of drawdown. / October 2015

Submitted by Fabricia Fialho Reginato (fabriciar) on 2015-08-28T00:06:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 RegianeWusth.pdf: 725429 bytes, checksum: e20257e94144c76e5a69704462ec15a8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-28T00:06:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RegianeWusth.pdf: 725429 bytes, checksum: e20257e94144c76e5a69704462ec15a8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Nenhuma / As áreas úmidas estão entre os ecossistemas que mais contribuem para a diversidade biológica. Por outro lado, também são considerados os ecossistemas mais ameaçados pela ação humana. As áreas úmidas intermitentes são definidas pelo seu hidroperíodo, caracterizado pelo número de meses em que esses ecossistemas apresentam água superficial durante um ano. O hidroperíodo é um fator importante que influencia as comunidades de invertebrados em áreas úmidas, afetando diretamente as espécies que necessitam completar parte ou todo o seu ciclo de vida na água. Em áreas úmidas intermitentes, espécies de invertebrados aquáticos produzem propágulos dormentes capazes de resistir à dessecação, constituindo uma reserva ecológica e evolutiva fundamental em resposta às condições adversas relacionadas às flutuações no regime hidrológico e de outros fatores ambientais. O objetivo geral desse estudo foi analisar a emergência de invertebrados aquáticos via bancos de propágulos dormentes em sedimentos secos de áreas úmidas intermitentes de altitude no Sul do Brasil, relacionando as respostas da comunidade com diferentes hidroperíodos. Os objetivos específicos foram: 1) Comparar a riqueza, a abundância e a composição de invertebrados aquáticos emergentes de propágulos dormentes entre áreas úmidas que apresentam diferentes hidroperíodos, e 2) Identificar táxons de invertebrados aquáticos emergentes de propágulos dormentes que possam ser utilizados como indicadores de diferentes hidroperíodos de áreas úmidas de altitude no Sul do Brasil. Foram realizadas coletas de sedimento seco em nove áreas úmidas distribuídas em três tratamentos de hidroperíodo (curto, médio e longo) localizadas nos Campos de Cima da Serra do Sul do Brasil, dentro do bioma Mata Atlântica. Em laboratório, o sedimento seco foi hidratado com água destilada e mantido sob temperatura e fotoperíodo controlados. Os invertebrados foram amostrados no dia posterior à hidratação, e semanalmente durante 10 semanas. Um total de 19.868 indivíduos distribuídos em 11 táxons foi encontrado ao longo do experimento. A riqueza, a abundância e a composição de invertebrados aquáticos não variaram entre os diferentes hidroperíodos. Entretanto, Karualona muelleri foi mais abundante nas áreas úmidas com hidroperíodos curto e médio e Kurzia polyspina foi mais abundante nas áreas úmidas com hidroperíodo longo. Os tardígrados foram abundantes em áreas com hidroperíodo médio. Nosso estudo demonstrou que as áreas úmidas de altitude estudadas podem ser facilmente recolonizadas após um período de seca e que as comunidades dormentes de invertebrados aquáticos são fundamentais no processo de sucessão ecológica nesses importantes ecossistemas do Sul do Brasil. / The wetlands are among the ecosystems that contribute the most to biological diversity. On the other hand, are also considered the most threatened ecosystems by human action. The intermittent wetlands are defined by its hydroperiod, characterized by the number of months in which those present surface water during a year. The hydroperiod is an important factor to invertebrate communities in wetland systems, directly affecting the species that need to complete part or all of their life cycle in the water. In intermittent wetlands, species of aquatic invertebrates produce dormant propagules able to resist desiccation, constituting a fundamental evolutionary and ecological reserve in response to adverse conditions related to fluctuations in the hydrological regime and other environmental factors. The main objective of this study was to analyze the emergence of aquatic invertebrates via banks of dormant propagules in dry sediment of intermittent wetlands located in high altitudes in southern Brazil, relating the responses of the community with different hydroperiods. The specific objectives are: 1) Compare the richness, abundance and composition of drought-resistant aquatic invertebrates between wetlands that have different hydroperiods, and 2) Identify taxa of drought-resistant aquatic invertebrates which may be used as indicators of different hydroperiods in wetlands in southern Brazil. Sediment samplings were carried out in nine intermittent wetlands distributed in three treatments of hydroperiod (short, medium and long) located in southern Brazil, within the Atlantic forest biome. In the laboratory, the dry sediment was hydrated with distilled water and kept under controlled temperature and photoperiod. The invertebrates were sampled on the first day after hydration, and weekly for 10 weeks. A total of 19,868 individuals distributed in 11 taxa were found throughout the experiment. The richness, abundance and composition of aquatic invertebrates did not vary between the different hydroperiods. However, Karualona muelleri was more abundant in wetlands with short and medium hydroperiods and Kurzia polyspina, on the other hand, was most abundant in wetlands with long hydroperiod. The tardigrades were abundant in wetlands with medium hydroperiod. Our study showed that the studied wetlands can be easily recolonized after a dry period and that the drought-resistant aquatic invertebrate communities play a critical role in the ecological succession in southern Brazil wetlands.

The increasing demand for and limited supply of fresh water necessitates an understanding of how human actions affect aquatic ecosystems. Anthropogenic impacts to these ecosystems occur in many forms including eutrophication, invasive species removals, and hydrologic alterations. Ground water extraction is one such action that can dramatically impact wetland hydrology and is increasing in occurrence globally as clean surface water resources are exhausted. Despite the importance of ground water extraction to meet human demand, little information is available concerning the response of vegetation communities to chronic ground water extraction. Over extraction is known to result in reduced water levels and duration, resulting in a shift towards more upland tolerant species; however, detailed information concerning the response of the individual species comprising these communities and how wetlands shift along with pumping regime remains unavailable. The following dissertation combines historical hydrology and ground cover vegetation data with recent monitoring to describe how ground cover (herbaceous species) and canopy (tree species) vegetation respond to fluctuations in hydrology and ground water extraction. Ground cover communities were extremely diverse with a total of 103 species being sampled in the historical ground cover vegetation dataset. Juncus repens was the most widely distributed species and was observed in 36% of all samples. The 29 species most widely observed in the ground cover strata (height) displayed relatively narrow ranges of preferred water depth and duration with Amphicarpum muhlenbergianum being found in the driest areas and Pontederia cordata and Ludwigia repens the wettest. In general species found in shallower water depths also tended to be found in locations with shorter hydroperiods, although woody species tended to found in areas with relatively shallow water depths with extended hydroperiod. Ground cover vegetation is extremely useful as an indicator of recent hydrology, although the hydrologic preference of the species in the current study does not reflect the assumed ecology of the species utilized by Florida Administrative Code 62-340.450. Additional research to validate and improve the accuracy of this classification system is required. When ground water extraction volumes in well fields was significantly reduced, ground cover communities were responsive, as was indicated by Permanova results (Before After Control Impact). All ground cover at wetlands located within well fields became more indicative of wetter conditions while control wetlands responding only to climate and weather all became drier. In contrast, several well fields displayed reductions in water levels and hydroperiod following extraction reductions. The shift in ground cover community indicates that ground water extraction has not produced an alternative stable state and restoration of these ecosystems is possible through alterations in ground water extraction volumes alone. As ground water extraction volumes were increased, tree communities responded by displaying increased occurrance of non-Taxodium sp. trees, mortality of wetland tree species, and light availability. All wetlands remained dominated by mature Taxodium sp. regardless of the amount of ground water impact indicating that each wetland has not yet shifted into a new community type as a result of non-Taxodium tree encroachment; however, recruitment and mortality patterns of both Taxodium and non-Taxodium species indicate this may occur in the future. Changes in light availability at the wetland floor associated with tree species is likely providing an additional feedback mechanism on ground cover communities. Results from this dissertation indicate that vegetation communities are extremely responsive to changes in hydrology and have shown significant changes associated with ground water extraction. These changes may not be permanent; however, and alterations in extraction volumes and timing can provide changes in vegetation communities even after decades. Routine long term monitoring should be conducted, in addition to critical assessments of current extraction volumes, to assess the current status of vegetation ecosystems and allow for individuals to best manage aquatic resources for all uses.

Disturbance is a central factor shaping composition, structure, and dynamics of local communities. Drying is a disturbance that occurs in aquatic ecosystems globally and can strongly influence their communities. Although the effects of drying may depend on ecosystem connectivity and the dispersal abilities of resident species, there have been no comparisons of community responses to drying between lentic and lotic ecosystems across different climates. Here, we predicted that drying would have stronger effects on aquatic communities in isolated lentic ecosystems than in dendritic lotic ecosystems, owing to the higher hydrological connectivity of the latter, and that drying would have stronger effects on passive than on active dispersers, because of the potentially higher recolonizing ability of the latter. We tested these predictions by comparing alpha diversity, phylogenetic relatedness, and beta diversity for active and passive dispersers, in both ecosystem types across five climatic regions. Drying caused greater declines in alpha diversity in lentic than in lotic ecosystems. Communities that experienced drying were more similar to one another than those of perennial sites, and this pattern was especially pronounced in lentic ecosystems. In contrast, drying did not influence the contributions of turnover and richness gradients to beta diversity. Additionally, dispersal mode did not influence community responses to drying. Relatively weaker effects of drying in lotic compared to lentic systems were likely due to the hydrological connectivity among perennial and temporary river sites, which may facilitate dispersal of organisms to escape drying and recolonize rewetted sites. Collectively, our results suggest that habitat connectivity may ameliorate (and fragmentation may worsen) the impacts of drying disturbance. This is an important finding in light of increasing drying and concomitant aquatic habitat fragmentation under global change.

Metacommunity connectivity, i.e., multi-species dispersal events, is vital to metapopulation persistence in patchy landscapes. Assessments of metacommunity connectivity are not trivial. However, a relationship between trophic rank and the species-area relationship has been found in previous studies, allowing for the use of the predator species-area relationship to act as a surrogate measure of actual metacommunity connectivity of prey species in some systems. For this study, avian species were selected as they are generalist top predators within the study system. Predator species richness within geographically isolated freshwater marshes is influenced by a number of factors. I explore the relative roles of patch area, seasonality, hydroperiod, isolation, and vegetation structure on habitat use in the isolated freshwater marshes embedded within the dry prairie ecosystem of Central Florida. Predator species richness was surveyed in 50 sites for three seasons: fall 2005, winter 2005/06, and spring 2006 and the observed avian assemblage measures were subdivided into foraging guilds for analysis. Wading guild (e.g., egrets, herons, bitterns) species richness was correlated with hydroperiod and vegetation structural variables while perching guild (e.g., blackbirds, sparrows, meadowlarks) species richness was correlated with isolation, hydroperiod, and area annually. Overall predator and all guild species richness measures were also correlated with patch area for all seasons. These results suggest that while a complex mixture of patch area, hydroperiod and isolation influence habitat utilization that varies by season and at the community, guild and individual species level, the underlying predictors that define habitat use in wetlands annually includes hydroperiod, and is not exclusively patch area. Additionally, seasonal differences in predator species richness were found to be significant in some cases indicating that future avian population studies may benefit by sampling outside of the normally studied spring breeding season. Results of this study support the use of predator species richness as a suitable assay of metacommunity connectivity of prey species. Applications and implications of this approach toward future conservation efforts are discussed.

No description available.

En Afrique de l'Ouest, le moustique An. gambiae s.s vecteur majeur du paludisme est subdivisé en deux formes moléculaires, M et S, génétiquement et écologiquement différenciées. La forme moléculaire M se développe préférentiellement dans des collections d'eau pérennes en zone aride, généralement d'origine anthropique, permettant sa présence tout au long de l'année alors que la forme S se reproduit principalement dans des gîtes temporaires de savane humide dépendant des précipitations et disparaît en saison sèche. Cette subdivision génère des profils de dynamique de transmission palustre différents en fonction des zones où ces formes sont implantées. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse a pour objectif l'étude des facteurs écologiques de différenciation entre M et S, en se focalisant notamment sur leur écologie larvaire, afin de mieux appréhender leur distribution actuelle et future. L'étude de la distribution des populations naturelles de ces vecteurs dans une zone d'endémie palustre au Burkina Faso a permis de mettre en évidence que les niches écologiques de ces deux formes sont en étroite corrélation avec la temporalité des milieux aquatiques et la complexité des écosystèmes qu'ils hébergent. La forme M apparaît clairement liée aux habitats permanents anthropiques et à la structure des communautés qu'ils soutiennent alors que la forme S ainsi que l'espèce jumelle An. arabiensis sont associées aux habitats simples et temporaires, majoritairement retrouvés en zone rurale de savane.Cette distribution des deux formes le long d'un gradient d'hydropériode est en accord avec les interactions dominantes et les adaptations qu'elles induisent afin de pouvoir exploiter ces milieux. La forme S, associée aux milieux temporaires, s'est révélée plus compétitive que la forme M en diminuant son temps de développement larvaire en présence de compétiteurs (forme M). L'étude de la pression de sélection due à la prédation, interaction dominante dans les milieux permanents, démontre que la forme M est moins susceptible que la forme S. L'analyse du comportement larvaire a permis de mettre en évidence des différences entre ces deux formes, notamment l'existence d'un comportement plus plastique chez la forme M qui réduit son activité en présence d'un prédateur. Ce mécanisme est une des adaptations qui a favorisé le succès d'An.gambiae dans les milieux permanents.Notre approche, basée sur l'écologie larvaire des formes M et S d'An. gambiae nous a permis de mieux comprendre les processus par lesquels ces vecteurs ont évolué et se sont adaptés à différents contextes écologiques. Ces adaptations reflètent la spécialisation de ces deux formes dans leur milieu respectif et permettent en partie d'expliquer la ségrégation écologique observée sur le terrain. L'amélioration de nos connaissance sur la bio-écologie de ces vecteurs est primordiale afin d'en apprécier le potentiel évolutif dans le contexte actuel des changements globaux. / In West Africa, the main Malaria vector, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae is actually subdivided into two molecular forms named M and S, which can be genetically and environmentally differentiated. The M form preferentially breeds in permanent freshwater collections mainly resulting from human activity and is reproductively active all year round, whereas the S form thrives in temporary breeding sites and is present during the rainy season only. This subdivision generates different dynamics of Malaria transmission in areas where these forms are found. In this context, this thesis aims to study the ecological factors of differentiation between M and S, focusing on their larval ecology to better understand their current and future distribution.The study of the distribution of natural populations of these vectors in an endemic area in Burkina Faso has provided evidence that the ecological niches of these forms are closely correlated with the degree of temporality and the community complexity of aquatic ecosystems. The M form is clearly linked to permanent anthropogenic habitats and the structures they support, while the S form and its sibling species An. arabiensis are associated with simple and temporary habitats, mostly found in rural savannas.The distribution of the two forms along a hydroperiod gradient is consistent with the dominant interactions and adaptations they induce in order to be able to exploit their environments. In relation to temporary habitat, the S form was more competitive than the M form by reducing its larval development time in the presence of competitor (M form). The study of selection pressure due to predation, dominant interaction in permanent habitat, shows that the M forms suffer lesser predation rate than the S form. Analysis of larval behavior highlighted differences between these two forms, such as the existence of a more plastic behavior in the form M, which reduced its rate of activity in predator presence. This mechanism is one of the adaptations that have facilitated the success of An. gambiae in permanent aquatic habitats.Our approach, based on the larval ecology of M and S forms of An. gambiae has enabled us to better understand the processes by which these vectors have evolved and adapted to different ecological contexts. These adaptations reflect the specialization of these two forms in their respective habitats and can partially explain the ecological segregation observed in the field. Improving our knowledge on bio-ecology of these vectors is essential to appreciate their evolutionary potential in the current context of global change.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T16:20:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / As áreas úmidas são ecossistemas importantes para a conservação, devido à alta diversidade que sustentam. Os anfíbios anuros são importantes componentes das comunidades biológicas em áreas úmidas do sul do Brasil. A falta de informações a respeito da diversidade, riqueza, distribuição geográfica e ecologia de anuros é uma das principais limitações para sua conservação. Hidroperíodo e diversidade de habitats são importantes fatores que influenciam a distribuição de espécies e a estrutura das comunidades de anuros. No entanto, a real influência desses fatores sobre os anuros adultos e girinos em áreas úmidas de dunas costeiras do sul do Brasil é pouco conhecida. Este estudo teve como objetivo testar se a diversidade de habitat e o hidroperíodo influenciam na distribuição espacial e temporal de anuros em áreas úmidas costeiras do Rio Grande do Sul. Além disso, testamos se a similaridade na composição de espécies de anuros estava associada a descritores da estrutura dos habitats. Esses descritores foram área, núm / Wetlands are important ecosystems for conservation, due to the great biodiversity they support. Anuran amphibians are important components of the biological communities in southern Brazil wetlands. Lack of data is one of the main restrictions to conservation programs. In this sense, studies on diversity, species richness, geographic distribution, and ecology of anuran populations are needed. Hydroperiod and habitat diversity are important factors influencing species distribution and communities structure in anurans. However, there are no such data for adult anurans and tadpoles in wetlands of coastal dunes in southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to test whether habitat diversity and hydroperiod can be related to spatial and temporal distribution of anurans in wetlands of coastal dunes in Rio Grande do Sul. Besides, we tested whether anurans composition were associated to structural features. These features were area, numbers of drought, months of drought, anuran predator richness, floating vegetation,

Orientadores: Ricardo Jannini Sawaya, Denise de Cerqueira Rossa Feres / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T18:39:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CorreaFilho_DecioTadeu_M.pdf: 2723996 bytes, checksum: 128827025a31fdb66d41e2abeb742135 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Anfíbios anuros possuem ciclo de vida complexo e as fases larvais e adultas podem ocupar ambientes totalmente distintos. Isso faz com que cada uma das fases esteja sujeita a diferentes pressões ambientais. Desta forma, girinos e adultos podem seguir caminhos evolutivos diferentes, ainda que apresentem as mesmas relações filogenéticas. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os aspectos ecológicos e evolutivos que atuam na estruturação de uma metacomunidade de anuros nas fases adulta e larval. Realizamos o estudo em uma região de Cerrado no sudeste do Brasil. O trabalho está dividido em dois capítulos. No primeiro, testamos se as comunidades de adultos e girinos são concordantes, e analisamos a influência das variáveis ambientais e espaciais na abundância e composição de espécies em cada fase ontogenética. No segundo capítulo, verificamos como a diversidade fenotípica se distribui ao longo da filogenia e como os corpos d'água influenciam a diversidade fenotípica e filogenética das espécies. Além disso, verificamos a evidência de filtros ambientais na montagem das comunidades estudadas a partir da associação entre atributos fenotípicos, relações filogenéticas e variáveis ambientais. Nossos resultados do primeiro capítulo indicam que as comunidades de adultos e girinos são concordantes, ou seja, são distribuídas de maneira similar entre os habitats. As variáveis ambientais foram mais importantes do que as espaciais, sendo a área da superfície e o hidroperíodo dos corpos d'água as características que melhor explicaram a distribuição dos adultos e girinos entre os corpos d'água. A maioria das espécies esteve associada aos habitats temporários de média a longa duração. Locais temporários não apresentam predadores importantes como peixes e retém água por tempo suficiente para a metamorfose dos girinos. No segundo capítulo, verificamos que os atributos fenotípicos nos adultos são mais conservados do que nos girinos. A diversidade fenotípica dos adultos é concentrada em poucos nós da filogenia, enquanto que nos girinos é dispersa pela filogenia. A metacomunidade de adultos é estruturada por filtros ambientais relacionados principalmente aos microhabitats de vocalização. Espécies da família Hylidae que vocalizam empoleiradas, por exemplo, são associadas aos locais com maior diversidade de vegetação na margem dos corpos d'água. Para os girinos não foi observada evidência de filtro ambiental. Além disso, não houve relação clara entre os atributos fenotípicos dos girinos e características ambientais como observado para os adultos. Entretanto, a maioria dos girinos esteve associada a locais que podem oferecer maior disponibilidade de recursos alimentares e menor risco de predação, como corpos d'agua temporários, de dossel aberto e com muita vegetação em seu interior. Concluímos que os adultos determinam a distribuição dos girinos nas comunidades. Entretanto, a escolha do habitat de reprodução é baseada em parte pelos atributos dos adultos, mas também ponderada por locais de melhor desenvolvimento e sobrevivência de sua larva. Nossos resultados ressaltam a complexidade da organização das comunidades de anuros, principalmente no que diz respeito às relações entre as fases ontogenéticas, e contribuem de forma inédita para melhor compreensão da organização de comunidades de animais de ciclo de vida complexo como os anuros / Abstract: Anuran amphibians have complex life cycles, and the larval and adult stages can occupy completely different environments. Thus, each stage is subject to different environmental pressures. Tadpoles and adults can follow different evolutionary paths even though they show the same phylogenetic relationships. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological and evolutionary aspects structuring an anuran metacommunity in both larval and adult stages. We conducted this study in a savanna region in southeastern Brazil. The study comprises two chapters. In the first, we tested if tadpole and adult communities show community concordance. Then we analyzed the influence of environmental and spatial variables on the abundance and composition of species in each ontogenetic stage. In the second chapter, we verified how the phenotypic diversity is distributed throughout the phylogeny, and how water bodies affect phenotypic and phylogenetic diversity of species. Additionally, we verified the evidence of environmental filters acting in the community assembly based on the association among phenotypic traits, phylogeny, and environmental variables. Our results in the first chapter indicated that communities of adults and tadpoles are concordant, because they have a similar distribution across the set of water bodies. Environmental variables were more important than space, because area and hydroperiod of the water bodies were the variables that best explained the distribution of species for both ontogenetic stages. Most species were associated with medium and long-term temporary habitats. Temporary habitats have no important predators like fish and could retain water long enough for tadpoles to achieve metamorphosis. In the second chapter, we find that adult traits are more conserved, which was not observed for tadpoles. The phenotypic diversity of adults is concentrated in a few nodes, while in tadpoles it is widespread throughout phylogeny. The adult metacommunity is regulated by environmental filters related to vocalization microhabitats. Hylidae species that vocalize perched on vegetation, for instance, are associated with greater vegetation diversity on the edge of the water body. Tadpoles were not affected by environmental filters. Furthermore, there was not clear relationship between tadpole traits and environmental characteristics as observed for adults. However, most of the tadpoles were associated with sites that may offer greater availability of food resources and low predation risk, such as open canopy and temporary water bodies with vegetation inside. We conclude that adults determine the distribution of tadpoles. However, even if environmental filters affect adults, the choice of the breeding habitat is based in part by adult traits and also weighted for habitats that promote better development and survival of their larvae. Our results underscore the complexity involved in frog community assembly, particularly regarding the relationship between ontogenetic stages, and thus, contribute to a better understanding of the assembly of complex life cycle communities / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestre em Ecologia

No description available.