There is a number of measures, which have been currently performed on the Brno Reservoir, with the aim at the recovery of the environment health and at the reduction of incidence of cyanobacterial water blooms. The main intervention in this efforts was the desrease of water level in 2009-2010, when the level was reduced by up to 9 m. This intervention resulted in drying of the uncovered area of the littoral bottom and in completely changed oxygen conditions in the remaining lake. The objective of my work is to evaluate changes in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage in response to these interventions and measures. On the sites of the reservoir, selected with respect to water levels and in-depth ratios, macroinvertebrates were seasonally sampled by the Ekman grab and kick-off approach in deep muddy sites and in the littoral zone, resepctively. Samples were collected at the ?Hráz?, ?Střed?, ?Litorál?, ?Rakovec?, ?Zouvalka?, ?Rokle? and ?Horní vzdutí?. In parallel with sampling selected environmental parameters (temperature, O2) in epilimnium hypolimnium were measured. The samples were washed and conserved for later determination and quantification in the laboratory. All macroinvertebrate samples were divided into three groups: Chironomidae, Oligochaeta and Others. The result are presented in a graphical form as the biomass and density on different sites according to the years preceding the reservoir draining, during the water level decline and afterwards and discussed in association with certain abiotic factors.

Os riachos em trechos de cabeceira são fontes importantes de água, sedimento e biota, apresentam baixa produtividade primária autóctone e são fortemente influenciados pela vegetação ripária, pois nesses trechos, a energia básica para sustentação das comunidades é proveniente do input de matéria orgânica particulada alóctone. Portanto, o desmatamento e o uso inadequado do solo afetam negativamente as condições dos riachos, o que é considerado umas das principais causas de degradação ambiental em países em desenvolvimento. Uma avaliação rápida da qualidade do habitat físico pode prover uma idéia geral das condições dos riachos e detectar alterações antrópicas de maneira rápida, fácil e de baixo custo. A combinação desta ferramenta com a avaliação de outros fatores físicos, químicos e biológicos, especialmente, a composição das assembléias de macroinvertebrados bentônicos, é essencial para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de monitoramento nesses ecossistemas. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi identificar as principais alterações antrópicas sobre os riachos da APA Embu Verde e selecionar aqueles que apresentaram melhores condições de habitat para a fauna bentônica, a fim de conhecer a composição dessas assembléias e sua relação com o habitat. Para atender os objetivos, primeiramente foram avaliados 23 sítios amostrais, por meio de um Protocolo de Avaliação de Habitat e algumas variáveis relevantes. A partir daí, foram selecionados 4 riachos com base, prioritariamente, na semelhança das características do entorno, pequena variação no nível de degradação ambiental e potencialidade de oferta de habitats para os macroinvertebrados. Procedeu-se, então, à avaliação da vegetação ripária, do canal dos riachos e dos tipos de substratos para melhor compreensão da relação dos macroinvertebrados com o meio físico. A principal alteração antrópica na APA Embu Verde é o desmatamento da vegetação ripária natural, sendo evidenciados indícios de efeitos negativos sobre os riachos, como erosão nas margens e deposição de sedimentos finos. As variáveis que melhor explicaram a variação da fauna estão relacionadas ao porte do riacho, energia cinética de suas águas e aos tipos de substrato. Este último foi determinante para a composição das assembléias de macroinvertebrados bentônicos, pois estas variaram mais entre os tipos de substratos do que entre os sítios amostrais. A família Chironomidae foi dominante em todos os sítios e tipos de substratos. A diversidade e riqueza de família aumentaram com a estabilidade dos substratos inorgânicos / Headwater streams are relevant suppliers of water, sediment, and biota. They support low autochthonous primary productivity and suffer strong influence from riparian vegetation as in these streams the basic energy for communities maintenance has its origin in the allochthonous particulate organic matter. Hence, deforestation and inadequate soil use negatively affect stream conditions, being among the main causes of environmental degradation in developing nations. A rapid assessment of the physical habitat quality can provide a general idea about stream conditions and detect anthropic changes in a rapid, easy and low cost manner. The combination of this tool with the assessment of other physical, chemical and biological features, especially the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage composition, is essential to the development of monitoring strategies in those ecosystems. The general aim of this study was to identify the main anthropic changes on streams of Environmental Protection Area Embu Verde and to select those with better habitat conditions for benthic fauna. So it would be possible to know the assemblages composition and its relation with the habitat. First we evaluated 23 sampling sites using a Habitat Assessment Protocol and some relevant variables. Therewith we selected four streams, grounded primarily on the similarity of the surroundings features, little variation on the environmental degradation level and potential of habitats to macroinvertebrates. Then we made an assessment of stream riparian vegetation and substrate types to improve the understanding of the relation between macroinvertebrates and the physical environment. The major anthropic change in the sampling area is the deforestation of the natural riparian cover, and we observed evidences of its negative effects on streams, as bank erosion and fine sediment deposition. Variables that better explained fauna variations are related to the stream size, water kinetic energy and substrate types. Substrate was determinant to the composition of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages as these ones variate more with the substrates types than with the sampling sites. Chironomidae dominated in all the sampling sites and substrate types. Family diversity and richness increased with the stability of inorganic substrates

Os riachos em trechos de cabeceira são fontes importantes de água, sedimento e biota, apresentam baixa produtividade primária autóctone e são fortemente influenciados pela vegetação ripária, pois nesses trechos, a energia básica para sustentação das comunidades é proveniente do input de matéria orgânica particulada alóctone. Portanto, o desmatamento e o uso inadequado do solo afetam negativamente as condições dos riachos, o que é considerado umas das principais causas de degradação ambiental em países em desenvolvimento. Uma avaliação rápida da qualidade do habitat físico pode prover uma idéia geral das condições dos riachos e detectar alterações antrópicas de maneira rápida, fácil e de baixo custo. A combinação desta ferramenta com a avaliação de outros fatores físicos, químicos e biológicos, especialmente, a composição das assembléias de macroinvertebrados bentônicos, é essencial para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de monitoramento nesses ecossistemas. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi identificar as principais alterações antrópicas sobre os riachos da APA Embu Verde e selecionar aqueles que apresentaram melhores condições de habitat para a fauna bentônica, a fim de conhecer a composição dessas assembléias e sua relação com o habitat. Para atender os objetivos, primeiramente foram avaliados 23 sítios amostrais, por meio de um Protocolo de Avaliação de Habitat e algumas variáveis relevantes. A partir daí, foram selecionados 4 riachos com base, prioritariamente, na semelhança das características do entorno, pequena variação no nível de degradação ambiental e potencialidade de oferta de habitats para os macroinvertebrados. Procedeu-se, então, à avaliação da vegetação ripária, do canal dos riachos e dos tipos de substratos para melhor compreensão da relação dos macroinvertebrados com o meio físico. A principal alteração antrópica na APA Embu Verde é o desmatamento da vegetação ripária natural, sendo evidenciados indícios de efeitos negativos sobre os riachos, como erosão nas margens e deposição de sedimentos finos. As variáveis que melhor explicaram a variação da fauna estão relacionadas ao porte do riacho, energia cinética de suas águas e aos tipos de substrato. Este último foi determinante para a composição das assembléias de macroinvertebrados bentônicos, pois estas variaram mais entre os tipos de substratos do que entre os sítios amostrais. A família Chironomidae foi dominante em todos os sítios e tipos de substratos. A diversidade e riqueza de família aumentaram com a estabilidade dos substratos inorgânicos / Headwater streams are relevant suppliers of water, sediment, and biota. They support low autochthonous primary productivity and suffer strong influence from riparian vegetation as in these streams the basic energy for communities maintenance has its origin in the allochthonous particulate organic matter. Hence, deforestation and inadequate soil use negatively affect stream conditions, being among the main causes of environmental degradation in developing nations. A rapid assessment of the physical habitat quality can provide a general idea about stream conditions and detect anthropic changes in a rapid, easy and low cost manner. The combination of this tool with the assessment of other physical, chemical and biological features, especially the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage composition, is essential to the development of monitoring strategies in those ecosystems. The general aim of this study was to identify the main anthropic changes on streams of Environmental Protection Area Embu Verde and to select those with better habitat conditions for benthic fauna. So it would be possible to know the assemblages composition and its relation with the habitat. First we evaluated 23 sampling sites using a Habitat Assessment Protocol and some relevant variables. Therewith we selected four streams, grounded primarily on the similarity of the surroundings features, little variation on the environmental degradation level and potential of habitats to macroinvertebrates. Then we made an assessment of stream riparian vegetation and substrate types to improve the understanding of the relation between macroinvertebrates and the physical environment. The major anthropic change in the sampling area is the deforestation of the natural riparian cover, and we observed evidences of its negative effects on streams, as bank erosion and fine sediment deposition. Variables that better explained fauna variations are related to the stream size, water kinetic energy and substrate types. Substrate was determinant to the composition of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages as these ones variate more with the substrates types than with the sampling sites. Chironomidae dominated in all the sampling sites and substrate types. Family diversity and richness increased with the stability of inorganic substrates

Three approaches were employed to examine the effects of elevated sediment trace metal concentrations on estuarine/marine macrobenthic invertebrate assemblages. The initial study examined macroinvertebrate communities along a known polymetallic gradient, Lake Macquarie, NSW (gradient study). The second study experimentally tested if sediments sourced from different locations within Lake Macquarie differentially influenced the recolonisation of benthic invertebrates. The third study investigated the different recolonisation patterns of benthic invertebrates into sediments spiked with increasing concentrations of sediment-bound cadmium. In the Lake Macquarie gradient study, four locations (Cockle Bay, Warner's Bay, Kooroora Bay and Nord's Wharf) were sampled in winter 2000 and summer 2003 using a hierarchical design (location > site > plot). On both sampling occasions, the sediments showed strong gradients in lead, cadmium and zinc concentrations emanating from the Cockle Bay industrialised region in the lake's north, with concentrations being significantly lower in the most southern and less urbanised location (Nord's Wharf). In general, concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc in the sediments increased among locations in the following order: Nord's Wharf > Kooroora Bay > Warner's Bay > Cockle Bay. AVSJSEM analyses indicated that in some sites in Cockle Bay, and to a lesser extent Warner's Bay, SEM concentrations exceeded their molar equivalence of AVS, indicating the potential for trace metals to be labile within the porewaters. Granulometry also changed along the gradient, with a higher proportion of silt/clay occurring in the locations with high metal concentrations. Conversely, the percentage of total organic carbon was higher in the less contaminated locations. In winter 2000, changes in benthic communities along the gradient supported the a priori hypotheses, with diversity and richness being greater in locations with lower concentrations of metals. Polychaetes were most numerous in Cockle Bay and Warner's Bay, whilst bivalves and gastropods were more abundant in Nord's Wharf and Kooroora Bay. Crustaceans were more numerous in Nord's Wharf; with all other locations having similar, lower, abundances. Ordination maps of the assemblages provided relatively clear separation of the assemblages among locations, with nonparametric multivariate analysis of variance (NPMANOVA) and subsequent pair-wise comparisons finding significant differences among the assemblages from all locations. SIMPER analyses found the highest level of dissimilarity was between the Nord's Wharf and Cockle Bay assemblages - primarily attributable to differences in the relative contributions of isopods; tellenid bivalves; and the polychaete families Spionidae, Opheliidae and Nephytidae. Weighted Spearman rank correlations (BIOENV) identified cadmium (Pw =0.74) as the strongest environmental (single or combination) variable to correlate with biotic assemblages. Benthic patterns along the gradient were less defined in summer 2003 due to a dramatic reduction in the abundance and diversity of fauna in Nord's Wharf. This decline was possibly attributable to a sustained reduction in salinity caused by a prolonged rainfall event. With the exception of Nord's Wharf, trends in the community indices and abundances of key taxa among the other locations were similar to those reported in winter 2000. Multivariate analyses discriminated the benthic assemblages from the four locations, with the findings from the NPMANOVA pair-wise comparisons indicating that the assemblages from all four locations were significantly different. SIMPER analyses showed the highest level of dissimilarity was between Nord's Wharf and Warner's Bay, with these differences being primarily attributable to their relative abundances of amphipods and polychaetes from the families Spionidae, Cirratulidae, Opheliidae and Capitellidae. BIOENV found that the combination of the sedimentary concentrations of cadmium and iron provided the best correlation (Pw =0.73) with biotic patterns, with similar correlations occumng with the addition of lead and its covariate, zinc (Pw =0.72). The combined findings from the gradient study established a strong correlation between trace metal concentrations within the sediments and suite of univariate and multivariate measurements. The low abundance and diversity of fauna in Nord's Wharf in the summer of 2003 highlighted the dynamic changes which can occur in the distributions of macrobenthic invertebrates. Although the study indicated that there was a strong relationship between trace metal concentrations and benthic community structure, the study was correlative, and requires subsequent experimental testing to confirm the causality of the observed relationships. The second component of the research was a translocation experiment using benthic recolonisation as an end-point. The experiment was performed to identify if the sediments, and not location, were influencing the composition of benthic assemblages in Lake Macquarie. Sediments were collected from three locations (Cockle Bay, Warner's Bay and Nord's Wharf), defaunated, and transplanted in three new locations along the south-east edge of the lake. At each location, 10 containers of each treatment were randomly placed in the sediment and allowed to recolonise for 22 weeks. Upon retrieval, the benthic communities were sampled and enumerated in conjunction with a variety of chemical and sedimentary measurements. Ten replicate invertebrate samples were also collected in the sediments adjacent to the experiment (ambient samples) at the completion of the experiment. Due to human interference, the containers from only two locations were analysed. Upon retrieval, pH and redox profiles of the sediments were similar to those expected in natural sediments. In general, concentrations of metals were low in the porewaters; however, iron precipitation on the porewater collection devices may have artificially increased the diffusion of metals, increasing concentrations near the sediment-water interface. Concentrations of SEM exceeded their AVS equivalence in some samples taken from the Cockle Bay and Warner's Bay treatments. Two-way ANOVAs found significant interactions between location and sediment treatments in diversity, evenness and the number of polychaetes, as well as significant differences in the number of capitellids and crustaceans among locations. Post-hoc comparisons of means found the Nord's Wharf sediment contained a higher mean number of individuals than the other treatments, including the ambient samples. nMDS ordination plots for both locations provided poor graphical discrimination of the assemblages among treatments; however, NPMANOVA detected significant location and treatment interactions. In both locations, pair-wise comparisons indicated that the assemblages within the Nord's Wharf treatments were significantly different to the Cockle Bay, Warner's Bay and ambient assemblages. No significant differences were detected between the Cockle Bay and Warner's Bay assemblages at either location. SIMPER analyses found the highest level of dissimilarity occurred between the ambient assemblages in Location 2 and the Nord's Wharf treatment, primarily due to the relative difference in the abundances of Capitellidae, Spionidae, Oweniidae, Nereididae and isopods among the assemblages. The findings from the translocation experiment suggest that the sediments are influencing the recolonisation of benthos. However, because differences were not detected between the Cockle Bay and Warner's Bay treatments, the approach used in the study shows potential as an in situ technique which could be used to assess the potential ecological risks of sediments fiom specific locations. Excluding cost and time considerations, the technique's primary disadvantage is the lack of a true control. As a result, the technique can only identify if the sediments are modifying benthic recolonisation, and not causality. The final component of the research experimentally tested if elevated concentrations of sediment-bound cadmium affected benthic invertebrate recolonisation. Sediments from the south coast of New South Wales (Durras Lake) were defaunated, and spiked with cadmium under anaerobic conditions to obtain three targeted cadmium concentrations: control (<O.1 ug/g), Low-Cd (15 Cd ug/g) and High-Cd (150 Cd ug/g). The physio-chemical properties of the waters and porewater concentrations of cadmium were monitored over a 28-day equilibration period, with declines in pH mediated with the addition of NaOH(aq). At the end of the equilibration period, porewater concentrations of cadmium were low in the Low-Cd and High-Cd treatments (maximum <l.5 ug/L in High-Cd), and below the detection limit in the control. Cadmium was not detected in the control sediments, with concentrations in the Cd-Low and Cd-High sediments exceeding their targeted concentrations, with final mean concentrations of 17 ug/g and 183 ug/g, respectively. The experimental design was similar to that employed in the translocation experiment, with 10 containers from each treatment transplanted into the sediments at three locations within Lake Macquarie. After 20 weeks, the containers were collected, along with benthic invertebrate samples from the ambient sediments. Data was not used from Location C due to extensive sediment deposition on the transplanted treatments. Significant declines occurred in the concentrations of cadmium in both the Low-Cd and High-Cd sediments, with the greatest loss occumng in the surficial sediments. The loss of cadmium was probably due to the differential loss of the fine fraction through physical means (hydrodynamic) rather than fluxing, as it assumed that the cadmium was primarily sediment-bound and relatively insoluble under anoxic conditions. Mean porewater concentrations of cadmium were below the detection limit in the control treatments; < 1 ug/L in the Low-Cd treatment, and generally < 2ug/L in the High-Cd, with the exception of some samples in Location B (maximum 5.6 ug/L) Concentrations of ammonia were low in the porewaters from the surficial sediments, with concentrations being significantly higher, and potentially toxic, in the anoxic porewaters (7 cm depth). In comparison to the previous recolonisation experiment, the number of individuals which recolonised the cadmium-spiked treatments was low, and significantly lower than the mean number of individuals sampled in the ambient sediments. No significant differences were detected among the treatments or locations (and their interactions) in diversity (H'), richness (d) or evenness (J). The number of polychaetes and molluscs significantly differed among the treatments, with post-hoc analyses indicating these differences were not among the cadmium-spike treatments, but were due to a greater mean abundance of these taxa in the ambient sediments. A significant interaction between treatment and location was detected in the mean abundance of crustaceans, with the ambient sediments having significantly lower mean abundances in both Location A and B. Ordination plots of the experiments in Location A and B provided poor graphical discrimination among the spiked treatments, although the ambient assemblages appear to be separated from the cadmium-spiked assemblages. NPMANOVA detected a significant interaction between treatments and locations, as well as among treatments. In both Location A and B, pair-wise analyses found the assemblages in the ambient sediments to be significantly different to the assemblages in all three cadmium treatments, with no differences being detected among the latter. SIMPER analyses found the highest levels of dissimilarity occurred between the spike-treatments and the ambient sediments, with these differences being primarily due to the relatively higher abundance of decapods in the spiked treatments, and capitellids in the ambient sediments. The cadmium-spiking component of the experiment clearly illustrated that artificially increasing the trace metal concentrations of metals in estuarine sediments is a complex process which needs to be performed in a methodological manner in order to obtain homogenous treatments with low porewater concentrations, and minimal artefacts. Furthermore, the results confirmed that the equilibration time for sediments can be extensive (several weeks), even in the case of organically rich sediments. The timing of the experiment (commenced late summer, February, 2003) appears to the major factor for the relatively low recolonisation rates, with the experiment missing the main larval recolonisation period between spring and early summer. Even in the highest treatment, elevated concentrations of cadmium did not appear to affect benthic recolonisation. This finding is supported by other experimental studies which suggest that concentrations of a single isolated metal must considerably exceed current guideline values (or contain high porewater concentrations) in order to elicit a biological effect. Nevertheless, as trace metals generally co-occur with other contaminants - with the response of multiple contaminants being possibly additive or synergistic - a conservative guideline value may be suitable in the interim as a precautionary measure. The findings of this thesis suggest that elevated concentrations of trace metal mixtures in estuarine sediments can affect the structure and composition of benthic communities; however, identifying causality is difficult. Although there has been an increase in the use of manipulative field experiments as a means of reducing the confounding influence of covariables found in field studies, this approach also has limitations, e.g. spatial and temporal scale issues, container effects, cost and biogeochemical changes to the sediments. Measuring stress at a community level is a fundamental component of estuarine risk assessment programs; and in isolation this approach can produce subjective and confounded findings. In order to accurately assess the risks associated with trace metal contaminated sediments, an integrated approach (e.g. weight of evidence) is required, one which uses multiple lines of evidence sourced from various chemical, environmental biological measurements.

Why evaluations of the ecological outcomes of stream and river restoration have largely reported inconclusive or negative results has been the subject of much debate over the last decade or more. Understanding the reasons behind the lack of positive results is important for bettering future restoration efforts and setting realistic expectations for restoration outcomes. This thesis explores possible explanations for why researchers have failed to find clear and predictable biotic responses to stream restoration: recovery time has been too short, that restoration of habitat complexity is not clearly linked to instream biodiversity, that one monitored organism group is not representative of the entire community, that restoration effort was not intense enough to restore the potential habitat complexity of a system, and that reach-scale restoration done in the presence of catchment-scale degradation obscures restoration results. The overarching goal of this thesis is to study the holistic effect of reach-scale restoration of historic reach-scale simplification, due to timber floating in northern Swedish streams, thus avoiding the added pressure of catchment-scale degradation typically found at most restoration sites (e.g., non-point-source pollution and impervious cover). Using this model system, I was able to show that it took 25 years for riparian plant species richness at restored sites to increase above that of channelized sites. Furthermore, it was clear that restoration of these streams caused a large and rapid change in N-processing in the riparian zone and this alteration persists for at least 25 years. Additionally, multiple metrics of geomorphic complexity were needed to explain some of the more subtle responses of organism groups. Macroinvertebrates, diatoms, and macrophytes did not respond concordantly and cannot serve as surrogates or indicators for each other. I found that older best practice methods of restoration rarely restored the large-scale features needed to bring the sites up to their potential complexity because these elements were destroyed or removed from the system. Advanced restoration techniques used in more recent restorations added big boulders and instream wood and increased complexity to a level that elicited a biological response. By combining surveys of multiple metrics of structure, diversity of multiple organism groups, and process in this thesis I was able to get a holistic view of the effects of restoration of streams after timber floating. We now know that it takes at least 25 years for riparian plants and N-cycling to recover, we understand that multiple metrics of geomorphic complexity should be measured to be able to explain biotic responses, and that restored complexity should better match the potential complexity of the site in order to elicit a biological response. Finally, we know that multiple organism groups need to be assessed when evaluating the response of biodiversity to restoration.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:31:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2985.pdf: 1080161 bytes, checksum: 6f77b3c4bacbb6a36ca073cc541e5909 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-29 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / To understand the effects of spatial heterogeneity on the processes that determine the distribution of organisms in low-order streams, in the present study we asked the following question: do the composition and spatial arrangement of leaf litter patches at the scale of streambed landscapes influence the structure and composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities? We evaluated substrate organization in two distinct phases: an initial description of the streambeds using landscape ecology techniques, and a second, experimental phase studying the response of aquatic macroinvertebrates to manipulated distributions of the substrate. The results of the descriptive phase showed the importance of leaf litter substrate influencing taxon richness, diversity, evenness, and abundance; further, the division of the habitat in patches was also important to structure the macroinvertebrate communities. The experimental manipulation showed that resource aggregation influences the colonization of the community, mainly in the early periods (8 days). In general, the influence of resource spatial distribution had different effects between the two approaches used, probably due to differences in patch size and quality. The results of the present study can contribute to a better comprehension of the mechanisms structuring the communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and to the improvement of sampling techniques and stream restoration projects. / Para tentar entender como a heterogeneidade espacial influencia os processos que determinam a distribuição de organismos em riachos de baixa ordem, o presente estudo teve como objetivo responder a pergunta: a composição e o arranjo espacial das manchas de folhas na escala de paisagens de fundos de riachos influenciam a estrutura e a composição das comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos? Avaliamos a organização dos substratos em duas fases distintas: uma descrição inicial dos ambientes a serem estudados por meio de técnicas de ecologia de paisagem e uma segunda fase experimental, estudando a resposta dos macroinvertebrados aquáticos a distribuições manipuladas do substrato. Os resultados da fase descritiva nos deram indícios da importância da proporção do substrato detritos influenciando a riqueza, diversidade, equitabilidade e abundância; além disso, a divisão do habitat em manchas também parece ser importante para a estruturação da comunidade dos macroinvertebrados. A manipulação experimental permitiu inferir a influência da agregação dos recursos nos processos de colonização da comunidade, principalmente nos períodos iniciais (oito dias). De maneira geral, a influência da distribuição de recursos teve resultados diferentes para as duas abordagens utilizadas, provavelmente devido a diferenças no tamanho e na qualidade das manchas. Os resultados do presente estudo podem contribuir para uma maior compreensão sobre os mecanismos de estruturação de comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos, subsidiando a melhoria das técnicas de amostragem e projetos futuros de restauração dos riachos.

Oyster reefs are declining worldwide, as well as the economic and ecological value of oysters to their respective systems. Numerous restoration efforts have been undertaken in hopes of re-establishing these shellfish populations. This study evaluated a restoration project within the Guana Tolomato Matanzas estuary in northeast Florida, U.S.A., to investigate community structure as well as seasonal patterns in species abundance and diversity of juvenile fish and benthic macrofauna within restored and unrestored intertidal habitats along the Guana Peninsula. The first objective was to determine whether the artificially created reefs provided similar quantity and diversity of benthic macrofauna as adjacent unrestored habitats. The second objective was to specifically characterize resident and transient fish assemblages associated with the artificial reef and adjacent unrestored habitats. Benthic macrofauna were quantified using plastic settlement trays deployed in triplicate at each site and sampled monthly for a year. Community structure differed by habitat, confirmed through an analysis of similarity. High abundances of Petrolisthes armatus on the natural reef sites largely contributed to dissimilarity in community composition between the natural reef and the restored sites. Fish assemblages were quantified using monthly seine and gill nets set adjacent to restored and unrestored intertidal habitats. Diversity was similar between the restored and unrestored sites, however, there was very little species overlap between the two sites. The dominance of post-larval and juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), anchovies (Anchoa mitchelli and A. hepsetus) and mullet (Mugil sp.) led to high density and low diversity in seine collections during the winter months. Overall, the gill net survey did not show any patterns in fish abundance associated with particular habitats in the area, however this is the first assessment in this region using gill netting. Constructed oyster reefs created immediate habitat for resident species and enhanced habitat value compared to unstructured mud bottom.

The objective of this research was to determine if physical and microbial sediment characterizations could be used to explain benthic macroinvertebrate distribution in two branches of Lake Ray Roberts, Texas.

No description available.

No description available.