Tropical freshwater ecosystems are understudied and not well understood relative to temperate systems; however, they are becoming increasingly imperiled by escalating anthropogenic impacts. The aim of this thesis was to investigate how tropical freshwater macroinvertebrate communities changed both structurally and functionally over a pristine-rural-urban land-use gradient, in relation to different spatial and temporal scales, as well as to the availability of potential food sources. Fifteen streams in the Panama Canal Watershed were sampled during the dry and wet seasons of 2007 and 2008, for macroinvertebrate communities (benthic and leaf litter), environmental variables, and potential food sources. Along the land-use gradient, in both habitat types, taxon richness, diversity, and evenness all decreased significantly; whereas, abundance increased significantly. For the benthic macroinvertebrate community, unique variation was explained equally well by local (water chemistry and sediment type) and landscape (riparian vegetation and watershed land use) characteristics in the dry season, and landscape characteristics explained slightly more variation in the wet season. Leaf-litter macroinvertebrate community unique variation was better explained by local variables than by landscape variables in both seasons. In terms of potential food resources, fine detritus and inorganic material were the most common across all streams (increased quantities in urban streams) and seasons; whereas, the availability of diatoms and leaf material increased in the dry season. Using gut content analyses, we found that collectors (gatherers and filterers) were by far the most common functional feeding group, increasing in abundance along the land-use gradient. Predators, shredders, and scrapers were all most abundant in pristine streams and decreased along the land-use gradient. Finally, using seven community metrices, a potential biomonitoring tool was developed, the Neotropical Low-land Stream Multimetric Index (NLSMI), which distinguished well among the different levels of stream impairment. This study demonstrated that tropical communities were negatively affected by human land alteration, but that community responses depended on the habitat sampled, the influence of different spatial scales varied between the seasons, and the effect of food resources appeared to be complex. These aspects must be taken into consideration for management decisions and restoration strategies to be effective.

Tropical freshwater ecosystems are understudied and not well understood relative to temperate systems; however, they are becoming increasingly imperiled by escalating anthropogenic impacts. The aim of this thesis was to investigate how tropical freshwater macroinvertebrate communities changed both structurally and functionally over a pristine-rural-urban land-use gradient, in relation to different spatial and temporal scales, as well as to the availability of potential food sources. Fifteen streams in the Panama Canal Watershed were sampled during the dry and wet seasons of 2007 and 2008, for macroinvertebrate communities (benthic and leaf litter), environmental variables, and potential food sources. Along the land-use gradient, in both habitat types, taxon richness, diversity, and evenness all decreased significantly; whereas, abundance increased significantly. For the benthic macroinvertebrate community, unique variation was explained equally well by local (water chemistry and sediment type) and landscape (riparian vegetation and watershed land use) characteristics in the dry season, and landscape characteristics explained slightly more variation in the wet season. Leaf-litter macroinvertebrate community unique variation was better explained by local variables than by landscape variables in both seasons. In terms of potential food resources, fine detritus and inorganic material were the most common across all streams (increased quantities in urban streams) and seasons; whereas, the availability of diatoms and leaf material increased in the dry season. Using gut content analyses, we found that collectors (gatherers and filterers) were by far the most common functional feeding group, increasing in abundance along the land-use gradient. Predators, shredders, and scrapers were all most abundant in pristine streams and decreased along the land-use gradient. Finally, using seven community metrices, a potential biomonitoring tool was developed, the Neotropical Low-land Stream Multimetric Index (NLSMI), which distinguished well among the different levels of stream impairment. This study demonstrated that tropical communities were negatively affected by human land alteration, but that community responses depended on the habitat sampled, the influence of different spatial scales varied between the seasons, and the effect of food resources appeared to be complex. These aspects must be taken into consideration for management decisions and restoration strategies to be effective.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-22Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:18:39Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pinto_tlf_me_botib.pdf: 10229682 bytes, checksum: e319a3314228da6cf44610341b2135ad (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A composição da fauna de um riacho pode variar tanto em função de alterações sazonais em sua estrutura, como em função da presença ou ausência da mata ciliar, acarretando alterações na oferta de nichos e modificando a composição de espécies. Uma questão que tem sido pouco considerada em estudos de partilha de recursos no Brasil, sao mudanças no hábito alimentar, em função da disponibilidade de alimento e mudanças na escolha do alimento, em função de sua qualidade. Assim, a determinação da existência ou não de uma preferência alimentar pela ictiofauna de riachos permitiria uma análise das relarções tróficas entre os membros da comunidade, levando em conta os recursos disponíveis no ambiente e a seletividade alimentar das espécies. No presente trabalho, as comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos e de peixes de um riacho de 3ª ordem situado no município de Itatinga (SP) foram estudadas com objetivo de verificar possíveis mudanças na estrutura destas comunidades e na seletividade alimentar dos peixes, em função de variações sazonais (estação seca-Junho/2006 e chuvosa-Dezembro/2006) e espaciais (presença ou ausência de mata ciliar). A partir de uma análise quantitativa da fauna bentônica em corredeiras e da dieta da ictiofauna, a preferência alimentar foi avaliada através da aplicação de índices de eletividade. Para a comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos foi observado um predomínio do filo Arthropoda, com destaque para a classe Insecta. Uma variação espacial e temporal foi verificada para os grandes grupos de macroinvertebrados bentônicos amostrados, com maiores valores de abundância, riqueza e elevada dominância de Insecta registrados para área aberta, durante a estação seca, e maiores valores de diversidade durante a estação chuvosa, nas duas áreas. A estrutura trófica da ictiofauna também variou espacial e sazonalmente... / The aim of this research was to describe the spatial and seasonal variations in the trophic structure of a stream fish community. The fishes were sampled on June 2006 (dry season) and December 2006 (rainy season), at an area shaded by a well-preserved riparian gallery forest (closed area) and at other area with herbaceous vegetation at the margin (open area). Macrophytes were abundant in the open area, covering the river bank and the bed. The diet analysis of the fish species sampled in the two areas showed a predominance of insectivores, mainly during the rainy season. Although aquatic insects were eaten by many species, leading to a high diet overlap between many pairs of species, differences related to the type (order/family) of insect consumed reduced this overlap. A more complex trophic structure was found in the open area during the rainy season, probably because of the great number of fish species and the high food resources availability. In the open area, the macrophytes were used as substrate by a diversified fauna. They also form an important barrier that traps the organic matter imported to the system from the upstream forested area. Seasonal and spatial variations of the fish diets emphasize the adaptability, greatflexibility and plasticity of their feeding habits and can be related to changes in the environmental complexity

Orientador: Virgínia Sanches Uieda / Banca: Marcos Gomes Nogueira / Banca: Alaíde Gessner / Resumo: A composição da fauna de um riacho pode variar tanto em função de alterações sazonais em sua estrutura, como em função da presença ou ausência da mata ciliar, acarretando alterações na oferta de nichos e modificando a composição de espécies. Uma questão que tem sido pouco considerada em estudos de partilha de recursos no Brasil, sao mudanças no hábito alimentar, em função da disponibilidade de alimento e mudanças na escolha do alimento, em função de sua qualidade. Assim, a determinação da existência ou não de uma preferência alimentar pela ictiofauna de riachos permitiria uma análise das relarções tróficas entre os membros da comunidade, levando em conta os recursos disponíveis no ambiente e a seletividade alimentar das espécies. No presente trabalho, as comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos e de peixes de um riacho de 3ª ordem situado no município de Itatinga (SP) foram estudadas com objetivo de verificar possíveis mudanças na estrutura destas comunidades e na seletividade alimentar dos peixes, em função de variações sazonais (estação seca-Junho/2006 e chuvosa-Dezembro/2006) e espaciais (presença ou ausência de mata ciliar). A partir de uma análise quantitativa da fauna bentônica em corredeiras e da dieta da ictiofauna, a preferência alimentar foi avaliada através da aplicação de índices de eletividade. Para a comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos foi observado um predomínio do filo Arthropoda, com destaque para a classe Insecta. Uma variação espacial e temporal foi verificada para os grandes grupos de macroinvertebrados bentônicos amostrados, com maiores valores de abundância, riqueza e elevada dominância de Insecta registrados para área aberta, durante a estação seca, e maiores valores de diversidade durante a estação chuvosa, nas duas áreas. A estrutura trófica da ictiofauna também variou espacial e sazonalmente... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of this research was to describe the spatial and seasonal variations in the trophic structure of a stream fish community. The fishes were sampled on June 2006 (dry season) and December 2006 (rainy season), at an area shaded by a well-preserved riparian gallery forest (closed area) and at other area with herbaceous vegetation at the margin (open area). Macrophytes were abundant in the open area, covering the river bank and the bed. The diet analysis of the fish species sampled in the two areas showed a predominance of insectivores, mainly during the rainy season. Although aquatic insects were eaten by many species, leading to a high diet overlap between many pairs of species, differences related to the type (order/family) of insect consumed reduced this overlap. A more complex trophic structure was found in the open area during the rainy season, probably because of the great number of fish species and the high food resources availability. In the open area, the macrophytes were used as substrate by a diversified fauna. They also form an important barrier that traps the organic matter imported to the system from the upstream forested area. Seasonal and spatial variations of the fish diets emphasize the adaptability, greatflexibility and plasticity of their feeding habits and can be related to changes in the environmental complexity / Mestre