Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:10:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DiegoMB_DISSERT_capa_ate_pag68.pdf: 4934333 bytes, checksum: f6bbf7a59936a1c62765b29338c9cb20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-25 / It is estimated that the Brazilian karst areas sum about 200.000 km2. The caves, one of the main components of karst, are important windows into the biological studies on hypogean environments. In Rio Grande do Norte are known 563 caves, and 476 of them are in the municipalities of Bara?na, Felipe Guerra, Governador Dix-Sept Rosado, Apodi and Mossor?, the Western region of the State. However, like in the rest of the country, the cave fauna of the State is still poorly understood. This study used data from invertebrates harvested in 47 caves and aimed to analyze the effect of environmental change between the dry and rainy seasons in the communities of cave invertebrates, characterize these communities and evaluate the relationships between morphological and biotic variables of the caves and surroundings, and to define priority areas for conservation of cave environments of the study area from biotic parameters. Strong effects were found in the community structure of cave invertebrates due environmental changes between seasons, with values of total richness, abundance, diversity and ecological complexity significantly higher in the rainy season. It was possible to assess how the morphology of the cave and the external environment variables affect the biotic system, so that the variety of resources, forest cover in the vicinity, the area of the cave and its entrance were the variables that best explained the structure communities of cave invertebrates in the region. High values of total richness of invertebrates (36,62 ? 14,04 spp / cave) and troglomorphic species (61 species, mean 1,77 ? 2,34 spp / cave) were found and, given the biological relevance in the context of the area national and the imminent anthropogenic pressures existing, we defined four priority areas for actions aiming cave biodiversity conservation in the region. / Estima-se que as ?reas c?rsticas brasileiras perfa?am cerca de 200 mil km2. As cavernas, um dos principais componentes do relevo c?rstico, s?o uma importante janela para a realiza??o de estudos biol?gicos sobre os ambientes hip?geos. No Rio Grande do Norte s?o conhecidas 563 cavidades, sendo que 476 delas encontram-se nos munic?pios de Bara?na, Felipe Guerra, Governador Dix-Sept Rosado, Apodi e Mossor?, regi?o Oeste do Estado. No entanto, a exemplo do restante do pa?s, a fauna cavern?cola do RN ainda ? pobremente conhecida. O presente estudo utilizou dados de coletas de invertebrados realizadas em 47 cavernas e teve como objetivos analisar o efeito das altera??es ambientais entre as esta??es seca e chuvosa nas comunidades de invertebrados cavern?colas, caracterizar essas comunidades e avaliar as rela??es entre vari?veis bi?ticas e morfol?gicas das cavernas e do entorno, bem como definir ?reas priorit?rias para a conserva??o de ambientes cavern?colas da ?rea de estudo a partir de par?metros bi?ticos. Foram encontrados fortes efeitos sobre a estrutura das comunidades de invertebrados cavern?colas em fun??o das mudan?as ambientais entre as esta??es, com valores de riqueza total, abund?ncia, diversidade e complexidade ecol?gica significativamente maiores na esta??o chuvosa. Foi poss?vel avaliar como a morfologia da caverna e vari?veis do ambiente externo influenciam as vari?veis bi?ticas do sistema, de forma que a variedade de recursos, a cobertura florestal no entorno, a ?rea da caverna e de suas entradas foram as vari?veis que melhor explicaram a estrutura das comunidades de invertebrados cavern?colas da regi?o. Foram encontrados elevados valores de riqueza total de invertebrados (36,62 ? 14,04 spp/caverna) e de esp?cies trogl?bias (61 esp?cies, m?dia de 1,77 ? 2,34 spp/caverna) e, diante da relev?ncia biol?gica da ?rea no contexto nacional e das iminentes press?es antr?picas existentes, foram definidas quatro ?reas priorit?rias para a??es de conserva??o da biodiversidade cavern?cola regional.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Understanding of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems (GDEs) and their extent within the Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer is poor. To understand the dependence to basic ecological and hydrogeological concepts need explanation. The use of current literature aided in identification and classification. From the literature it has come clear that groundwater dependence centers around two issues, water source and water use determination. The use of Geographical Information System (GIS) showed its potential in proof of water sources. Rainfall data and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the Uniondale area have been used to do watershed delineation, which is in line with locating GDEs on a landscape. Thus the conceptual approach should be a broad one that sets a basis for both investigation (scientific research) and institutional arrangements (management). On the scientific research aspect: 1) Methods used to ascertain groundwater dependence have been identified and described (for example morphological traits, physiological traits, etc.) a) Use of GIS to delineate watersheds in the Uniondale area, putting it as one of useful methods that can be used in locating GDEs in a landscape. b) Use of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to create both geological and topographic cross-sections. Topographic cross-sections are important to locate ecosystems along a landscape, while geological cross-sections are useful in conceptualising groundwater flow. 2) The Plant Functional Type concept, which puts together plant species regardless of phylogeny but rather on morphological, phenological and physiological/life history trait similarity, has been suggested as a useful concept for the TMG GDEs. On the management aspect: 1) An ecosystem approach to understand groundwater has been identified and modified to suite the TMG GDE management. 2) A retention strategy useful to manage the TMG GDEs effectively has been suggested. There are knowledge gaps that exist in the TMG aquifer about Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems. Thus there is: • A need to identify GDE types that exist based on their degrees of dependency on groundwater. • A need to classify the GDEs using a PFTconcept. • To compile a trait (morphological, phenological and physiological) database for TMG aquifer GDEs.