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ABSTRACT. Spatial-temporal variation of Rotifera in an eutrophic reservoir in southern Brazil. We analyzed the spatial and temporal variation of rotifers in a small, shallow and eutrophic reservoir, with intense Cyanobacteria blooms, in seven sampling stations during 17 months (March/2002 to July/2003. Fifty-two taxa were identified, comprising 16 families. Brachionidae, Conochilidae, Synchaetidae, Lecanidae, Collothecidae, Trichocercidae, and Gastropodidae were the most commonly found. Collotheca sp. was abundant in the winter (dry period), while numbers of Conochilus coenobasis and Keratella cochlearis were low. The abundance of Brachionus mirus var. reductus, Filinia longiseta and Keratella lenzi peaked in the summer (rainy season), while for Kellicottia bostonensis, Ploesoma truncatum, Polyarthra remata, Polyarthra vulgaris and Ptygura sp., abundance was highest in the winter, mainly associated with atypical rainfall. Significant differences in the number of taxa and abundance of rotifers were observed during the sampling period. The canonical correspondence analysis explained 46% of the relationship between rotifer abundance and environmental variables, positively correlated with rainfall, nitrite, water temperature, organic nitrogen, nitrate and air temperature. Variations in rotifer abundance were observed a month after changes in the phytoplankton community. Taxa, such as Filinia longiseta, Keratella lenzi and Keratella cochlearis, showed a temporal variation similar to that of other eutrophic reservoirs, while the heterogeneous distribution pattern observed in most taxa could be due to the hydrodynamics of the recently built reservoir and the adverse climatic conditions. KEYWORDS.Water supply, eutrophication, Cyanobacteria. RESUMO.A variação espacial e temporal de rotíferos foi analisada em um reservatório pequeno, raso e eutrófico, com intensas florações de algas Cyanobacteria, em sete pontos de amostragem durante 17 meses (março/2002 a julho/2003). Foram identificados 52 táxons em 16 famílias, sendo Brachionidade, Conochilidae, Synchaetidae, Lecanidae, Collothecidae, Trichocercidae e Gastropodidae as mais frequentes. Collotheca sp. foi abundante no inverno (período seco), enquanto Conochilus coenobasis Skorikov, 1914 e Keratella cochlearis Gosse, 1851 apresentaram baixas abundâncias. Brachionus mirus var. reductus (Koste, 1972), Filinia longiseta (Ehrenberg, 1834) e Keratella lenzi (Hauer, 1953) apresentaram picos de abundância no verão (período chuvoso), e Kellicottia bostonensis (Rousselet, 1908), Ploesoma truncatum (Levander, 1894), Polyarthra remata (Skorikov, 1896), Polyarthra vulgaris Carlin, 1943 e Ptygura sp. no inverno, entretanto, relacionados a chuvas atípicas. Diferenças significativas do número de táxons e da abundância total dos rotíferos ocorreram entre os meses amostrados. A análise de correspondência canônica explicou 46% da relação da abundância dos rotíferos e variáveis ambientais, correlacionados com a pluviosidade, nitrito, temperatura da água, nitrogênio orgânico, nitrato e temp...

This study evaluated changes in the community of rotifers and microcrustaceans associated with the construction of a large and dendritic reservoir in Iguaçu River (Brazil), as the last reservoir of a sequence of five cascading systems. Differences were clear between pre-filling and post-filling phases for organisms and some of environmental variables. In the pre-filling phase, the community was more homogeneous along the downstream river gradient, and spatial compartmentalization in the new reservoir was common during the post-filling phase. From 140 identified taxa, 10 species occurred exclusively in the pre-filling phase and 32 in the post-filling phase. After completion of the fifth reservoir filling-up, opportunistic, pioneer and fast-developing species quickly dominated, and downstream of the fourth reservoir the pre-filling decreasing gradient of richness, diversity and evenness disappeared. Richness of rotifers and cladocerans, cladocerans diversity, and evenness of rotifers, cladocerans and copepods were generally higher in the post-filling phase. A non-metric multidimensional analysis based on a presence/absence matrix depicted a homogeneous and dense group of species associated to the pre-filling phase and a second, dispersed group related to the post-filling phase. Spearman correlations pointed out significant positive effects of transparency on rotifer species richness in the post-filling phase, and negative effects on the microcrustacean richness in the pre-filling phase. Dam construction caused disruption of the downstream lotic gradient along the series of dams, leading to the development of distinct species in lentic spatial compartments. Efeitos contínuos sobre rotíferos e microcrustáceos causados pela construção de um reservatório a jusante de uma série em cascata, Rio Iguaçú, Brasil Resumo Esse estudo analisou os efeitos da construção de um reservatório largo e dendrítico no Brasil sobre a comunidade de rotíferos e microcrustáceos, sendo o último reservatório de uma cascata de cinco. Houve claras diferenças entre as fases pré e pós-enchimento para os organismos e para algumas variáveis ambientais. Na fase pré-enchimento, a comunidade foi mais homogênea no gradiente longitudinal no rio a jusante, e na fase pós-enchimento houve compartimentalização espacial no novo reservatório. Dos 140 táxons identificados, dez espécies ocorreram exclusivamente na fase pré-enchimento e 32 na fase pós-enchimento. Após o enchimento, espécies oportunistas, pioneiras e de rápido desenvolvimento foram dominantes, e desapareceu o gradiente de decréscimo a jusante do quarto reservatório para a riqueza, diversidade e equitabilidade durante a fase pré-enchimento. A riqueza de rotíferos e cladóceros, a diversidade de cladóceros, e a equitabilidade de rotíferos, cladóceros e copépodes foram elevadas na fase pós-enchimento. A análise de escalonamento multidimensional não-métrico sobre a matriz de presença e ausência mostrou um grupo homogêneo e denso de espécies e meses de amostragem na fase pré-enchimento, e outro grupo d...

ABSTRACT. Planktonic rotifers and cyclopoid copepods were studied in two reservoirs of different trophic states (eutrophic and oligo/mesoeutrophic) in the south of Brazil. During a year, monthly samplings were carried out in three stations in each reservoir. Species richness, frequency and abundance were used to find out useful and indicatives trends of water quality based on these organisms, reinforced by literature data. Species that showed higher differences between reservoirs were chosen. For Rotifera, richness, frequency and abundance of Brachionus were higher in the eutrophic reservoir, but Plationus patulus occurred only in the oligo/mesotrophic reservoir. For copepods, Tropocyclops prasinus dominated in the eutrophic reservoir, but Thermocyclops decipiens, T. minutus, T. inversus and Microcyclops anceps were dominants in the oligo/mesotrophic reservoir. In the canonical correspondence analysis, these species were indicators of the trophic state and were related with chlorophyll-a, total phytoplankton and total phosphorus. The use of these species can be efficient in the studied regions (subtropical/temperate), but comparing with other Brazilian reservoirs of tropical climate, the results could be different. Despite the dominance of T. decipiens over T. minutus, T. inversus has been widely used in Brazil as an indicator of eutrophic waters; in those cases of excessive eutrophication, other species, more rustic, commonly dominate. In the present study, Thermocyclops was dominant in the oligo/mesotrophic reservoir. The dominance of Brachionus for rotifers and Tropocyclops prasinus and Acanthocyclops robustus for copepods were indicative of eutrophic conditions. Keywords: abundance, bioindicators, diversity, evenness, species richness, Brazil.Relaciones entre los rotíferos, copépodos planctónicos ciclopoides y la calidad del agua en dos embalses brasileños RESUMEN. Se analizaron los rotíferos y copépodos planctónicos ciclopoides colectados en dos embalses de diferentes estados tróficos (eutróficos y oligo/mesoeutróficos) en el sur de Brasil. Durante un año, se efectuaron muestreos mensuales, en tres estaciones en cada embalse. La riqueza de especies, frecuencia y abundancia, se utilizó para determinar tendencias útiles e indicativas de la calidad del agua sobre la base de estos organismos, complementando con datos de la literatura. Se escogieron aquellas especies que presentaron las mayores diferencias. Para rotíferos, la riqueza, frecuencia y abundancia de Brachionus fueron más altas en el embalse eutrófico, Plationus patulus se detectó sólo en el embalse oligo/mesotrófico. Para los copépodos, Tropocyclops prasinus dominó en el embalse eutrófico, mientras que Thermocyclops decipiens, T. minutus, T. inversus y Microcyclops anceps dominaron en el embalse oligo/mesotrófico. En el análisis de correspondencia canónica, estas especies fueron indicadoras del estado trófico y se relacionaron con la clorofila-a, fitoplancton total y fósforo total. El uso de estas especies puede ser eficaz en las regiones estudiadas ...

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of alterations in pluviosity and ecological variables on microphytoplankton (> 20 µm) structure (composition, richness, diversity, and abundance) and its biomass (chlorophyll-a), comparing different regions in a stretch of the low Iguaçu River and in some tributaries. Phytoplankton was sampled in 10 stations (5 in Iguaçu River and 5 in tributaries) during a dry period (April/2004) and an atypical rainy period (June/2004). The conductivity showed significant difference among the sampling points. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, silicate, and nitrate showed significant differences between the dry and wet periods. Phytoplankton was composed of 149 taxa, and the most representative class was Chlorophyceae (71 taxa), followed by Bacillariophyceae (35 taxa), and Cyanophyceae (25 taxa). During the rainy period, stations of Iguaçu River showed higher taxa number and total density compared to the tributaries, but the values were similar in the dry period. Tributaries presented higher diversity and equitability in both periods. Except by two stations in Iguaçu River, the higher taxa number, densities and biomass occurred in the dry period, associated to low levels of suspended matter. The canonical correspondence analysis indicated the dominance of Bacillariophyceae and Chrysophyceae in the rainy period related to nitrate and suspended matter. Two other groups were observed in the dry period: one formed by Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae, and Rhodophyceae, related to temperature and nitrite and other by Euglenophyceae and Chlorophyceae related to total phosphorus and silicate. The groups suggest adequate conditions of the physical, chemical and climatic factors to the establishment of the algae classes. Phytoplanktonic assemblages responded quickly to the environmental regional variations under strong influence of pluviosity, while in the dry period, homogeneity among stations and environmental variables was observed. The importance of climatic events is relevant in ecological studies in a temporal scale.

Nesse trabalho foram listadas e caracterizadas as espécies zooplanctônicas coletadas em cinco pontos no rio Itajaí-Acú, a jusante da cidade de Blumenau, Santa Catarina, no mês de julho de 2003. Foram identificadas 23 espécies de Rotifera, 22 de Cladocera e seis de Copepoda. Espacialmente, os pontos com fluxo mais lêntico e fundo arenoso-lodoso registraram maior número de espécies. Foram observadas maior riqueza e densidade de Rotifera, organismos esses considerados cosmopolitas e com um amplo espectro alimentar. Duas famílias de Cladocera, Bosminidae e Chydoridae apresentaram grande diversidade e densidade. A primeira, geralmente herbívora, foi registrada nos pontos com características mais lênticas, e a segunda é tipicamente bentônica, representada por várias espécies em todos os pontos. Copepoda registrou baixa densidade por ser um ambiente lótico, com o domínio das formas larvais (nauplio e copepodito) e maior número de espécies nos pontos mais lênticos. No presente estudo, o rio encontravase em intenso período de estiagem, podendo ser esse o fator da baixa diversidade em geral observada em todos os pontos. Todas as espécies registradas são comuns na região tropical.

Zooplankton exhibit several trends of variation in space and time, and these trends can be more evident in natural environments without anthropic perturbations. Examples of anthropic factors are climate change, eutrophication and construction of reservoirs. This study evaluated the influence of three factors – seasonality, type of environment and the presence of aquatic macrophytes – on various ecological attributes of rotifers in a river-lake system located in the Paraná River floodplain. Monthly samplings were conducted during 1993 and 1994. The mean species richness per sample was 60 species. The seasonality and the type of environment influenced the ecological attributes of rotifer assemblages, while the presence or absence of aquatic macrophytes did not. Species richness was highest in the lake system and during the months when water levels were low. Multivariate analysis indicates a small group of species associated with the low water-level phase. In contrast, many species were associated with high water levels or increasing water levels. The seasonal variation of hydrological cycle and the type of environment are the most important factors for rotifer structure in natural conditions.

Este trabalho registra a primeira ocorrência de Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), uma espécienativa da região Indo-Pacífica, para o litoral do Paraná. Sua presença foi reportada em meados dadécada de 90 para a região do Nordeste e, posteriormente, encontrado ao longo do litoral sul dosEstados do Rio de janeiro, São Paulo e Santa Catarina.