The role of macrophytes in habitat structuring in aquatic ecosystems: methods of measurement, causes and consequences on animal assemblages' composition and biodiversity

Thomaz, Sidinei Magela; Cunha, Eduardo Ribeiro

doi:10.4322/actalb.02202011

Cited by 347 publications

(242 citation statements)

References 78 publications

(137 reference statements)

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“…However, macrophytes also play important ecological functions (Madsen et al, 2001;Engelhardt and Ritchie, 2002) as they provide habitat and resources for invertebrates, *Corresponding author: fmpelicice@gmail.com fish and other organisms (Pelicice et al, 2005;Agostinho et al, 2007a;Gualdoni et al, 2009;Thomaz and Cunha, 2010). In addition, aquatic plants show high rates of primary production (Boyd, 1971;No˜ges et al, 2010) and participate in nutrient cycling (Carpenter and Lodge, 1986;Cronin et al, 2006;Bini et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometric and biotic variables as potential predictors ofLudwigia sedoides(Humb. & Bonpl.) Hara in a large Amazonian reservoir

Barbosa

Kobayashi

Pelicice

2014

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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-Reservoirs cause hydrological changes (i.e., water level stabilization) that favor the colonization of aquatic macrophytes. Knowing the ecological factors that determine the occurrence of these plants is critical for water management (e.g., plant control) and biodiversity conservation. In this sense, the present study investigated colonization patterns of Ludwigia sedoides in Lajeado reservoir (Tocantins River, Amazon Basin), in order to identify variables that influence colonization at habitat scale. We investigated the relationship between colonization (coverage area and occurrence) and morphometric (fetch, slope, depth and distance from shoreline) and biotic variables (local diversity of macrophytes and co-occurrence patterns). Stepwise regression selected fetch, depth and slope as the best variables to explain the variation in L. sedoides coverage, which together explained 46% of data variability. Fetch and slope were negatively correlated with coverage, whereas depth showed a positive correlation. No biotic variable was included in the model (P > 0.05). However, the investigation of the geometric shape of bivariate correlations (null models) showed positive relationships with local species richness and richness of life forms (i.e., submerged, emergent, floating and epiphytic). In addition, an analysis of species co-occurrence (C-score) revealed that L. sedoides is negatively associated with some macrophyte species. We believe, however, that these results may be associated with species preferences for particular environmental conditions. In conclusion, the present study indicated that morphometric variables are potential predictors of the colonization of L. sedoides in Lajeado reservoir. Sheltered sites with low slope and moderate depths represent favorable environment for colonization and growth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphometric and biotic variables as potential predictors ofLudwigia sedoides(Humb. & Bonpl.) Hara in a large Amazonian reservoir

Barbosa

Kobayashi

Pelicice

2014

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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“…This group colonizes many different types of aquatic ecosystems and this variety of environments results from a set of adaptive strategies achieved over evolutionary time (Thomaz and Cunha, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

Occurrence of Macrophytes species in the lower basin of the Xingu River

et al. 2015

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“…This type of wetland is widely distributed in the Brazilian Cerrado, and it is considered a heterogeneous ecosystem due to the presence of large numbers of plant species with different life forms and morphological architectures. These characteristics favor the association of a high diversity of taxonomic groups for differential diversification of ecological niches and habitats (Thomaz and Cunha, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main feature pointed is the density increasing because of the decline on predation rate in function of the refuge zones provides by aquatic vegetation (Thomaz et al, 2008;Padial et al, 2009;Thomaz and Cunha, 2010;Mormul et al, 2011). This feature, undoubtedly influence the diversity of species and need to be considered in sampling methods that aim survey biodiversity data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a new sampling method for assessing Cladocera richness (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in macrophyte-rich wetlands

Sousa

Elmoor-Loureiro

Mendonça-Galvão

et al. 2014

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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-The wetlands found in the Brazilian Cerrado are poorly studied environments regarding ecological aspects. Assessing the diversity of aquatic invertebrates in wetlands is a challenging task, since there are no standard sampling methods that minimize the spatial effects caused by macrophytes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a new sampling method for assessing Cladocera richness in macrophyte-rich wetlands of Brazilian Cerrado. In six wetlands, one transect was established which corresponded to a gradient of depth or change in aquatic vegetation. Samples containing cladocerans were collected using plankton net dragged among aquatic vegetation in the dry and rainy seasons. The species accumulation curves using non-parametric estimators and the overestimation of richness were used to determine the sampling efficiency. The species accumulation curves showed different asymptotic trends regarding the season and wetland studied. Especially in the rainy season, an asymptotic trend was not observed in two of the wetlands studied, which may reflect the influence of seasonality on Cladocera assemblage. Nevertheless, the overestimation of species richness showed that the method of sampling was able to find more than 60% of the estimated species richness, regardless of season or wetland studied. These results indicate that the method employed for sampling Cladocera in the Cerrado wetlands can be considered adequate.

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The role of macrophytes in habitat structuring in aquatic ecosystems: methods of measurement, causes and consequences on animal assemblages' composition and biodiversity

Cited by 347 publications

References 78 publications

Morphometric and biotic variables as potential predictors ofLudwigia sedoides(Humb. & Bonpl.) Hara in a large Amazonian reservoir

Morphometric and biotic variables as potential predictors ofLudwigia sedoides(Humb. & Bonpl.) Hara in a large Amazonian reservoir

Occurrence of Macrophytes species in the lower basin of the Xingu River

Evaluation of a new sampling method for assessing Cladocera richness (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in macrophyte-rich wetlands

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