Assessing the role of canopy cover on the colonization of phytotelmata by aquatic invertebrates: an experiment with the tank-bromeliad Aechmea lingulata

Abstract

The presence of canopy cover may influence the amount of organic detritus and stored water in bromeliad tanks and, consequently, the colonization of these ecosystems by aquatic invertebrates. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of canopy cover on the colonization of the tank-bromeliad Aechmea lingulata in the restinga, an ecosystem composed of a variety of plant communities in the sandy coastal plains of Brazil. We hypothesized that the taxonomic composition of invertebrate communities would differ between bromeliads covered and not covered by a dense canopy (shaded and unshaded bromeliads). Prior to the beginning of the experiment, bromeliads of similar size were carefully washed to remove all organisms and organic detritus, and their tanks were filled with 1.0 L of spring water. On days 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, 60 and 90, four bromeliad tanks of each shade treatment were sampled to determine invertebrate communities, stored water and organic detritus. Average daily values of water temperature and light intensity were higher in unshaded than in shaded bromeliads. The amount of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) and stored water did not differ between treatments, but the amount of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) was higher in shaded bromeliads. Ostracoda, Hydracarina and Oligochaeta were the most abundant taxa in bromeliad tanks. Among insects, Culicidae, Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae were the most representative. Invertebrate colonization occurred quickly and values of abundance were higher in unshaded bromeliads compared to shaded bromeliads. The values for biomass and richness did not differ between treatments or colonization times, and the taxonomic composition of invertebrate communities was similar throughout the experiment. Our results showed that canopy cover had a small influence on the colonization of tanks of A. lingulata in restinga, not corroborating the proposed hypothesis. These findings were likely due to the lack of variation in environmental conditions that are relevant to the colonization process, such as stored water and FPOM. However, because the amounts of CPOM were higher in shaded bromeliads, the taxonomic composition of invertebrate communities could have differed if typical shredders were present.

<b>Trends in the scientific production on aquatic microhabitats phytotelmata: a scientometric study

“…Bromeliads are one of the plant families that accumulate rainwater in rosettes formed by the bundling of their leaves, becoming a water tank that guarantees living conditions to the fauna and flora that inhabit these microhabitats (Marques & Forattini, 2005). They are the plants with the highest phytotelmata record due mainly to their foliar rosette morphological structure, which captures and accumulates water and organic matter, providing the aggregation of an enormous biodiversity, being the focus of environmental and ecological studies mainly in the Americas (Rangel et al, 2017). The accumulated phytotelma in these plants serves as a habitat for bacteria, protozoa, insect larvae and adult arthropods, small anuran amphibians, and other micro and macroinvertebrates (Paula Júnior, Rosa, Alves, & Divino, 2017).…”

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from an urban forest fragment in Central Amazon (Brazil): Effects of opening areas on abundance, richness, and composition

“…However, in our study, water temperature did not differ between the two seasons. In addition, we did not record any dried containers (minimum volume = 176.67 mL), which may have reduced the effects of precipitation on Ceratopogonidae (Rangel et al 2017). In addition, in the Amazon region, the higher leaf inputs occur in the dry season (Tonin et al 2017), which may have attenuated the lower water volume in containers in this season.…”

Ecologia De Bentos: Uma Semente No Sedimento Do Laboratório De Limnologia Da Ufrj

“…Na área temática "Processos Ecológicos, Interações Tróficas e Estequiometria Ecológica", os artigos sobre o ciclo de vida, produção secundária e participação das ninfas de Campsurus notatus (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcyidae) no processo de bioturbação em lagos impactados por mineração de bauxita (Leal & Esteves 2000;Leal et al 2007) e sobre a importância da diversidade de comunidades bentônicas no processo de bioturbação em lagoas costeiras foram os que mais contribuíram para o tópico "Sedimento" (#1). O tópico "Colonização de Detritos" (#2) recebeu as maiores contribuições de artigos que avaliaram os efeitos da cobertura vegetal em comunidades de invertebrados em fitotelmatas (Rangel et al 2017), a colonização de detritos foliares em riachos (Biasi et al 2013) e a decomposição de macrófitas aquáticas em um lago subtropical (Carvalho et al 2015). Os estudos sobre as diferenças na estrutura de comunidades bentônicas e processos ecológicos em riachos neotropicais de diferentes biomas (Feio et al 2018), as relações da vegetação ripária, comunidades aquáticas e decomposição de matéria orgânica (Ferreira et al 2016) e os efeitos da perda de vegetação ripária na biodiversidade aquática (Dala-Corte et al 2020) foram os que mais contribuíram para o tópico "Vegetação Ripária" (#3).…”