Structure of the zooplankton communities in macrophytes stand of a Neotropical floodplain (the Paraná River, Brazil)

• Published in: International review of hydrobiology. Vol. 98; no. 2; pp. 89 - 103
• Main Authors: Colares, Maria Alice Mendes, Bonecker, Cláudia Costa, Simões, Nadson Ressyé, Alves, Geziele Mucio, Lansac-Tôha, Fábio Amodêo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-05-2013; Wiley-VCH; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquatic plants; Backwater; Biological and medical sciences; Diversity; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Invertebrates; Less representative or incertae sedis groups: acanthocephala, chaetognatha, gnathostomulida, lophophoria, merostomata, mesozoa, myxozoa, nematorhyncha, pararthropoda, placozoa, priapuloidea, prochordata, pycnogonida, rotifera; Macrophytes; Microcrustacean; Rotifer; Rotifera; Synecology; South America; Brazil; America; Argentina, Buenos Aires, Parana R; Brazil, Upper Parana R; Backwater; Abandoned arm; Diversity; Rivers; Freshwater environment; Aquatic environment; Flood plain; Macrophytes; Hydrobiology; Microcrustacean; Stream; Aquatic plant; Invertebrata; Neotropical Region; Rotifera; Zooplankton; Rotifer; Community
• ISSN: 1434-2944; 1522-2632
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.201301471

This study evaluated the structure of the invertebrate community in plankton of the littoral region of three backwaters of the Upper Paraná River floodplain close to macrophyte stands during different hydrological periods. Samplings were conducted using vertical hauls with a plankton net (68 μm). A total of 81 rotifer taxa and 78 microcrustacean taxa were identified. Both rotifer and microcrustaceans presented higher richness and abundance during the high water period. On the other hand, the highest species diversity for both groups was observed in the low water period. The dissimilarities in composition between sampling sites within each backwater were greater in the high water period. However, the results for beta diversity highlighted a higher dissimilarity of composition and abundance between backwaters in the low water period. The results suggested a stronger temporal influence on the attributes of rotifer and microcrustacean communities, thus stressing the preponderance of the flood pulse in these environments.