Distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in a tropical reservoir cascade

The functioning of systems arranged in cascades of reservoirs can be explained by the Cascading Reservoir Continuum Concept, providing a theoretical framework for addressing ecological processes. In this context, this study tested the following hypotheses: (i) the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 2016-02, Vol.765 (1), p.265-275
Main Authors: dos Santos, Natália Carneiro Lacerda, de Santana, Herick Soares, Dias, Rosa Maria, Borges, Hugo Leandro Ferreira, de Melo, Viviane Ferreira, Severi, William, Gomes, Luiz Carlos, Agostinho, Angelo Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic ecology
Aquatic environment
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Decision making
Ecology
food chain
Food chains
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Invertebrates
Life Sciences
Macroinvertebrates
Primary Research Paper
Reservoirs
Rivers
water reservoirs
Zoology
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Summary:The functioning of systems arranged in cascades of reservoirs can be explained by the Cascading Reservoir Continuum Concept, providing a theoretical framework for addressing ecological processes. In this context, this study tested the following hypotheses: (i) the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage shows a nested distribution along a reservoir cascade; and (ii) local factors explain the structure of the benthic assemblage in every reservoir along the cascade. Macroinvertebrates play essential role in aquatic systems, especially due to recycling and, in reservoirs, as important links in every food chain. Sampling was conducted quarterly between October 2006 and September 2010 in six reservoirs located in the São Francisco River, Brazil. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage showed nested distribution in the reservoirs, indicating that a loss of species occurs along the cascade. Each reservoir presented a different set of variables that explained the distribution of macroinvertebrates, showing the importance of local factors determining the composition and distribution of benthic assemblages in the reservoirs. Therefore, there is a clear interaction between the position of a reservoir along a cascade and the macroinvertebrate assemblages, which indicate the importance of considering this pattern during the decision-making process of constructing new dams on rivers already regulated.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/s10750-015-2419-6