Anthropogenic disturbances influencing ciliate functional feeding groups in impacted tropical streams

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-10, Vol.23 (19), p.20003-20016
• Main Authors: Segovia, Bianca Trevizan, Lansac-Toha, Fernando Miranda, de Meira, Bianca Ramos, Cabral, Adalgisa Fernanda, Lansac-Tôha, Fabio Amodêo, Velho, Luiz Felipe Machado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacteria; Ciliophora - physiology; Creeks & streams; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological function; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental conditions; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Humans; Organic loading; Organic matter; Pollution; Rain; Rainy season; Research Article; Riparian vegetation; River ecology; Rivers; Stream water; Streams; Studies; Urban agriculture; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7185-0

Anthropogenic disturbances change the trophic structure of streams, ultimately affecting ecosystem functioning. We investigated the effects of human disturbances, mainly organic pollution, on ciliate functional feeding groups (FFG) in 10 tropical streams near agricultural and urban habitats, in the dry and rainy seasons. We hypothesised that the organic pollution would affect the ciliate composition and that the richness and abundance of ciliate FFG would be associated with different disturbances, such that an increase in the load of organic matter would result in an increase in the percentage of bacterivores ciliates, while streams with low organic matter concentration and wide canopy openness will determine a higher contribution of algivorous ciliates. Our results corroborate our hypothesis of an increased development of bacterivorous ciliates with increasing organic pollution, but only in the abundance of this FFG. Also, algivorous ciliates were found to be related to riparian vegetation clearing. Thus, ciliate FFG accurately reflected different anthropogenic disturbances, revealing a change in the trophic structure of the streams. In addition, we found that organic pollution can lead to both taxonomic and functional homogenization of the ciliate community, which implies serious consequences for ecosystem functioning.