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Aim Our study evaluated the effects of extreme weather events and environmental conditions on the trophic groups of copepods (herbivores and omnivores) in the upper Paraná River floodplain. Methods The zooplankton were collected and Copepods and Rotifers were analyzed in nine environments of the upper Paraná River floodplain during 2000 and 2010, during which time the La Niña (drought) and El Niño (flood) climatic events occurred, respectively. Results The results suggest that in periods of extreme drought productivity-related variables act as determining forces on abundance of copepod trophic groups due to the contraction of aquatic ecosystems. Although the abundance of trophic groups is associated with system productivity, the responses between them differ, since herbivore abundance was associated with chlorophyll-a and total phosphorus and omnivores with rotifer abundance. In extreme flood (El Niño), no significant relationship was found between environmental variables and any trophic group. Conclusions In general, it is believed that in periods of extreme drought the variables associated with productivity act as determining forces on the abundance of trophic groups of copepods due to the contraction of aquatic ecosystems. According to the results found, it is suggested that other works be carried out with a greater number of extreme events to corroborate our results and, and also to extrapolate to other aquatic communities.

Aim: This study investigated changes in copepod abundance and the influence of environmental variables in a reservoir with fish farming using cages, on temporal and spatial scales. We hypothesised that the copepod abundance will increase when influenced by changes in environmental variables due the increase of nutrients originating from fish farming. Methods A 120-day sampling of copepods and environmental variables was carried out in a subtropical reservoir of the Paraná River basin (Rosana reservoir), upstream and downstream of three sets of cages with different fish stocking densities. A Principal Component Analysis was conducted to characterise sampling periods and points through environmental variables. The differences between copepod abundance according to sampling periods and points were tested by ANOVA. Results We observed higher maximum values for most nutrient concentrations and dissolved oxygen in the final stage of the experiment and in the location of cages installation. The copepod abundance increased sharply during the first days of the experiment and then decreased during the following periods with a tendency towards returning to the initial conditions at the final stage of the experiment. A significant difference in copepod abundance between the location of cages installation and downstream was showed. In addition, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, and nitrate significantly predicted copepod abundance. Conclusion The results suggested that the changes in copepod abundance over time are influenced by environmental variables, evidenced by the increase in nutrient concentration after the cage installation, related to the increase in the practice of fish farming. The environmental variables related to system productivity were linked to the availability of food resources. Thus, our hypothesis that copepod abundance is increased due the alterations in environmental variables caused by the increase in the practice of fish farming using cages was corroborated. Resumo Objetivo: Este estudo investigou a variação na abundância dos copépodes e a influência das variáveis ambientais nessa variação em uma área de reservatório com atividade de piscicultura em tanques-rede, em escala temporal e espacial. Nossa hipótese foi que a abundância de copépodes aumentará influenciada pelas alterações nas variáveis ambientais causadas pelo aumento dos nutrientes provenientes deste tipo de atividade. Métodos As amostragens foram realizadas em um reservatório subtropical, na bacia do rio Paraná (reservatório de Rosana), a montante e a jusante de três conjuntos de tanques-rede com diferentes densidades de estocagem de peixes, durante 120 dias. Uma Análise de Componentes Principais foi realizada para caracterizar os períodos e pontos de amostragem por meio de variáveis ambientais. As diferenças entre a abundância de copépodes de acordo com os períodos e pontos de amostragem foram testadas pela ANOVA. Resultados Foram observados maiores valores máximos para a maioria das concentrações de nutrientes e de oxigênio dissolvido na fase final do experimento e no local de instalação dos tanques-rede. A abundância de copépodes aumentou bruscamente nos primeiros dias do experimento e, posteriormente, diminuiu nos tempos seguintes. Foi observada uma diferença significativa na abundância de copépodes entre o local de instalação dos tanques e a jusante. As variáveis ambientais turbidez, clorofila-a e nitrato foram significativas para predizer a abundância de copépodes. Conclusões Os resultados sugerem que as alterações na abundância dos copépodes ao longo do tempo são influenciadas pelas alterações das variáveis ambientais, evidenciadas pelo aumento das concentrações de nutrientes, após a instalação dos tanques, relacionadas ao incremento da atividade de piscicultura. As variáveis ambientais relacionadas à produtividade do sistema foram relacionadas à disponibilidade de recursos alimentares. Dessa forma, a hipótese de que a abundância dos copépodes aumenta devido às alterações das variáveis ambientais, causadas pelo incremento da atividade de piscicultura em tanques-rede, foi corroborada.