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Although climate change models predict more frequent and severe climatic events such as droughts, the effects of drought on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from lentic ecosystems are still poorly understood. Moreover, little is known of the extent to which drought effects on GHG emissions depends on the occurrence and intensity of previous droughts (legacy effect). Here, we examined the temporal stability of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during rewetting after a drought, and how drought legacy modulates this response. Laboratory microcosms containing sediments from natural lentic ecosystems were pre-exposed to drying-rewetting treatments (hereafter “D-RW event”) that differed by the durations of both the drying and rewetting periods. Then, we analyzed the resistance and the recovery rates of CH4 and CO2 emissions following a second drying-rewetting event equally established in all treatments. Water column was kept constant in controls. We found a pulse of CH4 and CO2 emissions upon the second dry-rewetting event, followed by a progressive recovery toward control emissions. This response was regulated by the drought legacy effect: the recovery of GHG emissions was faster in microcosms that had been subjected to a previous drought. For CO2 emissions, the drought legacy effect was stronger (faster recovery) where previous drought was longer. We therefore emphasize the incorporation of GHG emissions during D-RW events into GHG emission estimates, especially because climate models predict scenarios of drought intensification. While contemporary climate should be the dominant driver of GHGs from lentic ecosystems, previous drought can also regulate their response to D-RW events.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T15:36:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-02-28 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis Understanding whether and how different habitat features affect patterns of life-history variation is an intriguing aim in evolutionary ecology. We tested how a suite of biotic and abiotic factors simultaneously affect life-history patterns in six populations of the livebearing fish Poecilia vivipara inhabiting coastal lagoons in southeastern Brazil, varying greatly in salinity and fish communities. We sampled potential competitors (cyprinodontiform fishes) and piscivores, and we measured nine limnological variables in the wet and dry seasons during 2 years. We found that size at maturity and offspring size were strongly and negatively influenced by the abundance of piscivores, and that reproductive allocation was strongly and positively influenced by variations in resource abundance and temperature among seasons. Effects of salinity on size at maturity, female reproductive investment and offspring size were indirect, via piscivore abundance, highlighting the potential for indirect effects that can be detected only by analysing multiple habitat features simultaneously. This suggests caution in interpreting associations between life histories and salinity in wild populations. Observed patterns generally matched theoretical predictions and prior empirical work, but some predictions were not met. Our results suggest that life histories result from a partly predictable complex combination of direct and indirect effects of habitat features, which can sometimes act antagonistically. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências, Av. 24-A, 1515 Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade Department of Biological Sciences W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology North Carolina State University Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências, Av. 24-A, 1515

The use of native species’ stem cuttings in riparian forests disturbed by silting could be a promising low-tech alternative for restoration practitioners in riverscape rehabilitation. In this study, we evaluated the vegetative propagation of Amazonian native plants (Buchenavia parviflora, Euterpe oleracea, Ficus insipida and Socratea exorrhiza) with the addition of a bio-fertilizer, and humic and fulvic acids in soil disturbed by human-induced silting. We found that F. insipida and B. parviflora were able to grow and showed high survival percentage with the development of leaves, buds, and roots; even in nutrient deficient and clayey soils. We also found that the frequency of application and the concentration of the organic additives did not show significant influence on plants’ development. Thus, advance in situ tests with both species could be an interesting step to contribute to riverine ecosystems restoration practices.

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of two different sizes of the Surber sampler to assess benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams in two Amazonian regions. Two Surber samplers of different sizes were used, one measuring 20 × 20 cm and the other 30 × 30 cm, both with a 0.25-mm net. The number of replicates taken was 6 for the smaller sampler and 3 for the bigger one, maintaining approximately the same total sampled area. The study was carried out in 12 headwater streams with different environmental conditions. Biological metrics were calculated for each size at each site and compared within each stream health category. A two-way analysis of similarities test was performed to compare the community structure assessed by each method at each stream. A normalized sampling effort was used to quantify the number of samples required to correctly sample each site. The data did not show a significant difference between the two sizes regarding the taxonomic recruitment and the community structure sampled at each stream, but differences were found between the two sizes in dominance values and in Shannon index scores for the natural sites. Furthermore, the smaller Surber was able to assess 70% of the estimated richness in all sites, which suggests that it is better to assess benthic macroinvertebrates than the larger Surber. Moreover, the smaller Surber is easier to transport in the field, reducing the effort of the technician, and takes less time to sort the material collected with it, which can reduce the sample processing effort, therefore reducing the cost of the project.

The aim of this study was to analyze aquatic oligochaete distribution in relation to water column physicochemical variables, structural environmental variation, and predominant substrates in the preserved Amazonian streams of the Saracá-Taquera National Forest (FLONA Saracá-Taquera), northwest Pará, Brazil. Oligochaetes are widely used as bioindicators for monitoring aquatic environments as they are very sensitive to pollution and environmental changes. Physicochemical and structural variables were measured from 100 stream segments in order to understand the distribution of oligochaetes in Amazonian streams. Biotic samples were collected using Surber samplers in three of the most predominant substrate types in each segment. PERMANOVA testing showed that there was a significant difference in the oligochaete community among some substrates, potentially caused by a difference in the abundance of the most common taxa. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that physical variables drive the distribution of oligochaetes in preserved Amazonian streams, as they determine the formation of different substrates along the stream, from the source to the mouth; favoring the presence of oligochaetes with more specific ecological needs in low-order streams, and the presence of oligochaetes capable of colonizing various types of substrates and deeper zones in high-order streams. These results suggest that water depth and channel width are the main drivers of aquatic oligochaete distribution along Amazonian streams, determining the formation of unstable and low-quality substrates and, consequently, the low colonization by oligochaetes in high-order streams; and more diverse and stable substrate formation in low-order streams, favoring the colonization by diverse taxa of aquatic oligochaetes in low-order Amazonian streams. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a distribuição da comunidade de oligoquetos em relação às variáveis físico-químicas da coluna da água, variação estrutural do ambiente, e substratos predominantes em riachos amazônicos conservados na FLONA Saracá-Taquera, noroeste do Pará, Brasil. Oligochaetes são amplamente utilizados como bioindicadores para monitoramento de ambientes aquáticos, pois são muito sensíveis à poluição e às mudanças ambientais. Variáveis físico-químicas e estruturais de 100 trechos de riachos foram mensuradas para entender a distribuição de oligoquetos em riachos amazônicos. Amostras bióticas foram coletadas com amostrador Surber em três dos tipos de substratos mais predominantes em cada trecho. A PERMANOVA mostrou que há uma diferença significativa da comunidade de oligoquetos entre alguns substratos, possivelmente baseada nas diferenças no número do táxon mais comum. A Análise de Correspondência Canônica mostrou que as variáveis físicas controlam a distribuição da comunidade de oligoquetos em riachos amazônicos preservados, porque estas variáveis determinam a formação dos diferentes substratos ao longo do riacho, desde a nascente até a foz, favorecendo a presença de oligoquetos com necessidades ecológicas mais específicas em riachos de baixa ordem, e oligoquetos capazes de colonizar diferentes tipos de substrato e zonas mais profundas em riachos de ordem maior. Os resultados deste trabalho sugerem que a profundidade da água e a largura do canal são as variáveis que controlam a distribuição da comunidade de oligoquetos em riachos amazônicos, determinando a formação de substratos instáveis e de baixa qualidade, e consequentemente baixa colonização de oligoquetos, em riachos de ordem maior; e formação de substratos mais diversificados, mais estáveis e de qualidade em riachos de baixa ordem, favorecendo a colonização de diversos taxa de oligoquetos aquáticos em riachos amazônicos de baixa ordem. Fil: Bevilacqua, María Silvina. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Marchese Garello, Mercedes Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Felix, Rodrigo Weber. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Leal, João José Fonseca. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia; Brasil Fil: De Barros, Marcos Paulo Figueiredo. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Bozelli, Reinaldo Luiz. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Esteves, Francisco De Assis. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil

Biotic resistance mediated by native plant diversity has long been hypothesized to reduce the success of invading plant species in terrestrial systems in temperate regions. However, still little is known about the mechanisms driving invasion patterns in other biomes or latitudes. We help to fill this gap by investigating how native plant community presence and diversity, and the presence of native phylogenetically closely related species to an invader, would affect invader Hydrilla verticillata establishment success in tropical freshwater submerged plant communities. The presence of a native community suppressed the growth of H. verticillata, but did not prevent its colonisation. Invader growth was negatively affected by native plant productivity, but independent of native species richness and phylogenetic relatedness to the invader. Native plant production was not related to native species richness in our study. We show that resistance in these tropical aquatic submerged plant communities is mainly driven by the presence and biomass of a native community independent of native species diversity. Our study illustrates that resistance provided by these tropical freshwater submerged plant communities to invasive species contrasts to resistance described for other ecosystems. This emphasizes the need to include understudied systems when predicting patterns of species invasiveness and ecosystem invasibility across biomes.

Hydroelectric reservoirs bury significant amounts of organic carbon (OC) in their sediments. Many reservoirs are characterized by high sedimentation rates, low oxygen concentrations in bottom water and a high share of terrestrially derived OC, and all of these factors have been linked to a high efficiency of OC burial. However, investigations of OC burial efficiency (OCBE, i.e., the ratio between buried and deposited OC) in reservoirs are limited to a few studies, none of which include spatially resolved analyses. In this study we determined the spatial variation in OCBE in a large subtropical reservoir and related it to sediment characteristics. Our results show that the sediment accumulation rate explains up to 92 % of the spatial variability in OCBE, outweighing the effect of other variables, such as OC source and oxygen exposure time. OCBE at the pelagic sites varied from 48 to 86 % (mean 67 %) and decreased towards the dam. At the margins, OCBE was lower (9–17 %) due to the low sediment accumulation in shallow areas. Our data show that the variability in OCBE both along the rivers–dam and the margin–pelagic axes must be considered in whole-reservoir assessments. Combining these results with a spatially resolved assessment of sediment accumulation and OC burial in the studied reservoir, we estimated a spatially resolved mean OC burial efficiency of 57 %. Being the first assessment of OCBE with such a high spatial resolution in a reservoir, these results suggest that reservoirs may bury OC more efficiently than natural lakes.

Wetlands are the largest natural methane (CH 4 ) source and the vegetated littoral areas are the major contributors for CH 4 release from sediment to the atmosphere. Although the effects of herbivores on biomass removal, growth and reproduction of emergent macrophytes have been well documented, their effect on plant-mediated CH 4 fluxes, especially by insects, remains unknown. We performed a mesocosm experiment in which we simulated the damage caused by herbivorous insects and manipulated the density of damaged culms of Eleocharis equisetoides (4 levels — 0, 20, 50 and 100%) measuring the corresponding CH 4 emission, concentration and potential production in the sediment. We hypothesized that an increased percentage of culms with simulated herbivory would be associated with increased CH 4 fluxes from sediment toward the atmosphere. Simulated herbivory positively affected CH 4 emissions, but only under high herbivory pressure. The average CH 4 flux from mesocosms with 50% and 100% damaged culms was 3.5 higher than those with intact or low levels of damage. These results indicate that physical damage on macrophytes affects gas transport within the plants. A field survey in our studied system revealed that plant biomass consumed by herbivores is relatively low. This result highlight that insects may have a disproportional effect on CH 4 emissions, i.e., a very small damage (low biomass removal), when performed in many culms (50% and 100% of damaged culms treatments), may substantially increase CH 4 fluxes. In summary, our findings bring a new perspective to the influence of herbivory on CH 4 and carbon cycling, especially regarding the role insects might play.

Leaf litter mixtures and the amount of litter biomass in the litter standing stocks can affect the decomposition rates by modifying physical properties and resource heterogeneity in the litter layers. However, the potential interactive effects of litter mixtures and the amount of litter biomass on decomposition have been overlooked in the literature, even though both aspects of litter layer may be highly variable in space and time, within and across ecosystems. In a field experiment conducted in a seasonally dry tropical forest (also known as restinga forest), we investigated the individual and interactive effects of litter mixing and litter biomass on the decomposition of leaf litter from four species of trees, at both species- and assemblage-level. We hypothesized that the mixing of litter and higher litter biomass would both promote litter decomposition, and that litter mixture effects on decomposition at assemblage- and species specific-level would be stronger under higher litter biomass. Mixing of litter and the amount of litter in the standing stocks had no significant individual effects on decomposition, neither at the assemblage- or species specific-level. However, we observed an interactive effect between both experimental factors for the decomposition of a single species, where, contrary to our predictions, the decomposition of Andira legalis at low litter biomass was slightly reduced in the litter mixture. Our results indicate that litter decomposition in the restinga ecosystem should be highly predictable with knowledge of species composition and species-specific decomposition rates, and suggest that, at least for seasonally dry tropical ecosystems, the mixing of litter may have only a small effect on the decomposition process.

This chapter describes a 25-year experience of restoration of a vast area impacted by a bauxite tailings spill over Lake Batata and its marginal igapo vegetation in Central Amazonia. It reviews papers and theses produced during this period and aims to provide a view of the restoration process from the past into the future. The main conclusions of this long-term restoration effort are: (1) Despite the sterility and difficult penetrability of the consolidated tailings substrate, igapo plants have been capable to establish and grow spontaneously in these areas, reaching reproductive stage and completing full life cycles; (2) Wherever natural regeneration was not possible, either due to topographic reasons or to water movements, human intervention by planting seedlings was also viable; (3) In areas subjected to longer term flooding (>8–9 months a year), planting is either physically not possible or, whenever possible, saplings die; (4) Natural regeneration and planting, altogether, were responsible for returning species richness and diversity to impacted areas, but floristic similarity with native, nonimpacted sites was moderate to low; this established vegetation produces shade, litter, organic matter and thus create new habitats and organic substrate for other species to establish naturally; (5) Recuperation is variable depending on site characteristics (annual length of flooding, species introduced, etc.) but often slow and in worse case scenarios new forests may take more than 75 years to converge to similarity with native nonimpacted igapo; thus, additional interventions are necessary to further forest growth, structure and diversity; (6) Despite the challenges posed by the scale of this enterprise, relevant actions to speed up successional trajectory are feasible, necessary and include continuous monitoring and evaluation, litter and seed addition, and selection of framework species for replacements.

The flood pulse, as well as anthropogenic impacts, may shape the patterns of zooplankton communities. We evaluated the influence of bauxite tailings and water levels on zooplankton at sampling times precisely defined according to the water level. Our study area was Batata Lake, an Amazonian floodplain lake impacted by bauxite tailings. Zooplankton was sampled for seven years, four times a year, at two stations, one natural and the other impacted by bauxite tailings. Zooplankton was identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Differences in richness and densities between periods and stations were evaluated with a two-way ANOVA. An indicator species analysis was performed to assign species to sampling stations. Community richness was lower at low water and higher at high water, whereas densities showed the opposite result. Only one species was identified as an indicator, highlighting that the zooplankton composition in natural and impacted areas was similar. Densities were also similar at these stations, except for cladocerans, which showed higher densities at the impacted station. The use of samples taken at precisely defined flood pulse periods yielded expected but refined results, as the samples were based on a precise relationship with water levels that previous studies did not include.

Little effort has been devoted to charac- terizing the resting egg banks in tropical lakes. In this study, we evaluated the structure of egg banks across 26 Brazilian lakes located in four geographical regions. We also evaluated cross-taxon concordance in species richness and community similarity between dormant rotifers and dormant cladocerans, and searched for concordant patterns between dormant and active communities. We observed 88 taxa among all the hatchlings that belonged mainly to rotifers and cladocerans. Lakes located in the same geographical region displayed more similar dormant communities. Overall, no concordance was observed between dormant rotifers and dormant cladocerans. Concor- dance in community similarity was observed between dormant and active organisms but only for rotifers and the entire zooplankton community. Resting egg banks were not associated to a set of environmental variables. Our results demonstrate the occurrence of resting egg banks in several tropical lakes. Due to the weak concordant patterns, rotifers or cladocerans found in egg banks should be used cautiously as a surrogate of the other group in zooplankton surveys. Finally, the lack of strong concordance between the active and dormant stages of cladocerans suggests that some species may not receive appropriate cues to induce diapause.

Aquatic macrophytes in shallow lakes emit high levels of methane. We hypothesize that the presence of emergent aquatic macrophytes in an artificial shallow lake promotes important input of autochthonous organic matter (OM) in sediment and higher levels of methane emission via bubbles. Samplings were performed at three sites in a small, shallow subtropical lake: (1) one station in the limnetic region and (2) - (3) two stations in the littoral region ((2) inside and (3) outside aquatic macrophyte stands). A higher concentration of OM was observed at the macrophyte station, and within this site, a higher methane concentration was observed in the sediment. These results could explain the methane ebullition values at macrophyte sites. At the macrophyte station, methane emission via bubbles contributed 17% to 56% of the total methane emission; however, at the other stations, its contribution via bubbles, was lower than 1%. This research confirmed the importance of emergent macrophytes at Polegar Lake as a source of OM in sediment and methane emission via bubbles. Further, we could confirm the positive effects of temperature on methane emission, mainly by bubbles.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are expected to simultaneously affect ecosystems, however research on how each driver mediates the effect of the other has been limited in scope. The multiple stressor framework emphasizes non-additive effects, but biodiversity may also buffer the effects of climate change, and climate change may alter which mechanisms underlie biodiversity-function relationships. Here, we performed an experiment using tank bromeliad ecosystems to test the various ways that rainfall changes and litter diversity may jointly determine ecological processes. Litter diversity and rainfall changes interactively affected multiple functions, but how depends on the process measured. High litter diversity buffered the effects of altered rainfall on detritivore communities, evidence of insurance against impacts of climate change. Altered rainfall affected the mechanisms by which litter diversity influenced decomposition, reducing the importance of complementary attributes of species (complementarity effects), and resulting in an increasing dependence on the maintenance of specific species (dominance effects). Finally, altered rainfall conditions prevented litter diversity from fueling methanogenesis, because such changes in rainfall reduced microbial activity by 58%. Together, these results demonstrate that the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss on ecosystems cannot be understood in isolation and interactions between these stressors can be multifaceted.

El Programa de Postgrado en Ciencias del Ambiente y Conservacion (PPG-CiAC), creado en 2011, es el primer PPG de la Universidad Federal de Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) fuera de la capital del estado. En los ultimos cinco anos, fueron defendidas mas de 50 tesis de maestria en el programa, que por lo general tuvieron como objeto de estudio los ecosistemas y la sociedad del norte del estado de Rio de Janeiro, una region que ha experimentado importantes cambios socioeconomicos en las ultimas decadas. En conjunto, la produccion del PPG-CiAC contribuye al aumento del conocimiento cientifico multi e interdisciplinario regional, basado en la integracion de las ciencias naturales y sociales. En este articulo se presenta un resumen de las principales contribuciones del PPG-CiAC centrado en la promocion del desarrollo sustentable de la region.

The vertical sediment profiles (10 cm) of the margins of three shallow subtropical lakes (Rio Grande, Brazil) with different trophic states and surrounding areas were evaluated to identify the effects of the allochthonous input on the methane concentration in the sediment. Sediment cores were collected to quantify the organic matter content (OM) and total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and methane (CH4) concentrations. The three lakes were distinguished according to the trophic status and classified as oligotrophic, dystrophic and eutrophic. The natural characteristics of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes have been changed due to the allochthonous input of leaves and twigs (Eucalyptus sp.) and the excreta of birds, respectively. In the eutrophic lake, the allochthonous input contributed to high autochthonous production. The highest values of OM, TC, TN and TP were found in the superficial sediments of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes. The accumulation of allochthonous organic matter in the littoral zone promoted changes in the vertical sediment profiles and contributed to increases in the CH4 concentrations in the sediment.

Hydroelectric reservoirs bury significant amounts of organic carbon (OC) in their sediments. Many reservoirs are characterized by high sedimentation rates, low oxygen concentrations in bottom water, and a high share of terrestrially derived OC, and all of these factors have been linked to a high efficiency of OC burial. However, investigations of OC burial efficiency (OCBE, i.e. the ratio between OC buried and deposited) in reservoirs is limited to a few studies, none of which include spatially resolved analyses. In this study we determined the spatial variation in OCBE in a large tropical reservoir and related it to sediment characteristics. Our results show that the sediment accumulation rate explains up to 92 % of the spatial variability in OCBE, outweighing the effect of other variables, such as OC source and oxygen exposure time. OCBE at the pelagic sites varied from 48 to 86 % (mean 67 %) and decreased towards the dam. At the margins, OCBE was lower (9 to 17 %) due to the low sediment accumulation in shallow areas. Our data show that the variability in OCBE both along the rivers-dam and the margin-pelagic axes must be considered in whole-reservoir assessments. Combining these results with a spatially resolved assessment of sediment accumulation and OC burial in the studied reservoir, we estimated a whole-basin OC burial efficiency of 57 %. Being the first whole-basin assessment of OCBE in a reservoir, these results suggest that reservoirs may bury OC more efficiently than natural lakes.

Ecological stoichiometry (ES) and allometry offer frameworks for predicting how nutrient recycling varies within and among animal species. Despite the importance of benthic-derived nutrients in most aquatic systems, predictions based on ES and allometry have been poorly tested among benthic invertebrate consumers. Here, we show that the rates and ratios at which three freshwater benthic invertebrate species (a crustacean, an insect, and a polychaeta) recycled nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can be partially predicted by ES and allometry depending on whether data are analyzed intra- or interspecifically. Mass-specific N and P excretion rates were negatively correlated with invertebrate body size both among and within taxa, supporting allometric predictions. However, mass-specific N and P excretion rates were positively and negatively correlated to invertebrate body N and P, respectively, but only when data were analyzed intraspecifically. As a corollary, the mass-specific N:P excretion ratio was positively related to body N:P ratio. Such a contrasting pattern on excretion-mediated N and P recycling suggests that stoichiometric constraints regarding consumer-resource imbalances for the three species utilized in this study may be stronger for P than for N. Our results indicate that the variation in nutrient recycling, which is mediated by taxonomic constraints on stoichiometry and allometry, may substantially help us to understand the importance of benthic detritivorous species to the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

We utilized laboratory microcosms to evaluate the effects of a benthic sediment bioturbator ( Heteromastus similis ; Polychaeta; conveyor-belt deposit feeder) on vertical distributions of CH4 in sediment and net CH4 fluxes across sediment–water–air interfaces. The effect of H. similis on sediment CH4 concentration ([CH4]) varied depending on sediment depth and was strongest at higher animal densities. In comparison with defaunated controls, microcosms with the highest density of H. similis exhibited an increase in [CH4] of 3.7-fold, on average, at the sediment surface (0–2 cm), but these concentrations decreased by ~2-fold in deeper sediment layers (2–8 cm). However, irrespective of sediment depth, the density of H. similis resulted in an overall nonlinear reduction of bulk sediment [CH4]. Most of the observed CH4 losses from the sediment were due to CH4 oxidation, but the bioturbatory activities of H. similis also promoted significant increases in [CH4] in both the water column and the microcosm headspace. These results suggest that benthic invertebrates can mediate CH4 turnover between compartments in aquatic ecosystems, with further consequences for the coupling between benthic–pelagic food chains via the methanotrophic-mediated microbial loop, as well as increase CH4 emissions to the atmosphere.

About 30% of the total area of Lake Batata (Amazon) was impacted by the disposal of bauxite tailings originated from the process of washing bauxite. This effluent, composed by fine particles of clay and water, settled on top of the natural sediment, originating a new substratum with a different physical and chemical composition. This phenomenon created a new distinct habitat (impacted sediment) influencing the benthic community. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of bioturbation by Campsurus notatus (Ephemeroptera: Polymitarcytidae) on potential gas fluxes in the sediment of natural and impacted areas of the lake. The natural sediment had a significantly higher methane concentration when compared to the impacted one. In incubated sediment cores, the presence of C. notatus nymphs resulted in a significant increase in oxygen consumption and methane and carbon dioxide release to the water column. The effect of the presence of nymphs on methane was ambiguous. The C. notatus nymphs strongly decreased methane concentration in natural sediment samples, probably because of the enhancement of the oxic sediment area. However, this effect was not observed in impacted samples. Finally, the new substratum of Lake Batata decreased methane concentration in sediment and water column. C. notatus nymphs demonstrated to have a significant role on gas flux (methane and CO2) from sediment to water column as well as on oxygen consumption in Lake Batata, consequently influencing the carbon cycle in this lake.

The aim of this research was to evaluate density, biomass, life cycle, secondary production and nutrient stock of Heleobia australis population (d'Orbigny 1835) in a coastal tropical lagoon (Imboassica lagoon). Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and organic matter (OM) concentrations in the sediment were determined in order to evaluate their influence on the density, biomass and concentrations of C, N, P and OM in the biomass of H. australis population. Two sampling stations were established: one in the central part of the lagoon (station 1, not influenced directly by sewage release) and the second near the littoral region (station 2, close to the outlet of a canal discharging domestic sewage). Triplicate samples were collected monthly for one year (from May 1999 to April 2000) with a “core” sampler for determination of density, biomass, life cycle and secondary production of H. australis . For determination of C, N, P and OM in both sediment and H. australis , the samples were carried out in May and November 1999, and in April 2000. Density was significantly lower at station 1, whereas biomass did not differ significantly between the stations. Secondary production at station 1 was 28.33 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW) m −2 year −1 and at station 2 it was 49.36 g (AFDW) m −2 year −1 . The concentrations of OM, C and P in the sediment and N and P in the biomass of the organisms were higher at station 2. The release of domestic effluents into this lagoon results in an increase in OM, C and P concentrations in the sediment which are reflected in H. australis chemical composition. Considering the high densities, biomass and N and P content of these snails in Imboassica lagoon, their importance for the nutrient cycling in this ecosystem must be accounted.

Impacts of mining activity can be particularly difficult to remediate in wetland ecosystems subject to inundation pulses due to the reduced length of the plant growing season. We used a factorial experiment to test whether litter and seed addition could be used to increase the efficiency of ecological restoration on a flood-prone forest (known as igapó) impacted by deposition of bauxite tailings. Our results clearly showed that the addition of litter collected from pristine igapó areas increased plant growth, seedling density, and seedling species richness. The increase in individual plant growth was echoed at the community level with higher leaf area index values on litter addition plots compared to controls. Litter addition can enhance reaccumulation of nutrient pools during successional development, which has been proposed as an important feature to ensure self-sustainability of areas under restoration. The success of the seed addition treatment depended on the species used. Of the seven sown species, only Acosmium nitens (a leguminous nitrogen-fixing species) showed high establishment. The introduction of nitrogen-fixing species is also expected to build up the nitrogen pool in the system as has been reported for restoration programs in non-inundated forests. These practices have the advantage, compared to direct fertilizing, of not causing eutrophication of water bodies when applied to flood-prone vegetation. © 2011 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

Human activities are exposing freshwater ecosystems to a wide range of stressors, whose direct and indirect effects can be alleviated or exacerbated through interactive effects with dynamic environmental drivers. This study used long-term data from two Neotropical lacustrine freshwater systems (Batata Lake, an Amazonian floodplain lake and Imboassica lagoon, an Atlantic coastal lagoon) subjected to different kinds of environmental fluctuations (i.e., flood pulse and sandbar opening) and anthropogenic impacts (i.e., siltation and eutrophication). Our objective was to determine whether the effects of human perturbations are contingent on modifications of important biotic and abiotic characteristics through environmental variability. For both ecosystems, environmental variability consistently interacted with anthropogenic perturbations to alter most of the variables analyzed, such as nutrient dynamics, chlorophyll- a concentration, zooplankton and benthic invertebrate species richness, and temporal community stability, which indicates that interactive effects between environmental variability and anthropogenic perturbations may impact a myriad of ecosystem properties. Furthermore, the nature of these interactive effects was highly dependent on the variable considered and on the ecosystem analyzed. For example, at Imboassica lagoon, sandbar openings interacted synergistically with trophic state to increase the phosphorus concentration in the water column. At Batata Lake, flooding generally alleviated the negative effects of siltation on species richness by both diluting inorganic suspended material concentration and by promoting local recruitment from the regional species pool. Such results indicate that our ability to understand and predict the outcome of anthropogenic impacts on inland aquatic systems can be hampered if we consider human stressors as “static” phenomena disconnected from dynamic interactions with major local environmental drivers.