Fish community alterations due to pollution and damming in Tiete and Paranapanema rivers (Brazil)

The Tiete River crosses the metropolitan region of São Paulo (Brazil) and receives a large amount of pollution, in contrast to Paranapanema River which runs in a less populated area. In the inferior portions of the basins of these rivers, a series of reservoirs has been built for hydroelectric energy generation which improve the water quality due to the decantation of suspended soils and aeration in the water spills.Twenty-nine sampling sites were established along the two rivers and in each sampling site, two groups of eight gillnets were used with standardized sizes in two seasons: winter (dry season: June-September 1994) and summer (rainy season: December-March 1995). The fishes were measured and weighed.Twenty-five parameters related. to the water were recorded. PCA and cluster analysis helped to identify two groups of sampling sites. The first one corresponds to the rainy season samples, while the second corresponds to the dry season samples, so evidencing strong seasonal environmental variation. However, the dry season group is still divided into polluted and non-polluted sites, showing that during drought there are larger effects of pollutant concentration due to the decreased flow.A total of 415 kg of fish were caught, corresponding to 8324 individuals belonging to 64 different species, in 22 families and four orders of Teleostei. The largest catches occurred in the middle Tiete River. The catches in the reservoirs of the Tiete River, during the rainy season are superior to those of the dry season. on the other hand, sampling sites located in running water presented an inverse pattern with the largest catches in the dry-season. In river Paranapanema, catches are lower than in the Tiete River, except in Rosana Reservoir during the rainy season. Fish diversity was shown to be a good-indicator of environmental stress. In Tiete River an expressive fall in species richness was detected in the polluted stretches, with dominance of one or two species. In the intermediary stretches, the presence of rapids increases the amount of dissolved oxygen, allowing the development of the most abundant and diverse fish community of the river. Fish communities in the reservoirs of the inferior stretch of Tiete River are more diverse. on the other hand, the damming of the superior reaches of Paranapanema River provoked a decrease in diversity. 0 the whole, types of local fish communities detected, showing different compositions and specific abundances, revealed different ecological situations. A discriminant analysis revealed that the parameters of the water influencing the fish community were: dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nitrogen (nitrate, ammoniacal and albuminoid), phosphate, alkalinity, hardness and iron. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Influência da variação do nível hidrométrico na comunidade fitoplanctônica do Rio Paranapanema e de uma lagoa marginal na zona de desembocadura na Represa de Jurumirim (SP)

Este estudo visou analisar os efeitos da variação do nível hidrométrico na estrutura do fitoplâncton do Rio Paranapanema e de uma lagoa marginal na zona de desembocadura no Reservatório de Jurumirim (SP). As amostragens foram realizadas em duas estações em cada ambiente de julho/2004 a julho/2005. Os maiores valores de riqueza e diversidade foram encontrados na estiagem, enquanto que as maiores densidade e biovolume foram registradas na cheia. A espécie Cryptomonas brasiliensis Castro, C. Bicudo & D. Bicudo (R - estrategista) foi constante ao longo de todo o estudo, sendo dominante, principalmente, no final da estiagem e na enchente, quando os eventos de distúrbios foram mais freqüentes. As diatomáceas foram predominantes quanto à biomassa, representadas, principalmente, por Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsem e suas variedades. Conclui-se que, o volume de água acumulada no reservatório à jusante não permite que o pulso hidrológico ocasione um distúrbio que resulte em elevado aumento da diversidade nos ambientes estudados, após a enchente.

Distribuição temporal de imaturos de Odonata (Insecta) associados a Eichhornia azurea (Kunth) na Lagoa do Camargo, Rio Paranapanema, São Paulo

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram registrar a abundância e a riqueza de Odonata associada a Eichhornia azurea, durante o período de março de 2004 a março de 2005, na Lagoa do Camargo, lateral ao Rio Paranapanema - São Paulo, após um pulso de inundação extraordinário e também investigar os fatores ambientais determinantes na distribuição da abundância de Odonata. As maiores abundâncias e riquezas ocorreram na estação seca, sendo que Coenagrionidae foi a família mais abundante e com a maior riqueza de gêneros de todo o período estudado. Esta alta abundância possivelmente ocorreu devido a seu comportamento, como postura dos ovos dentro do tecido das macrófitas e hábito escalador. Aeshnidae e Libellulidae apresentaram baixa abundância principalmente na estação seca. Os principais fatores ambientais que afetaram a distribuição da abundância de Odonata foram a temperatura de superfície da água, a pluviosidade e a biomassa de E. azurea.

Fitoplâncton em três lagoas marginais ao Rio Paranapanema e em sua desembocadura no Reservatório de Jurumirim (São Paulo, Brasil) durante um período prolongado de seca

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biologia populacional de Astyanax altiparanae Garutti & Britski (Teleostei, Characidae) do médio Rio Paranapanema, Paraná, Brasil

O objetivo desse trabalho foi a determinação da estrutura populacional da espécie. Foram escolhidos quatro locais de amostragem com características ambientais distintas na bacia do rio Tibagi. As amostragens foram realizadas mensalmente no período de janeiro de 1997 a fevereiro de 1998. Um total de 1553 indivíduos foram capturados, apresentando constância em todos os trechos, com as maiores abundâncias nos trechos do rio Congonhas (76 %). Variações ocorreram entre os trechos por fase de desenvolvimento e classes de comprimento e na distribuição espacial, demonstrando que a espécie apresenta estrutura populacional diferenciada. A espécie apresentou grande capacidade adaptativa exploratória, utilizando estratégias diferenciadas na estrutura da população. A espécie apresentou uma forte tendência ao comportamento r estrategista. O melhor desenvolvimento foi identificado em Congonhas I, talvez devido a existência de condições ambientais favoráveis a manutenção da espécie.

Variação espacial e temporal da produtividade primária pelo fitoplâncton na represa de Jurumirim (Rio Paranapanema, SP)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A biodiversidade bentônica em lagoa marginal ao rio Paranapanema na zona de sua desembocadura, na represa de Jurumirim

Coqueiral lake is a marginal lake located at the southeast São Paulo State, in the mouth zone of the Paranapanema river into Jurumirim Reservoir and it has high connectivity with the Paranapaneina river. This work aimed to verify the benthic biodiversity in areas of the lake bottom. 18 sampling sites in the lake were selected, including shallow and deep areas. The samples were taken every three months during one year. Physical and chemical water variables (level, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, and electric conductivity) were analyzed. Sediment samples were picked up in triplicate for fauna and abiotic factors analysis (granulometric composition and sediment organic content), using Petersen dredge. The material was sorted out and analyzed under stereoscopic microscope. Counting and identification of the organisms were accomplished and diversity, relative abundance, taxonomic richness and dominance index were calculated. The analysis revealed a fauna with low species diversity and, with Chironomidae and Ephemeroptera dominance. Ephemeroptera, Campsurus, dominated in the hottest period and with low lake depth. Organisms' distribution had as main factors depth, transparency, pH, and water temperature. In the comparison between shallow and deep areas, a small density of organism in the deep regions was observed.

Discharge pulses of hydroelectric dams and their effects in the downstream limnological conditions: A case study in a large tropical river (SE Brazil)

To address daily fluctuations in electricity demands, the quantities of water passing through the turbines of hydropower plants can vary significantly (up to fourfold) during a 24-h cycle. This study evaluates the effects of hourly variations in water discharges on the limnological conditions observed in two below-dam river stretches. The study reservoirs, Capivara and Taquaruçu, are the 9th and 10th reservoirs in a cascade of dams in the Paranapanema River in south-east Brazil. The reservoirs exhibit different trophic conditions, water retention times, thermal regimes and spillway positions. Capivara Reservoir is deeper, meso-eutrophic, with a high water retention time and hypolimnetic discharges (32 m) varying between 500 and 1400 m3 s-1. In contrast, Taquaruçu Reservoir is relatively shallow, oligo-mesotrophic, and has a low retention time, with water discharges varying between 500 and 2000 m3 s-1. Its turbine water intake zone also is more superficial (7 m). For two periods of the year, winter and summer, profiles of limnological measurements were developed in the lacustrine (above-dam site) zones of the reservoirs, as well as in the downstream river stretches (below-dam site). In both cases, the sampling was carried out at 4-h intervals over a complete nictemeral cycle. The results demonstrated that the reservoir operating regime (water discharge variations) promoted significant differences in the conditions of the river below the dams, especially for water velocity, turbidity, and nutrient and suspended solids concentrations. The reservoir physical characteristics, including depth, thermal stratification and outlet structure, are also key factors influencing the limnology and water quality at the below-dam sampling sites. In the case of Capivara Reservoir, for example, the low dissolved oxygen concentration (<5.0 mg L-1) in its bottom water layer was transferred to the downstream river stretches during the summer. These study results demonstrated that it is important to continue such investigations as a means of verifying whether or not these high-amplitude/low-frequency variations could negatively affect the downstream river biota. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Phylogeography of Hypostomus strigaticeps (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) inferred by mitochondrial DNA reveals its distribution in the upper Paraná River basin

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Analysis of artisanal fisheries in two reservoirs of the upper Paraná River basin (Southeastern Brazil)

We compared the artisanal fisheries, in terms of catch strategies, productivity, and gross per capita income, at two reservoirs: The Barra Bonita (an eutrophic reservoir with some introduced species), and the Jurumirim (an oligotrophic reservoir, with no introduced species). Published data and structured interviews with fishers were used to evaluate fishing activity, fish biomass, and the financial performance of the fisheries. In the Barra Bonita Reservoir we analysed data from 745 fishing trips, from which 86,691.9 kg of fish were landed, with a mean CPUE of 62.4 kg/fisher-1 day-1. The main type of fish caught was tilapia (71,513.5 kg; CPUE of 51.5 kg/fisher-1 day-1), which constituted 82.5% of the biomass caught. In the Jurumirim Reservoir, we analysed data from 2,401 fishing trips, from which 25,093.6 kg of fish were landed, with a mean CPUE of 10.4 kg/fisher-1 day-1. The main type of fish caught was traíra (6,158.6 kg; CPUE of 2.6 kg/fisher-1 day-1), which constituted 24.5% of the biomass caught. Ordination analysis (PCA) indicated that there was a difference in composition between the fishing reservoirs and ANCOVA showed that there was a significant difference in fish production between the reservoirs. A Student's t-test showed that fishers in the Barra Bonita Reservoir had a significantly higher gross per capita income than those from the Jurumirim Reservoir. Although the Barra Bonita Reservoir has a higher fish production and the fishers earn a higher gross per capita income, we recommend the Jurumirim Reservoir as a model for artisanal fishery management because fishing activity in this reservoir is viable in the long term and such a model would promote conservation and sustainability. This contrasts with the Barra Bonita Reservoir, in which the fishery is not viable in the long term, due to environmental problems caused by artificial eutrophication and the introduction of alien species. It is also noted that in many countries, management of fisheries based on exotic species has not been viable in the long term. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Ictiologia.

Phytoplankton community response to hydrological variations in oxbow lakes with different levels of connection to a tropical river

Changes to the structure of the phytoplankton community and to the physical and chemical variables of the water were investigated in oxbow lakes with different levels of connection to a tropical river and subject to annual hydrological pulse variations. The selected lentic environments are located at the mouth region of the main tributary in a reservoir built for water storage and electric power generation. The temporal variation of phytoplankton in the studied lentic environments can be attributed mainly to the hydrological level of the river. A similar variation pattern of the ecological attributes was observed in the structure of the phytoplankton community in the connected lakes and Paranapanema River, evidencing the high degree of association that the lacustrine systems maintain with the river. The highest values of richness and diversity for connected environments were observed at the end of the emptying period and in the drought. However, considering the isolated lake, the highest values of these attributes were recorded during the flooding period. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Avaliação do desempenho de tilápias (Oreochromis niloticus, Trewavas, 1983) em tanques-rede na represa de Jurumirim/Alto Rio Paranapanema

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

O Comitê de Bacia e a gestão das águas no médio Paranapanema: um estudo sob a perspectiva do desenvolvimento sustentável

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação temporal do processo de introdução da espécie Cichla monoculus (Kullander & Ferreira, 2006) no reservatório de UHE Escola Mackenzie (Capivara) Rio Paranapanema

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Dinâmica fluvial e regime hidrológico na bacia hidrográfica do rio Paranapanema

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)