Occurrence of Hirudinea species in a post urban reach of a Patagonian mountain stream

Temporal (May 2005 to February 2006) and habitat distribution (pools and riffles) of Hirudinea species was analyzed at a post urban reach from Esquel stream (Chubut province, Patagonia, Argentina). Site was located 5.7 km downstream a Waste Treatment Plant. Mean values of nutrients: ammonia, nitrates and soluble reactive phosphate, as well water conductivity, turbidity and total suspended solids indicated physical and organic pollution. Leeches assemblage was composed by the glossiphonids: Helobdella scutifera Blanchard, 1900, H. michaelseni (Blanchard, 1900), H. simplex (Moore, 1911), Helobdella sp., H. hyalina Ringuelet, 1942, H. obscura Ringuelet, 1942 and the semiscolecid Patagoniobdella variabilis (Blanchard, 1900). From these H. hyalina and H. obscura are new records for Chubut province. Helobdella hyalina (810 ind.m-2) and H. simplex (465 ind. m-2) clearly dominated the assemblage at the reach. Only H. simplex displayed a spatial preference being significantly more abundant in pools than in riffle habitats (p<0.001). Species recruitment occurred mostly at September, December and March when juveniles were very abundant. Although several species of Helobdella were able to live in the disturbed section of the stream, only H. simplex and H. hyalina sustained large populations at the site and can be considered as tolerant to organic enrichment. This information is valuable to future studies on stream condition assessment in mountainous areas in Patagonia, and in other areas in which these species are present.

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages in litter in a mountain stream of the Atlantic Rainforest from Southeastern Brazil

A fauna de Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera e Trichoptera associadas ao folhiço em um riacho do sudeste do Brasil foi estudada com o objetivo de responder às seguintes questões: 1) A riqueza e a composição faunística de EPT difere entre os dois mesohabitats (corredeira-remanso) mesmo quando associadas ao mesmo substrato, folhiço? 2) A similaridade da fauna de EPT entre os dois mesohabitas muda temporalmente? 3) A estrutura funcional de EPT difere entre os dois mesohabitats (corredeira-remanso)? Para responder essas questões, coletas mensais, de novembro de 1999 a junho de 2000, foram feitas no Ribeirão Bocaina com rede D (10 acúmulos de folhas em remanso e 10 em corredeira). A fauna de EPT do Ribeirão Bocaina foi mais diversificada e mais abundante no folhiço em corredeira do que no folhiço em remanso, no entanto, quando a riqueza foi padronizada para o mesmo número de indivíduos essa se tornou similar para as duas condições. A fauna de EPT foi bastante diferente entre os dois mesohabitats, tanto em termos da composição faunística quanto em termos funcionais. Isso provavelmente ocorreu devido às diferenças de velocidade da água, no tempo de residência do folhiço e na taxa de oxigênio da água entre os dois mesohabitats.

Oligochaetes (Annelida, Clitellata) in a neotropical stream: a mesohabitat approach

This paper analyses the relationship among mesohabitat and aquatic oligochaete species in the Galharada Stream (Campos do Jordão State Park, state of São Paulo, Brazil). Between August 2005 and May 2006 a total of 192 samples were obtained in areas of four different mesohabitats: riffle leaf litter (RL), pool leaf litter (PL), pool sediment (PS) and interstitial sediment from rocky beds in riffle areas (IS). In the mesohabitats sampled, 2007 specimens were identified, belonging to two families (Naididae and Enchytraeidae). Among the oligochaetes identified Naididae was represented by six genera (Allonais, Chaetogaster, Nais, Pristina, Aulodrilus and Limnodrilus). Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed the first two axes explained 85.1% of the total variance of the data. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparede, 1862 and Aulodrilus limnobius Bretscher, 1899 were associated with the pool areas (PL and PS). Most species of genera Pristina and Nais demonstrated apparent affinity with the riffle mesohabitats. The Indicator Species Analysis (IndVal) revealed that Nais communis Piguet, 1906, Pristina leidyi Smith, 1896 and Pristina (Pristinella) jenkinae (Stephenson, 1931) are indicative of RL mesohabitat, while family Enchytraeidae was considered indicative of PL mesohabitat.

Ecological distribution of stream macroalgal communities from a drainage basin in the Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

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

Ecological distribution of stream macroalgal communities from a drainage basin in the Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

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

Anfíbios Anuros da coleção Adolpho Lutz: III - Hyla claresignata Lutz & B. Lutz, 1939

Hyla claresignata Lutz & Lutz, 1939, is a large species apparently not closely allied to the other known Brazilian hylas. It is characterized by the very small tympanum; the head is short and the snout rounded; the legs are long, the hands and feet unusually large, the latter extensively webbbed. The specific name is derived from the insular, irregular, or roughly triangular, dark spots, with a light halo, found mostly in the dorso-lateral region and on the legs. It belongs to the rain-forest fauna of the Marítime Range. The adult is a bromeliad-dweller and the tadpole rhyacophilous. DESCRIPTION. Vomerine teeth in two separate, oblique, groups, behind the large choanae, parallel to the posterior half of their inner border. Tongue entire, short, very broad and hardly free behind. Snout short, rounded, with distinct canthus rostralis and gradually sloping loreal region. Eye very large and prominent, its horizontal diameter almost equal to the distance between its anterior corner and the tip of the snout. Tympanum very small, less than one third of the diameter of the eye, but distinct, partly covered by a short, heavy ridge. Lateral fingers less than one third webbed; fourth finger slightly longer than the second, just reaching the base of the disk of the third; subarticular tubercles well developed; an angular pollex rudiment, more noticeable in the males. Toes almost completely webbed, the edge of the web inserted at the base of the disk on the third and the fifth; an inner metatarsal tubercle. Skin smooth above, granular beneath, on the throat minutely so. No dermal appendage on the hell. Habit robust, head broader than long, body rather heavy, slightly narrowed in the postaxillary region. Legs long, the tibiotarsal articulation reaching beyond the tip of the snout when adpressed. Type (female): 61 mm. (Fig. 1.) DIAGNOSIS of TADPOLE (by G. Orton). "A large specialized, mountain-stream tadpole, with wide head an elongated, flattened snout, greatly enlarged lips and high tooth formula. Eyes dorsal. Spiracle sinistral, projecting, situated far back on side. Anus dextral. Tooth formula 8/12 to 9/14 in fully grown larvae. Tail with a prominent, vertical dark band across musculature and fins; a second concentration of dark pigment near tip of tail, may or may not form a similar but narrower band. Maximum known total length: 60mm.; head and body length 25mm. (Figs. 6 e 7). For further details see Lutz & Lutz, 1939 and Lutz B. & Orton G. 1946.

Distribuição de macroalgas lóticas de uma bacia de drenagem no Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brasil

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

Improving Colorado Mountain Highway Culvert Stream Crossings for Trout Passage

Highways can be effective barriers to animal migration. Where highways cross over streams, a passageway, typically a culvert, not designed for fish access can cut off an organism from miles of habitat. Traditional methods of culvert design, to convey floodwaters, reduced access to aquatic and riparian range. The Colorado Department of Transportation likely has numerous culverts that restrict aquatic passage. This paper provides guidance to CDOT for assessment of stream geomorphic conditions affecting culvert performance for fish passage, understanding aquatic organism habitat requirements, and incorporating ecological parameters into culvert designs that benefit fish and other organisms. A case study illustrates culvert problems in a difficult geomorphic setting including a fish passage assessment to evaluate stream stability for long-term culvert reliability.

Salmon and trout angling: its theory, and practice on southern stream, torrent river, and mountain loch,

Mode of access: Internet.

Evaluation of statistical and geostatistical models of digital soil properties mapping in tropical mountain regions

Soil properties have an enormous impact on economic and environmental aspects of agricultural production. Quantitative relationships between soil properties and the factors that influence their variability are the basis of digital soil mapping. The predictive models of soil properties evaluated in this work are statistical (multiple linear regression-MLR) and geostatistical (ordinary kriging and co-kriging). The study was conducted in the municipality of Bom Jardim, RJ, using a soil database with 208 sampling points. Predictive models were evaluated for sand, silt and clay fractions, pH in water and organic carbon at six depths according to the specifications of the consortium of digital soil mapping at the global level (GlobalSoilMap). Continuous covariates and categorical predictors were used and their contributions to the model assessed. Only the environmental covariates elevation, aspect, stream power index (SPI), soil wetness index (SWI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and b3/b2 band ratio were significantly correlated with soil properties. The predictive models had a mean coefficient of determination of 0.21. Best results were obtained with the geostatistical predictive models, where the highest coefficient of determination 0.43 was associated with sand properties between 60 to 100 cm deep. The use of a sparse data set of soil properties for digital mapping can explain only part of the spatial variation of these properties. The results may be related to the sampling density and the quantity and quality of the environmental covariates and predictive models used.

Genetic diversity and species richness patterns in Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) in the Montseny Mountain range (North-East Iberian Peninsula)

This study aimed to describe patterns of diversity of Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) at the ommunity and population levels within the Montseny Mountain range (North-East Iberian Peninsula). We studied both the distribution of 4 species of baetids in 20 sites among three catchments along the altitudinal gradient (350-1700 masl); and the genetic diversity of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene of the two common species Baetis alpinus and Baetis rhodani. We found a gradual replacement of the dominant species along the altitudinal gradient. Baetis alpinus inhabited sites at high-altitudes, and this species was replaced by B. rhodani when the altitude decreased. Baetis melanonyx and Alainites muticus attained low abundance at all river sections, and no clear altitudinal trend appeared. Our hypothesis at the population level was that genetic structuring is associated with geographic distance and limited by drainage boundaries among the three studied catchments because of the short-time dispersion of adults. Unexpectedly, analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and isolation-bydistance (IBD) showed genetic diversity was unstructured by distance for both species, which may be explained by the relatively short spatial scale studied and small topographic barriers among the three catchments. The Generalized Mixed Yule-Coalescent (GMYC) model showed that B. rhodani had two differentiated genetic lineages that co-occurred in all sites. Overall, diversity of baetids was structured at the community level along the altitudinal gradient, whereas it was unstructured at the population level within the Montseny Mountain range.

Genetic diversity and species richness patterns in Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) in the Montseny Mountain range (North-East Iberian Peninsula)

This study aimed to describe patterns of diversity of Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) at the ommunity and population levels within the Montseny Mountain range (North-East Iberian Peninsula). We studied both the distribution of 4 species of baetids in 20 sites among three catchments along the altitudinal gradient (350-1700 masl); and the genetic diversity of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene of the two common species Baetis alpinus and Baetis rhodani. We found a gradual replacement of the dominant species along the altitudinal gradient. Baetis alpinus inhabited sites at high-altitudes, and this species was replaced by B. rhodani when the altitude decreased. Baetis melanonyx and Alainites muticus attained low abundance at all river sections, and no clear altitudinal trend appeared. Our hypothesis at the population level was that genetic structuring is associated with geographic distance and limited by drainage boundaries among the three studied catchments because of the short-time dispersion of adults. Unexpectedly, analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and isolation-bydistance (IBD) showed genetic diversity was unstructured by distance for both species, which may be explained by the relatively short spatial scale studied and small topographic barriers among the three catchments. The Generalized Mixed Yule-Coalescent (GMYC) model showed that B. rhodani had two differentiated genetic lineages that co-occurred in all sites. Overall, diversity of baetids was structured at the community level along the altitudinal gradient, whereas it was unstructured at the population level within the Montseny Mountain range.

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages from riffles in mountain streams of Central Brazil: environmental factors influencing the distribution and abundance of immatures

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

Diversity and structure of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (Insecta) assemblages from riffles in mountain streams of Central Brazil

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

Longitudinal patterns of fish assemblages in mountain streams from tropical forest biome

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)