Patterns of distribution of aquatic biodiversity in the Pará State

• Grant number: 19/25445-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Agreement: CONFAP - National Council of State Research Support Foundations
• Principal Investigator: Lilian Casatti
• Grantee: Lilian Casatti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Paula Justino de Faria ; Bruno da Silveira Prudente ; Bruno Spacek Godoy ; Cristiane de Paula Ferreira ; David Joseph Hoeinghaus ; Erlane José Rodrigues da Cunha ; Fábio Batagini Quinteiro ; Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo Moreira ; Fernando Geraldo de Carvalho ; Francisco Langeani Neto ; Frederico Falcão Salles ; Gabriel Lourenço Brejão ; Jani Markus Heino ; José Max Barbosa de Oliveira Junior ; Karina Dias da Silva ; Karl Cottenie ; Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ; Lenize Batista Calvão ; Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag ; Marcos Callisto de Faria Pereira ; Naraiana Loureiro Benone ; Paulo De Marco Júnior ; Pitágoras da Conceição Bispo ; Raphael Ligeiro Barroso Santos ; Rhainer Guillermo Nascimento Ferreira ; Thaísa Sala Michelan ; Thiago Bernardi Vieira ; Tiago Octávio Begot Ruffeil

Abstract

Knowing and understanding what structures and maintains the high diversity of species in highly threatened tropical regions, such as the Amazon, is of fundamental importance. Preserved tropical forests are currently known to be valuable for maintaining ecosystem services, such as pollination and rainfall regulation. They are also important for food security and for the production, storage and supply of good quality water, essential for the maintenance of ecosystems and of life on Earth. However, there is a conflict of interest between the importance of Amazonia for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services and the economic productive sector, which intends to exploit the land through livestock, agriculture and mining activities. Given this, it is important to have a solid knowledge about the distribution and structuring of biodiversity along the Amazonian landscape, because only in this manner territorial management decisions can be more consistent with a sustainable development model. There are large gaps on the knowledge about the distribution of biodiversity in the Amazon and, considering the aquatic biota, these deficits are even higher. In the Brazilian Amazon, the mesoregions of the municipalities of Altamira, Santarém and Oriximiná, all in the State of Pará, are examples of large gaps in biological knowledge. Therefore, the aim of this proposal is to assess the biodiversity of aquatic insects, macrophytes and fishes from 60 streams (20 per mesoregion) in areas little or not studied of the Amazon. When executing this project it will be possible (i) to reduce the gaps in the knowledge of taxonomy and distribution of fishes, aquatic insects, and macrophytes; (ii) to evaluate what are the environmental, spatial and biogeographic factors that affect their distribution; (iii) to describe eventual new species detected; (iv) to identify endemic species and evaluate the size of the distribution area of the species found; and (v) to estimate their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts, in this way contributing to the management and conservation of Amazonian species. We intend to publish at least five scientific articles of international impact and to contribute to the training of human resources, producing at least three master's dissertations and two doctoral' theses from programs related to this proposal. Finally, we intend to carry out actions of scientific dissemination, such as the elaboration of booklets and brochures, and performing public exhibitions of the results of this project. Disseminating science to a wider public, we seek to raise awareness among the population of the State of Pará about the importance of Amazonian biodiversity. (AU)