Local and regional effects on the fish communities structure in streams of the Upper Rio Paranapanema (SP)

• Grant number: 13/24737-2
• Support type: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2014 - February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Principal researcher: Mauricio Cetra
• Grantee: Mauricio Cetra
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Fabio Cop Ferreira ; George Mendes Taliaferro Mattox ; Miguel Petrelli Junior

Abstract

The metacommunity concept is an important way to think about linkages between local and regional factors and community structure that is primarily concerned with patterns of species distribution, abundance and interactions. In species sorting models local conditions may favor certain species and not others. Mass effect models describe a framework in which dispersal and environmental heterogeneity interact to determine local and regional abundance and composition. Streams are arranged in a dendritic network hierarchical systems and for fish the dispersion occurs only through the channel revealing the regional influence of community assembly whereas the habitat heterogeneity have a local effect and may reveal spatial boundaries among communities. Distinguishing how these communities are structured are important as it might help conceive suitable conservation strategies to headwater ecosystems. This study aims to identify, characterize the metacommunity patterns, and the models can explain this community structure. The study will be conducted in 13 micro-watersheds in the Upper Rio Paranapanema Basin. Fish sampling will be performed by using electric fishing during the dry period. Stream reaches will be sampled at the mouth and in the headwaters of streams in the watersheds. We seek patterns in the physical and biological structure of stream reaches. We taking into account the position of the stream reaches within each watershed and the position of the watershed within the basin, i.e. the distance of the watershed to the mouth of the Paranapanema River. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MAURICIO CETRA; GEORGE MENDES TALIAFERRO MATTOX; FABIO COP FERREIRA; RAYSSA BERNARDI GUINATO; FERNANDO VIEIRA SILVA; MARINA PEDROSA. Headwater stream fish fauna from the Upper Paranapanema River basin. Biota Neotropica, v. 16, n. 3, p. -, 2016.