Experimental ecological studies on stream macroalgae: effects of habitat complexity, hydraulic conditions and physical disturbances and the presence of herbicides on the establishment and development of these organisms

• Grant number: 14/22952-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: Ciro Cesar Zanini Branco
• Grantee: Ciro Cesar Zanini Branco
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Aurélio Fajar Tonetto ; Pitágoras da Conceição Bispo ; Ricardo Cardoso Leite

Abstract

Despite several observational studies have produced important contributions to knowledge of stream macroalgal ecology, gaps still remain about the relationship of the environment and ecological distribution patterns of these organisms. As an alternative to improve the understanding of the ecology of these algae, experimental investigations began to be conducted in Brazil. Exactly in experimental ecology of tropical stream macroalgae that this research intends to make its main contributions. In this context, two experimental studies are being proposed in order to assess (1) the influences of substrate complexity, hydraulic conditions and physical disturbances and (2) the effects of anthropogenic substances on the establishment and development of stream macroalgae. In the first study, experiments will be carried out simulating the occurrence of physical disturbances on artificial substrates with five different levels of structural complexity and specific hydraulic conditions. The effects of these variables will be assessed considering as response variables richness (number of species) and abundance (percent cover and chlorophyll a content) of macroalgae. In the second study, experiments will be conducted in the laboratory aiming evaluate the effects of different concentrations of glyphosate herbicides on photosynthetic responses of macroalgal species belonging to the phyla Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Photosynthetic responses will be evaluated by two techniques: (i) chlorophyll fluorescence and (ii) dissolved oxygen evolution. The research team involved in this proposal is qualified and has previous experience. The expected outcomes of this research include the production of scientific articles, monographs and thesis, the formation of highly qualified human resources and the consolidation of this research line in our research group. (AU)

Scientific publications

(14)

(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)

BRANCO, CIRO C. Z.; RIOLFI, THAIS A.; CRULHAS, BRUNO P.; TONETTO, AURELIO F.; BAUTISTA, ANNA I. N.; NECCHI JUNIOR, ORLANDO. Tropical lotic primary producers: Who has the most efficient photosynthesis in low-order stream ecosystems?. Freshwater Biology, v. 62, n. 9, p. 1623-1636, SEP 2017. (10/17864-0, 14/22952-6, 11/04434-0)

ROCHA, JOSE CELSO; PERES, CLETO K.; BUZZO, JOSE LEONEL L.; DE SOUZA, VINICIUS; KRAUSE, ERIC A.; BISPO, PITAGORAS C.; FREI, FERNANDO; COSTA, LUCAS S. M.; BRANCO, CIRO C. Z.. Modeling the species richness and abundance of lotic macroalgae based on habitat characteristics by artificial neural networks: a potentially useful tool for stream biomonitoring programs. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY, v. 29, n. 4, p. 2145-2153, AUG 2017. (10/17864-0, 14/22952-6)

TONETTO, AURELIO FAJAR; BISPO, PITAGORAS CONCEICAO; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Avaliação da Biodiversidade de Macroalgas Lóticas pela Aplicação do Índice de Distintividade Taxonômica. Biota Neotropica, v. 16, n. 1, JAN-MAR 2016. (14/22952-6, 10/17563-0)

BOAS, LUCAS KORTZ VILAS; OLIVEIRA, REGIS DE CAMPOS; BRANCO, CIRO CESAR ZANINI. Climate warming effects on photosynthetic responses of tropical stream macroalgae. Fundamental and Applied Limnology, v. N/A, p. 13-pg., 2022-09-22. (14/22952-6)

DIAGONEL, GUILHERME; CARRIEL, ORLANDO APARECIDO; OLIVEIRA, REGIS DE CAMPOS; BOAS, LUCAS KORTZ VILAS; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Effect of glyphosate-based herbicides on the photosynthetic responses of the macrophyte Egeria densa Planch. from topical lotic ecosystems. LIMNETICA, v. 41, n. 1, p. 12-pg., 2022-01-01. (14/22952-6)

CARRIEL, ORLANDO APARECIDO; DIAGONEL, GUILHERME; BOAS, LUCAS KORTZ VILAS; DE OLIVEIRA, REGIS CAMPOS; BRANCO, CIRO CESAR ZANINI. The temperature increase due to climate warming can affect the photosynthetic responses of aquatic macrophytes from tropical lotic ecosystems. Tropical Ecology, v. N/A, p. 8-pg., 2023-02-07. (14/22952-6)

TONETTO, AURELIO FAJAR; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Friends or foes? The ecological relationships between micro- and macroalgae in low-order tropical streams. Rev. bras. Bot., v. 43, n. 3, JUL 2020. (14/22952-6, 10/17563-0)

VILAS BOAS, LUCAS KORTZ; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Effect of tebuthiuron and temperature increase related to climate change on the photosynthesis of Nitella microcarpa var. wrightii (Charophyceae). JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY, v. 34, n. 3, p. 9-pg., 2022-05-02. (14/22952-6)

TONETTO, AURELIO FAJAR; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Local spatial distribution of stream macroalgae - does gastropod activity matters?. Fundamental and Applied Limnology, v. 195, n. 3, p. 199-209, DEC 2021. (14/22952-6, 10/17563-0)

YAMASHITA, CAMILA; FREITAS MORAES, IZABEL CRISTINA; FERREIRA, ANTONIO GILBERTO; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR; BRANCO, IVANISE GUILHERME. Multi-response optimization of alginate bleaching technology extracted from brown seaweeds by an eco-friendly agent. Carbohydrate Polymers, v. 251, JAN 1 2021. (14/22952-6)

OLIVEIRA, REGIS DE CAMPOS; VILAS BOAS, LUCAS KORTZ; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR. Assessment of the potential toxicity of glyphosate-based herbicides on the photosynthesis of Nitella microcarpa var. wrightii (Charophyceae). PHYCOLOGIA, v. 55, n. 5, p. 577-584, 2016. (14/22952-6)

VILAS BOAS, LUCAS K.; OLIVEIRA, REGIS DE C.; NECCHI, ORLANDO; BRANCO, CIRO C. Z.. Temperature effects on photosynthesis in gametophytic and sporophytic stages of the freshwater red alga Sirodotia delicatula (Rhodophyta, Batrachospermales) under a global warming perspective. PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, v. 67, n. 1, p. 39-44, JAN 2019. (14/22952-6)

TOFOLI, RODOLFO JOSE; FERREIRA, ADRIANA LUIZA; FERNANDEZ NUNEZ, EUTIMIO GUSTAVO; ISIDORO HAMINIUK, CHARLES WINDSON; ZANINI BRANCO, CIRO CESAR; BRANCO, IVANISE GUILHERME. Effects of solvent extraction on phenolic concentration and antioxidant capacity of the Oedogonium sp. (Chlorophyta) using a simplex-centroid mixture design. ACTA SCIENTIARUM-TECHNOLOGY, v. 45, p. 9-pg., 2023-01-01. (14/22952-6)

BRANCO, CIRO C. Z.; RIOLFI, THAIS A.; CRULHAS, BRUNO P.; TONETTO, AURELIO F.; BAUTISTA, ANNA I. N.; NECCHI JUNIOR, ORLANDO. Tropical lotic primary producers: Who has the most efficient photosynthesis in low-order stream ecosystems?. FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, v. 62, n. 9, p. 14-pg., 2017-09-01. (11/04434-0, 14/22952-6, 10/17864-0)