Spatial distribution and competitive interaction among aquatic macrophytes in tropical estuaries

• Grant number: 16/01416-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Fernando Monteiro Camargo
• Grantee: Lais Samira Correia Nunes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Coastal plains of São Paulo State coast have several extensions because of the proximity of the Serra do Mar and the coastline, influencing topography and altitude and causing small changes in environmental gradient of aquatic ecosystems and in aquatic macrophytes distribution gradient. Biotic interactions also play an important role in estuarine vegetation zonation. Hypothesis consider that macrophytes are excluded from locations closest to the coastline due to abiotic stress (high salinity) and other from most distant locations due to competition (low salinity). In Brazil there are few studies involving macrophyte ecology in lotic estuarine environments, however, it has been observed that in low latitude estuaries other factors and processes may be responsible for species distribution. Estuaries are among the most impacted environments due to human activities and climate change influence. Sea level rising and the increase of fresh water uptake upstream may lead to raise salinity intrusion in these environments. These factors may be responsible for changing physiological and ecological processes and to change aquatic communities composition. In order to indicate macrophytes species presence and compare environmental gradients and species distribution in estuarine areas, field studies will be conducted in seven estuaries of São Paulo State coast. Experimental studies will be conducted to verify the role of competition during macrophytes establishment process and in order to verify if salinity intrusion may modify macrophytes spatial distribution in estuaries by competitive interaction. This study aims to enrich the knowledge in ecology and restoration of coastal ecosystems and in ecology and conservation of aquatic macrophytes.

Scientific publications

(4)

(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)

CORREIA NUNES, LAIS SAMIRA; UMETSU, CRISTIANE AKEMI; MONTEIRO CAMARGO, ANTONIO FERNANDO. Environmental heterogeneity influences life-form richness and species composition but not species richness of aquatic macrophytes in tropical coastal rivers. Freshwater Biology, v. 65, n. 11, JUL 2020. (16/01416-4, 12/21517-9)

CORREIA NUNES, LAIS SAMIRA; SAITO, VICTOR SATORU; MONTEIRO CAMARGO, ANTONIO FERNANDO. Local and regional drivers of macrophyte beta diversity in tropical coastal rivers. FRESHWATER SCIENCE, v. 40, n. 1, p. 138-150, MAR 1 2021. (16/01416-4)

CORREIA NUNES, LAIS SAMIRA; MONTEIRO CAMARGO, ANTONIO FERNANDO. The interspecific competition of tropical estuarine macrophytes is not density-dependent. Aquatic Botany, v. 164, MAY 2020. (16/01416-4)

NUNES, LAIS SAMIRA CORREIA; CAMARGO, ANTONIO FERNANDO MONTEIRO. Effects of salinity on growth, competitive interaction and total nitrogen content of two estuarine macrophyte species cultivated on artificial substrate. AQUATIC ECOLOGY, v. 54, n. 4, JUL 2020. (16/01416-4)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

NUNES, Lais Samira Correia. Ecology of aquatic macrophytes in coastal rivers of São Paulo: diversity, interspecific competition and spatial distribution in environmental gradients. 2020. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Rio Claro Rio Claro.