Are biomonitoring metrics robust to natural temporal variation in aquatic communities?

• Grant number: 17/12138-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2017
• End date: November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Victor Satoru Saito
• Grantee: Nathalia Espinossi Stoppa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/23111-6 - Advancing tropical biomonitoring: in-depth description of the temporal variation of Trichoptera communities, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Biomonitoring metrics encompass measures of richness, abundance, diversity, and proportion among taxonomic groups. Among the most used groups in biomonitoring are communities of streams macroinvertebrates, which serve as sentinels of possible environmental impacts in the systems. Scientific support for the use of such communities as bioindicators is based on snapshot analyses, that is, with only one sample in a given moment. Thus, the natural temporal variation of such communities and the underlying biomonitoring metrics, has been little investigated. In order to fill this gap, this project will analyze temporal series of tropical stream communities, with the main objective of selecting temporally stable metrics. The student will identify the biomonitoring taxonomic groups of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera and will apply quantitative techniques to analyze the temporal variability of such groups and metrics of biomonitoring. With the results obtained, the student will report the study as a scientific article that can serve as support for practical application by environmental organizations. (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)

SAITO, VICTOR S.; STOPPA, NATHALIA E.; SHIMABUKURO, ERIKA M.; CANEDO-ARGUELLES, MIGUEL; BONADA, NURIA; SIQUEIRA, TADEU. Stochastic colonisation dynamics can be a major driver of temporal beta diversity in Atlantic Forest coastal stream communities. Freshwater Biology, v. 66, n. 8, p. 1560-1570, AUG 2021. (19/04033-7, 13/50424-1, 13/20540-0, 18/23111-6, 17/12138-8)