Functional diversity of stream fishes in an anthropization gradient in the Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 24/09169-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Cetra
• Grantee: Gustavo Alves Baldini
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Atlantic Rainforest is an important biodiversity hotspot and is part of an increasingly anthropized matrix. Recognizing the effects of anthropic pressure on species diversity patterns can be a way to identify potential threats and contribute to the direction of conservation actions. Species diversity in a community can be quantified using different approaches, including functional diversity, which corresponds to the activities performed by the species in the ecosystem. In this study, we propose to analyze the variation in the functional diversity of stream fishes as a function of anthropic pressure exerted on fish communities in streams located in a gradient of anthropization in the Sorocaba River basin, in the state of São Paulo. To this end, functional diversity indices will be calculated from morphometric and trophic measurements of stream fishes collected over 6 years. Anthropogenic pressure will be quantified using an anthropic pressure index (API), according to land use and occupation in the study area. The data obtained will then be subjected to a linear regression analysis to test the correlation between functional diversity and anthropization.