Environmental variation in Amazonian interfluves and its effects on local mayfly assemblages

We assessed how the variation in environmental factors influences mayfly assemblages in conserved streams of different Amazonian interfluves. We hypothesized that environmental variables, mayfly assemblages, and the influence of environmental factors vary among these interfluves, given their distinc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 2021-10, Vol.848 (17), p.4075-4092
Main Authors: Shimano, Yulie, Nogueira, Denis S., Juen, Leandro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abiotic factors
Aquatic insects
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Community composition
Composition
Creeks & streams
Divergence
Ecology
Endemism
Environmental factors
Environmental gradient
Environmental quality
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Geomorphology
Heterogeneity
Hypotheses
Influence
Life Sciences
Primary Research Paper
Rivers
Species composition
Species richness
Streams
Variation
Zoology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We assessed how the variation in environmental factors influences mayfly assemblages in conserved streams of different Amazonian interfluves. We hypothesized that environmental variables, mayfly assemblages, and the influence of environmental factors vary among these interfluves, given their distinct evolutionary and ecological histories, and patterns of human interference. We also expected that the effects of environmental variation on species richness and composition would be greater among interfluves than among streams within the same interfluve. Our hypotheses were corroborated, reflecting the considerable heterogeneity of the Amazonian biome, where streams vary naturally among interfluves, determining broad scale divergences in species composition. The environment affected mayfly diversity in different ways among interfluves, reflecting the influence of historical processes that resulted in the formation of centers of endemism delimited by major Amazonian rivers, in which distinct biotic and abiotic factors have prevailed. These regional effects have resulted from the heterogeneity of environmental gradients, which affect mayfly diversity. The results of the present study indicate that, depending on the scale and topography of the interfluve, environmental predictors of the structure of mayfly assemblages vary considerably. This has important implications for the definition of control sites for the assessment and monitoring of environmental quality.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/s10750-021-04626-6