Diatomáceas planctônicas do baixo Rio Iguaçu: estrutura e dinâmica da comunidade

Abstract

The evaluation of biotic and abiotic variables can provide information to understand the structure and function of lotic systems. The Iguassu River is considered a large river and, therefore, able to develop true plankton. The analysis of the variation in composition and community structure of diatoms in relation to abiotic variables were performed with the purpose of qualify the water at stations upstream (E1) and downstream (E2) from the Iguassu s waterfalls, along an annual cycle. The E1 station was defined as oligotrophic to mesotrophic and E2 as oligotrophic to ultraoligotrophic. A total of 98 species of diatoms, distributed among 39 genera, were recorded, showing no dominant species, but 36 abundant species. Temporally changes were observed in the composition. At the end of the dry season was observed an increase in species of the class Bacillariophyceae, because the recovery of nutrients and high transparency of the water. During the rainy period, due the turbulence and turbidity of the water, the class Coscinodiscophyceae played a significant role in the composition of the system. The species composition was temporally heterogeneous, but with similar structure between stations. The diversity of diatoms was high, because of the presence of many rare periphyton diatoms and a community of planktonic diatoms with higher density, but less diverse. This is characteristic of rivers due to the physical dynamics of the environment and shortage of nutrients, characteristic acquired by the discontinuity the river