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Effects of Small Dams on the Benthic Community of Streams in an Atlantic Forest Area of Southeastern Brazil
Author(s) -
Almeida Erick Frota,
Oliveira Renata Bley,
Mugnai Riccardo,
Nessimian Jorge Luiz,
Baptista Darcílio Fernandes
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200811113
Subject(s) - fauna , streams , benthic zone , species richness , environmental science , wet season , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , dry season , geography , biology , geology , computer network , computer science , geotechnical engineering
We examined the effects of longitudinal discontinuity in small rivers, produced by the construction of small dams, on the macroinvertebrate communities in a biological reserve in southeastern Brazil. Two regulated streams were sampled in the rainy and dry seasons at three sites along the river. One site was upstream of the dam/abstraction and two were below the dam. Our results indicate that there was a difference in the communities between the dry and rainy periods even though water physicochemical parameters of the water were not significantly different. The biotic richness at sites 500 m below the dam were similar to those above the impoundment (control), indicating that the fauna recovered when the discharge values found before water abstraction were reestablished. We concluded that the dam did induce changes in the composition of benthic comunities, especially in the dry period. However, overall, the fauna seemed to be able to persist during periods when the flow was absent. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)