Effects of leaf litter traits on alpha and beta diversities of invertebrate assemblages in a tropical watershed

Renan De Souza Rezende; Cristiane Biasi; Luiz U. Hepp; Mauricio Mello Pretrucio; José F. Gonçalves Júnior

doi:10.25260/EA.19.29.3.0.750

Authors

Renan De Souza Rezende Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária Regional de Chapecó, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brasil.
Cristiane Biasi Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões, Campus de Erechim, Erechim, RS, Brasil. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0800-4298
Luiz U. Hepp Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Regional Integrada do Alto Uruguai e das Missões, Campus de Erechim, Erechim, RS, Brasil.
Mauricio Mello Pretrucio Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil.
José F. Gonçalves Júnior AquaRiparia/ Lab. de Limnologia. Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.19.29.3.0.750

Abstract

The aims of this study were to: a) investigate the importance of environmental and/or spatial factors on the composition of the invertebrate community, and b) examine the alpha (α) and beta (β) diversities of the invertebrate community associated to the leaf breakdown process at three different spatial scales (stream reach, stream order and sub-basin). The abiotic variables and colonization of invertebrate community in two detritus (Eucalyptus cloeziana and Inga laurina) were evaluated in 14 sampling sites. For both detritus types, the communities were influenced by environmental matrix. High invertebrate α diversity was related to an increase in water flow velocity (outflow) and orthophosphate levels. High canopy openness and, consequently, high temperatures, showed negative effects on invertebrate α diversity. The α diversity in high-quality litter (E. cloeziana) was mainly influenced by stream order, while β diversity was mainly influenced by sub-basins. However, in low-quality litter (I. laurina), α diversity was mainly influenced by sub-basins, and the β diversity by sampling sites. These findings indicated that changes in detritus quality of the riparian vegetation resulted in significant changes of invertebrate α and β diversity in these communities.

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.19.29.3.0.750

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