Abstract
This study analyzed physicochemical characteristics of the water, degradation of the surroundings and the influence of these factors on the diet of two fish species of Astyanax in Taruma stream microbasin, central western Brazil. Fish were collected in eight sites between 2007 and 2010, using gillnets and sieves. Environmental variables were evaluated by a principal component analysis and the diet based on Spearman’s correlation. The variables width, type of riparian vegetation, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, temperature, oxidation and reduction potential, presence of waste, and altitude have separated the sampling sites into two groups: ‘less impacted’ and ‘more impacted’. The two characid species presented omnivorous habit, typical of disturbed environments. The consumption of food resources was different over the space: terrestrial plants and sediment were more important in the most impacted sites for both species. And specifically to Astyanax altiparanae the order of importance of the food was distinct between most and less impacted sites. These data indicated that the diet of these species is a suitable tool for analyzing the environmental quality of the studied sites.
Highlights
Environment and natural resources have been strongly affected in recent decades by the increasing pressure from human activities due to urban sprawl
Data were obtained twice a year from 2007 to 2010 at eight sampling sites in the Tarumã microbasin that crosses the urban area of Naviraí, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, central western Brazil (Figure 1 and Table 1)
The two species presented omnivorous habit and the consumption of food items was different over the space: terrestrial plants and sediment were more important in the most impacted sites for both species
Summary
Environment and natural resources have been strongly affected in recent decades by the increasing pressure from human activities due to urban sprawl. In particular, have been significantly altered as a result of multiple environmental impacts caused by human activities such as mining, construction of dams and reservoirs, diversion of the natural course of rivers, discharge of raw sewage and industrial effluents, deforestation and inappropriate land use in riparian areas and. According to Wootton (1990), environmental quality assessment has been done by analyzing physical and chemical parameters of water, such as dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, temperature, salinity and turbidity. 177-184, Apr.-June, 2013 concern for the maintenance of aquatic organisms. These parameters alone, are insufficient to reveal the reality of an environment, requiring biological indicators to become more effective (LIMA-JUNIOR et al, 2006; MAGURRAN; PHILLIP, 2001; SMITH et al, 1997; WOOTTON, 1990). The interaction between biomonitoring methods and abiotic variables of a system provides a more accurate diagnosis of its environmental quality, with data that converge and complement each other (BRIGANTE et al, 2003)
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