Abstract
ABSTRACT Aquatic ecosystems are under severe anthropogenic modifications. Thus, the dependent biological communities in these environments are also changed. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of urban development in a highly impacted ecosystem. We selected 15 sampling points along the stream Ribeirão Vermelho, in which were sampled benthic macroinvertebrates and assessed the water and habitat diversity. It was found an impact gradient, with some the reference points classified as natural and others as impacted. There was a significant difference in all biological indicators used. The total number of taxa, the wealth of Diptera, the taxa Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera, and the diversity indices, the Water Quality Indices, and the percentage of herbivores crushers and predators were significantly higher in points classified as natural and changed. The relative abundances of collectors, filter feeding, chironomids and parasites were significantly lower in sites classified as natural in relation to impacted ones. The metrics of the macroinvertebrate community benthic and Habitat Diversity Protocol were influenced by environmental degradation, being a useful tool for planning and development actions for the preservation of watersheds and the prioritization of high-value transmission systems for protection and rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems
Highlights
Aquatic ecosystems are subject to strong modification, especially the rivers and streams that are polluting environments receivers of the atmosphere and the terrestrial environment (ALLAN, 2004; RAMACHANDRA; BHARATH; BHARATH, 2014; MENEZES et al., 2016)
Using the Protocol Rapid Assessment proposed by Callisto et al (2002), the ecological conditions and habitat diversity in the catchment area stretches showed that, because it is an urban stream, the human influence has become an important factor for low maintenance levels of ecological conditions found in most stations collecting along the Ribeirão Vermelho river
A trend in the benthic community observed in predicting changes and alteration of habitat quality caused by different land uses and alteration of habitat quality, especially when the source point pollution, such as the case of the urban area
Summary
Aquatic ecosystems are subject to strong modification, especially the rivers and streams that are polluting environments receivers of the atmosphere and the terrestrial environment (ALLAN, 2004; RAMACHANDRA; BHARATH; BHARATH, 2014; MENEZES et al., 2016). Land use patterns in river basins influence fundamental processes over hierarchically distributed spatiotemporal scales (ALLAN, 2004). The anthropogenic sealing of soils in urban areas causes increased runoff, channel erosion, and threatens water quality from diverse pollutants such as metals, oils, and road salts (WALSH et al, 2005; PARR et al, 2015; MENEZES et al, 2016). Riparian clearance and subsequent increased solar radiation elevate water temperature and alters fundamental physicochemical processes (BOOTH et al, 2014). Combined effects of increased concentration of contaminants, temperature elevation and hydrologic changes modify dependent communities of aquatic ecosystems (PARR et al, 2015)
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