Impactos da pastagem na estrutura taxonômica e funcional de peixes de riachos amazônicos

Abstract

In recent years, increasing economic development has promoted high rates of deforestation and land use change that negatively impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems around the world. Therefore, this study aimed to assess how the taxonomic structure and functional diversity of the stream fish assemblages of eastern Amazonia respond to impacts caused by pasture. We sought to answer the following questions: (i) What is the effect of pasture on the environmental characteristics of streams?; (ii) How do they affect the taxonomic structure and functional diversity of the ichthyofauna?; (iii) What functional attributes will be related to the environmental variables that characterize the streams that drain pasture and forest areas? The sampling were carried out between the years of 2012 and 2015, in the dry season, with 13 streams in forested areas and 13 streams in pasture areas. Through a PCA the set of environmental variables related to forest and pasture areas were verified. The taxonomic structure was compared among the environments through the richness, composition and abundance of species. Functional diversity was measured through the components of richness, evenness and functional divergence. The significance of the results of the indices with Student's t-test was tested. RLQ ordering analysis and the fourth-corner component were used to determine the relationships between environmental variables of each treatment and functional attributes. A higher number of artificial shelters and a higher percentage of riffles were found in pastures and the higher canopy cover formed by large trees (DAP> 0.3 m) in forest areas. It was verified that the pasture negatively affects the taxonomic structure and the functional divergence of the ichthyofauna, favoring the presence of generalist species. The highest amount of canopy cover benefited benthic species. Although the Brazilian Forest Code provide for the maintenance of riparian vegetation around the streams, grazing generated negative effects on the physical habitat of streams, taxonomic structure and functional divergence of assemblages of fish from streams in the Eastern Amazon. To conserve the diversity of fish in Amazonian streams, there should be stricter laws and increased enforcement regarding the maintenance of riparian vegetation.