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Use of phytoplankton functional groups as a model of spatial and temporal patterns in reservoirs: a case study in a reservoir of central Brazil

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Abstract

We analyzed the temporal (dry and rainy periods) and spatial (zones) phytoplankton biomass variation (FGs—functional groups) in a tropical reservoir, and determined the main drivers. We hypothesized that water flow negatively affects the FG–environment relationship because high flow promotes dispersal stochasticity. Our results indicated that the FG–environment relationship was affected mainly by the rainfall regime. Periods with intermediate precipitation showed greater predictability than periods with extreme precipitation. This suggests that the effect of stochastic processes on the phytoplankton community is more important in both the highest and lowest water flow, and deterministic processes are more important at intermediate flow. The longitudinal gradient of nutrients, light, and water-column mixing influenced the distribution of the FG biomass. The riverine zone showed high nutrient concentrations, low light availability, and a high biomass of organisms related to highly enriched systems (FG J—chlorophyceans) and shade-adapted taxa (FG S1—cyanobacteria). The lacustrine zone showed high light availability and a high biomass of heterocytous cyanobacteria (FGs S N and H1) and meroplanktonic diatoms (FG MP). The functional approach can be applied to understand the processes responsible for species coexistence and for the organization of aquatic ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. Dr. Luis Mauricio Bini for suggestions for the statistical analysis, and to the Nupélia Limnology laboratory for assistance with physical and chemical water analyses. The study was supported by Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A. and by the Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia).

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  1. Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Continentais, Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Bloco H-90, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900, Brazil

    Luzia Cleide Rodrigues, Bianca Mathias Pivato, Vânia Mara Bovo-Scomparin, Alfonso Pineda & Sueli Train

  2. Faculdade UnB Planaltina, Universidade de Brasília, Área Universitária n. 1 - Vila Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73300-000, Brazil

    Ludgero Cardoso Galli Vieira

  3. Laboratório de Ficologia, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Rua Universitária, 2019, Jardim Universitário, Cascavel, Paraná, 85819-110, Brazil

    Jascieli Carla Bortolini

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  1. Luzia Cleide Rodrigues
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Correspondence to Luzia Cleide Rodrigues.

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Rodrigues, L.C., Pivato, B.M., Vieira, L.C.G. et al. Use of phytoplankton functional groups as a model of spatial and temporal patterns in reservoirs: a case study in a reservoir of central Brazil. Hydrobiologia 805, 147–161 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3289-x

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