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Comparison of fish and macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of Neotropical streams

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Abstract

The biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems in developing countries faces several limitations, especially related to gathering resources. The present study aimed at comparing the responses of fish and benthic macroinvertebrates to environmental change, to identify which group best indicates the differences between reference and impacted streams in southern Brazil. We determined reference and impacted sites based on physical and chemical variables of the water. For the analysis and comparison of biological responses, we calculated 22 metrics and submitted them to a discriminant analysis. We selected from this analysis only six metrics, which showed that the two studied assemblages respond differently to environmental change. A larger number of metrics were selected for macroinvertebrates than for fish in the separate analysis. The metrics selected for macroinvertebrates in the pooled analysis (i.e., fish and macroinvertebrates together) were different from those selected in the separate analysis for macroinvertebrates alone. However, the metrics selected for fish in the pooled analysis were the same selected in the separate analysis for fish alone. The macroinvertebrate assemblage was more effective for distinguishing reference from impacted sites. We suggest the use of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of Neotropical streams, especially in situations in which time and money are short.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Fundação Parque Tecnológico Itaipu (FPTI) for granting the first author a scholarship. Researchers and technicians of Grupo de Pesquisas em Recursos Pesqueiros e Limnologia - Gerpel and of Laboratório de Ecologia, Pesca e Ictiologia - LEPI supported us during the present study. É.A. Gubiani is Researcher in Scientific Productivity (process 302143/2011-4) of the Brazilian Council of Research (CNPq) and acknowledges this agency for funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Conservation and Management of Natural Resources, Western Paraná State University, Rua Universitária, Bairro Universitário, 2069, Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil

    Renata Ruaro, Éder André Gubiani & Pitágoras Augusto Piana

  2. Research Group in Fisheries and Limnology (Gerpel), Western Paraná State University, Rua da Faculdade 645, Toledo, Paraná, 85903-000, Brazil

    Éder André Gubiani & Pitágoras Augusto Piana

  3. Laboratory of Ecology, Fisheries and Ichthyology, Federal University of Parana, Rua Pioneiro, 2153, Palotina, Paraná, Brazil

    Almir Manoel Cunico & Yara Moretto

  4. Graduate Program in Aquaculture and Sustainable Development, Federal University of Parana, Rua Pioneiro, 2153, Palotina, Paraná, Brazil

    Almir Manoel Cunico & Yara Moretto

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  1. Renata Ruaro
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  2. Éder André Gubiani
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  3. Almir Manoel Cunico
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  4. Yara Moretto
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  5. Pitágoras Augusto Piana
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Correspondence to Renata Ruaro.

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Ruaro, R., Gubiani, É.A., Cunico, A.M. et al. Comparison of fish and macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of Neotropical streams. Environ Monit Assess 188, 45 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-5046-9

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