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Impacts of oil palm plantations on changes in environmental heterogeneity and Heteroptera (Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha) diversity

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Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of oil palm plantations on environmental heterogeneity and diversity (α and β) of aquatic Heteroptera (semi-aquatic and aquatic species) in Amazon streams. We assessed eight streams located in forested areas and 12 in oil palm plantations. As expected, oil palm areas had lower environmental heterogeneity, despite the presence of riparian vegetation. Heteropteran communities differed in forest and oil palm areas, however, only semi-aquatic bugs were affected by environmental variables. Streams in oil palm plantations had lower α-diversity and distinct community structures when compared to forest sites. Oil palm plantation did not affect the β-diversity of semi-aquatic bugs, however, there was increased β-diversity of aquatic bugs in these areas. These results reflect the impacts of environmental heterogeneity generated by plantations next to riparian vegetation, inducing local diversity loss. Effects on β-diversity differed among groups of Heteroptera, mainly due to the differences in the life histories of each group. Semi-aquatic bugs seem to undergo environmental filtering, while aquatic bugs can be structured by limiting similarity. Thus, the management and land conservation strategies adopted to preserve ecosystems within oil palm plantations were insufficient for the protection of aquatic heteropteran communities. In summary, such conservation policies should account for the particularities of different groups of the aquatic ecosystem; especially for aquatic fauna, which are usually overlooked in conservation policies for the Brazilian Amazon.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Agropalma Group for their financial support for this project and Conservation International Brazil for their logistic support. In addition, we would like to thank Dr. Felipe F. F. Moreira and Higor Rodrigues for their help with the identification of specimens. EJC and LJ (process: 303252/2013-8) would also like to thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the research and productivity grants granted during this study. We also thank the UFPA Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação ao (PROPESP) and the Fundação de Amparo e Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa (FADESP) (Edital 01/2015 PROPESP/FADESP-UFPA) for financing the revision of english of the manuscript.

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  1. Graduate Program in Zoology, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Perimetral 1901, Belém, 66077-830, Brazil

    Erlane José Cunha

  2. Federal University of Pará, Institute of Biological Sciences, Rua Augusto Correia 1, Belém, 66075-110, Brazil

    Leandro Juen

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  1. Erlane José Cunha
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Correspondence to Erlane José Cunha.

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Cunha, E.J., Juen, L. Impacts of oil palm plantations on changes in environmental heterogeneity and Heteroptera (Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha) diversity. J Insect Conserv 21, 111–119 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-017-9959-1

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