Abstract
The introduction of exotic species can generate changes in the composition of organic debris of alien origin in aquatic ecosystems close to the places of introduction. This new debris can cause impacts at the level of communities and ecosystems. Therefore, the present work aims to answer the following question: are the macroinvertebrate communities present in substrates formed by leaves of the exotic species Pinus caribaea Morelet (Pinaceae) and Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden (Myrtaceae) similar to those found in substrates composed by the mix of these two species and substrates composed by a mix of native species? For the collection of macroinvertebrates, sets of four types of artificial substrates were submerged in a stream inside the Ecological Station of Panga (Uberlândia—MG, Brazil). The treatments were: leaves of P. caribaea, leaves of E. grandis, leaves of both exotic species and leaves of two native species. In the 20 sample units, about 250 individuals were found, belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Heteroptera, Megaloptera, Odonata, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. The effects of the treatments were observed in the exponential decay of the substrate mass and in the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrates communities. The composition of these communities differed among treatments, with high dissimilarity observed between P. caribaea treatments and the mix of exotic species. Therefore, the results demonstrate the importance of substrate complexity for benthic macroinvertebrates, as well as the possible effects of biological invasion and co-invasion by species widely used in silviculture activities.
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Availability of data and material
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgments
To the Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources and the Institute of Biology for the facilities and materials made available for research, to CAPES and FAPEMIG for research grants, to professors Dr. Ariádine Cristine de Almeida and Dr. Giuliano Buzá Jacobucci for guidance and to the master student Thalles Gomes Peixoto for his help in the identification of macroinvertebrates and in the methodological conception of the work.
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This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES [Financing Code 001] and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPQ.
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Soares, D.M., Borges, L.R., da Silva, M.F.F. et al. Effect of substrates of native and exotic plant species on the initial period of colonization of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Cerrado biome. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 22, 127–134 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-020-00032-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-020-00032-5