Efeito da entrada da água do rio sobre o fitoplâncton de um lago de água preta

Abstract

The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis has been applied to explain the diversity of species in ecosystems. According to this hypothesis, diversity is maximal after an environment undergo an intermediate disturbance. The present research had as its goal to analyze the effect of the inflow of water from Negro River on the structure of the phytoplankton community the Lake Tupé. Two hypotheses were evaluated: 1 - (H1) the structure of the phytoplankton community before and after the inflow of water from the Negro River into Lake Tupé is heterogeneous; 2 - (H1) the inflow of water from the Negro River into Lake Tupé is an intermediate disturbance to phytoplankton. Sampling was carried out in a lake of black water for 60 consecutive days, 30 days before the lake receiving water from the river and 30 days with river influence. Phytoplankton was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, to estimate the following descriptors: species richness, density, diversity, equitability and composition. Diatoms and Zygnemaphyceae were the most representative groups in the lake, regardless of whether it was under or without river influence. The phytoplankton community structure changed after the river's inflow of water into the lake, since species richness, density and equitability changed, and this change was statistically significant after the event. On the other hand, Shannon diversity and species composition varied only, with no statistically significant change. The inflow of water from Negro River into the Tupé Lake cannot be considered an intermediate disturbance for phytoplankton, since the diversity did not show a statistically significant increase after the event.