Microcrustacean community structure is shaped by seasonality in a Brazilian semiarid reservoir

ABSTRACT

Reservoirs are ecologically important ecosystems. In the Brazilian semiarid region, these ecosystems are impacted by environmental changes resulting from the rainfall regime. Furthermore, the reservoirs boast a rich planktonic biodiversity, which is directly influenced by the ecological dynamics of each reservoir. Our aim was to analyse the impact of rapid changes between the dry and rainy seasons on the limnological variables in a Brazilian semiarid reservoir. Furthermore, we analysed the impact of this phenomenon on the microcrustacean community in the reservoir. We observed that the reservoir is significantly impacted by the region’s rainfall regime. During the rainy season, the reservoir volume increases, resulting in higher pH and dissolved oxygen levels, and lower water temperature, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids levels. The transition from the dry to the rainy season influenced the microcrustacean community. Our findings indicate that the transition from the dry to the rainy seasons in Brazilian semiarid region results in limnological changes in the reservoirs of this region. Furthermore, these changes also result in alterations to the microcrustacean community structure in these reservoirs.

KEYWORDS:

• Calanoida
• Cyclopoida
• Cladocera
• water regime

Acknowledgements

We thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for granting a scholarship to GASC (#102920/2019-2); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for granting a scholarship to WMN (88887.511078/2020-00); Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) for granting a scholarship to CJFA (ICO-0203-00024.01.52/23); and Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) for the financial support and scholarship to APP (#BP3-00139-00166.01.07/18). We thank the Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA) and the entire team of the Laboratório de Crustáceos do Semiárido (LACRUSE). We also thank Carlos Antonio Martins Muniz (URCA) for making the map.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) [GASC; #102920/2019-2]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) [WMN; 88887.511078/2020-00]; Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico #BP3-00139-00166.01.07/18 (FUNCAP) [CJFA ICO-0203-00024.01.52/23]; Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FUNCAP) [APP; # BP3-00139-00166.01.07/18].