Partição da diversidade fitoplanctônica em ambientes costeiros hipersalinos no nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

The solar saltworks in the Brazilian Northeast are artificial ecosystem consisting of evaporators and crystallizers, where sea water or estuary is captured and transferred from one evaporator to another by gravity or electrical pumping, where water evaporates even occur to the precipitation of sodium chloride. The research was conducted in three saltworks (Augusto Severo, Francisco Menescal and Santa Clara) located on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, in the estuary of the River Apodi - Mossoró. This study aimed to evaluate the components of diversity partitioned into spatial scales and show the influence of ecological filters in the development of phytoplankton species along the hypersaline ecosystem. Sampling was conducted in January 2013 in three sectors of saltworks (Initial Sector, Intermediate I and II). In each section, samples were collected for limnological analyzes and phytoplankton in two ponds of different salinities, with four samples per evaporator, totaling twenty-four samples for six evaporators, each saline, with salinities between 30 to 250 . Phytoplankton was collected on the surface by filtering 200 liters per sample, with a plankton net (20&#956;m). This study is divided into two manuscripts, the first portrayed the partitioning of diversity into hierarchical scales and the second addressed the influence of abiotic ecological filters in the structure of phytoplankton communities. In partitioning of diversity 65 taxa, divided into eight groups were found. With the dominance of Cyanobacteria (57%) and Bacillariophyceae (25%) group. Species richness decreased significantly with increasing salinity (F = 83.5, p <0.0001). The greatest diversity was represented at larger scales, where the salt (&#946;3 = 26 %, Pro (1,70)

= 0.005), with a decrease in similarity of species of alpha to beta scale, due to the salinity gradient by selecting the species that can develop in the system. In the second study, 110 taxa were identified in three solar saltworks spread on eight taxonomic classes, with the predominance of Cyanobacteria (55%), Bacillariophyceae (40.7 %) classes. The species Pseudanabaena galeata was the only species uncommon (> 20 % &#8804; 50%), about 96 taxa are rare species. Salinity significantly influenced the richness of the three saltworks, Augusto Severo (F (1,22) = 23.2 , p<0.001), Francisco Menescal (F = 50.02 , p < 0.001) and Santa Clara (F =66.33, p< 0.001). The canonical analysis obtained an explanation 41.6% of the total variability of the data, showing the influence of abiotic ecological filters in the structure of the phytoplankton community. Developed work contributed to a greater understanding of ecology and the role of abiotic ecological filters in solar saltworks environments. Highlighting the importance of the study on phytoplankton communities as a tool to know the dynamics of the ecosystem, and thus propose measures for their conservation and management.