Guilherme Nascimento Corte

Mangrove vegetation decreases density but does not affect species richness and trophic structure of intertidal polychaete assemblages

The positive influence of mangrove vegetation on macrobenthic communities has been widely investigated, but studies mainly focused on epibenthic assemblages. Given the contrasting characteristics between epifauna and infauna, we expected that mangrove vegetation would not exert the same positive effect on infaunal assemblages. To test this hypothesis, we investigated polychaete assemblages in mangrove stands in a tidal flat in Southeast Brazil. Specifically, we focused on (a) whether polychaete assemblages (i.e., density, richness, community, and feeding guild composition) are different inside and outside mangrove stands, and (b) if changes are related to root biomass. Our results showed that mangrove areas have lower polychaete density than that of adjacent sandflats, and polychaete density is negatively related to root biomass. Species richness was not affected by the presence of vegetation, but the number of exclusive species was higher inside the mangrove. Changes in composition of polychaete assemblages were mainly attributable to reductions in species density rather than species replacement. Trophic structure was not influenced by mangrove vegetation, as subsurface-feeders dominated inside and outside mangrove zones. Our results contrast with the richness enhancement found for epibenthic fauna inside mangroves, and highlight that mangrove vegetation does not exert the same influence on epibenthic as that on infaunal assemblages.

Storm effects on intertidal invertebrates: increased beta diversity of few individuals and species

Climate change is predicted to lead to more extreme weather events, including changes to storm frequency, intensity and location. Yet the ecological responses to storms are incompletely understood for sandy shorelines, the globe’s longest land-ocean interface. Here we document how storms of different magnitude impacted the invertebrate assemblages on a tidal flat in Brazil. We specifically tested the relationships between wave energy and spatial heterogeneity, both for habitat properties (habitat heterogeneity) and fauna (β-diversity), predicting that larger storms redistribute sediments and hence lead to spatially less variable faunal assemblages. The sediment matrix tended to become less heterogeneous across the flat after high-energy wave events, whereas β-diversity increased after storms. This higher β-diversity was primarily driven by species losses. Significantly fewer species at a significantly lower density occurred within days to weeks after storms. Negative density and biomass responses to storm events were most prominent in crustaceans. Invertebrate assemblages appeared to recover within a short time (weeks to months) after storms, highlighting that most species typical of sedimentary shorelines are, to some degree, resilient to short-term changes in wave energy. Given that storm frequency and intensity are predicted to change in the coming decades, identifying properties that determine resilience and recovery of ecosystems constitute a research priority for sedimentary shorelines and beyond.

Population dynamics of the harvested clam Anomalocardia brasiliana (Bivalvia: Veneridae) in Cidade Beach, south-east Brazil

Knowledge of the population dynamics and productivity of exploited species is essential to achieve the sustainable development of fisheries, and to ensure sustainable, long-term use of these resources. The venerid clam Anomalocardia brasiliana is harvested as a fishery resource from the French West Indies to Brazil. Yet, the exploitation of this species is not backed by management or regulations based on scientific knowledge. This can result in reduced (or even depleted) A. brasiliana density and biomass. Here, we examined the population dynamics of A. brasiliana over the course of 1 year at Cidade Beach, a sheltered sandy beach located in south-eastern Brazil. Sampling was done monthly from March 2007 to February 2008. The sampled population was predominantly juvenile. Growth and recruitment were continuous, indicating no major fluctuation in limiting factors, such as temperature, salinity and food. Nevertheless, the abundance and the turnover rate (P/B ratio) of A. brasiliana at Cidade were much smaller than the values observed in other areas of occurrence. The mortality was more intense in young individuals, and the peak of individual production occurred in individuals with a 25 mm shell length, suggesting that individuals smaller than this size should not be exploited.

Reproductive cycle and parasitism in the clam Anomalocardia brasiliana (Bivalvia: Veneridae)

The reproductive cycle and parasitism in the clam Anomalocardia brasiliana were studied in two different areas, an intermediate beach (Cidade) and a tidal flat (Araçá), in Southeast Brazil. Four gametogenic stages were described for males and females in both areas. Mature and spawning individuals were present throughout the period of study at Cidade and Araçá; however, major temporal differences were recorded between sites. Whereas only a few individuals in the resting stage were recorded at Cidade throughout the study period, resting stage individuals were frequent at Araçá. Moreover, a shorter period of gametogenesis was observed at Araçá than at Cidade. Oocyte number was the most effective parameter to differentiate gametogenic stages. An unidentified digenetic trematode was the only parasite infecting A. brasiliana at the study sites, and caused castration of all hosts. Parasite prevalence (proportion of infected hosts) was similar and low (ca 7.5%) at Cidade and Araçá and therefore is not expected to compromise the reproductive output of these populations. Comparison with data from previous studies suggests a latitudinal pattern for the reproductive biology of A. brasiliana, with resting stages occurring only at two high-latitude sites; however, no evidence was found for a latitudinal pattern of trematode prevalence in this species.

Nitrogen availability, leaf life span and nitrogen conservation mechanisms in leaves of tropical trees

Evergreen species of temperate regions are dominant in low-nutrient soils. This feature is attributed to more efficient mechanisms of nutrient economy. Nevertheless, the cashew (Anacardium occidentale- Anacardiaceae), a deciduous species, is native to regions in Brazil with sandy soil, whilst the annatto (Bixa orellana- Bixaceae), classified as an evergreen species native to tropical America, grows spontaneously in regions with more humid soils. Evergreens contain robust leaves that can resist adverse conditions for longer. The physical aspects of the leaves and mechanisms of nutrient economy between the two species were compared, in order to verify whether the deciduous species had more efficient mechanisms that might explain its occurrence in regions of low soil fertility. The mechanisms of nitrogen economy were also compared for the two species at available concentrations of this nutrient. The following were analysed: (i) leaf life span, (ii) physical leaf characteristics (leaf mass per area, and rupture strain), (iii) nitrogenous compounds (nitrogen, chlorophyll, and protein), (iv) nitrogen conservation mechanisms (nitrogen resorption efficiency, resorption proficiency, and use efficiency), and (v) nitrogen conservation mechanisms under different availability of this mineral. The higher values of leaf mass per area and leaf rupture strain found in A. occidentale were related to its longer leaf life span. A. occidentale showed lower concentrations of nitrogen and protein in the leaves than B. orellana. Under lower nitrogen availability, A. occidentale had higher nitrogen resorption proficiency, nitrogen use efficiency and leaf life span than B. orellana. These characteristics may contribute to the adaptation of this species to sandy soils with low nitrogen content.

Nestedness patterns and the role of morphodynamics and spatial distance on sandy beach fauna: ecological hypotheses and conservation strategies

Sandy beach fauna is hypothesized to be mainly structured by environmental variables. As such, it is expected that morphodynamic characteristics are limiting factors, and the species pool inhabiting harsher reflective beaches would be a subset of (i.e., nested in) the fauna of nearby dissipative beaches. We investigated the existence of a nestedness pattern in sandy beach assemblages, as well as the contribution of environmental and spatial variables (i.e., factors that potentially affect an assemblage regardless of environmental conditions - typically related to distance between sites and dispersal of organisms) on sandy beach macrobenthic fauna. Dissipative beaches had higher species richness than reflective beaches but we found no nestedness pattern. Furthermore, almost every beach showed exclusive species. Spatial variables exerted stronger influence on macrobenthic assemblages than local environmental variables. Our results therefore suggest that local and small-scale recruitment is the predominant process structuring macrobenthic assemblages. These results bring important implications for sandy beach conservation: given that spatial distance is an important factor structuring macrobenthic fauna and different sandy beaches harbor different pools of species, conservation programs need to focus on sandy beaches across large spatial scales and with varied morphodynamic characteristics in order to preserve coastal biodiversity.