Banca de DEFESA: BRUNA MARIA DA SILVA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : BRUNA MARIA DA SILVA
DATE: 12/03/2024
TIME: 08:30
LOCAL: videoconferência
TITLE:

ECOLOGY OF SPRINGTAILS (ARTHROPODA: HEXAPODA) IN THE EPEDAPHIC ENVIRONMENT OF A CERRADO-CAATINGA TRANSITION AREA: DO SEASONALITY AND VEGETATION PROFILE AFFECT THEIR COMMUNITIES?

KEY WORDS:

Collembola, species composition, conservation, community ecology, soil fauna.

 

PAGES: 69
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Taxonomia dos Grupos Recentes
SUMMARY:

Springtails are microarthropods widely distributed in all terrestrial ecosystems, primarily associated with the soil environments. Despite playing a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning, studies involving these animals are limited and mostly deal with taxonomy, especially those conducted in Brazil. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to compare the community of epedaphic springtails in different phytophysiognomies of the National Park of Serra das Confusões (PNSC - Piauí state, Brazil), namely Floresta Semidecidua (Canion), Savana Estépica (Lajeiro), and Carrasco, assessing the effects of seasonality, vegetation profiles, and other biotic and abiotic variables on the populations surveyed. Two collections were carried out in the PNSC, representing two periods: one during the dry season and one during the rainy season, using pitfall traps and measuring environmental variables such as air and soil temperature, soil humidity, relative humidity, soil pH, litter depth, canopy shading, and plant richness. In the laboratory, specimens were screened, morphotyped, assembled, and identified. To recognize which variables had the highest values among the vegetation types and periods, an analysis of environmental characterization was conducted through a Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA). Alpha diversity analysis included estimates of abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness, with a subsequent analysis of variance. For beta diversity analyses, PERMANOVA was conducted, Whittaker's method was used for beta diversity, and species composition was plotted in a Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis. Indicator species analysis was calculated with the IndVal index Finally, a Redundancy Analysis was performed to assess the influence of environmental parameters on the Collembola community. A total of 29,616 springtail specimens belonging to three orders, 12 families, 31 genera, 42 morphospecies, and 4 nominal species were sampled during the two collection periods. Abundance and richness analyses indicated significant differences between the different seasons, with the dry period showing higher values compared to the rainy season. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson Diversity analyses indicated significant differences in the interaction between the two periods, especially in the Lajeiro vegetation type, with lower diversity in the area, as well as the Pielou's evenness index, which also showed significant differences in the Lajeiro during the rainy period. The main environmental variables influencing diversity patterns were: canopy cover, litter depth, silt percentage, and soil temperature. Also, our date resulted in a comprehensive inventory of families and genera for the state of Piauí, resulting in an increased understanding of the group in the region.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - ALEXANDRE DE OLIVEIRA MARQUES
Presidente - 1879211 - BRUNO CAVALCANTE BELLINI
Externo à Instituição - CLÉCIO DANILO DIAS DA SILVA - UFRN