Esclarecendo os papéis relativos de estressores antropogênicos na configuração da diversidade taxonômica e funcional do zooplâncton: uma abordagem experimental.

Abstract

The conservation of freshwater ecosystems is a central theme in ecological studies, considering their importance for global environmental integrity. These ecosystems face several threats from human activities that contribute to the increase in temperature and nutrient enrichment in water bodies, generating substantial and cumulative impacts in these environments. Such impacts have the potential to alter trophic chains and the general structure of communities in freshwater ecosystems, which harbor a high taxonomic and functional diversity of zooplankton (i.e., metazoans and protozoa) whose role is crucial in ecosystem functioning. The general objective is to evaluate the possible effects of isolated and combined anthropogenic stressors on important diversity attributes of zooplankton communities (i.e., taxonomic richness, functional richness and abundance) in freshwater environments, in addition, to investigate the possible effects of these stressors on interaction between species (e.g., predation/competition). The central hypothesis suggests that warming and nutrient enrichment would lead to a decrease in taxonomic and functional richness, an increase in abundance and changes in zooplankton interactions, as well as their composition. The topics covered in this thesis provide a comprehensive analysis of these effects, contributing to the understanding of the determining factors in the structuring of zooplankton communities and offering important conclusions for future conservation strategies in the face of warming and eutrophication scenarios in freshwater bodies.