Distribution patterns and abundance of limnic gastropods in the municipality of Acaraú, Ceará: evaluating aspects of the Theory of Island Biogeography

• Autor(a) principal: Santos, Marcos Roberto
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Maia, Rafaela Camargo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biotemas (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/2175-7925.2018v31n4p35

According to the Theory of Island Biogeography, the relation species to area and spatial isolation can influence the distribution of species in habitats. Thus, lentic ecosystems are used to provide information on local mechanisms of diversity of organisms, including mollusks. The present study evaluated the ecological and biogeographic aspects of limnic mollusks by assessing the influence of the size and distance of water bodies on the distribution of species. Sampling was carried out in lagoons, classified by perimeter and with different distances, in Acaraú, Ceará. A total of 2,067 gastropods were collected; they were distributed in six families, six genera and nine species and included the planorbids Biomphalaria glabrata and Drepanotrema cimex, which had not yet been recorded for Ceará. No significant differences were observed in richness, abundance and diversity in relation to the size of the lagoons. However, there was a tendency for higher indices in medium-sized ponds, which may be due to intermediate disturbances. Similarities in community structure between nearby water bodies were not observed, which can be explained by the ease of dispersion of species due to flooding during rainy periods. The data presented here may be important for understanding the mechanisms responsible for the distribution patterns of limnic mollusks in northeastern Brazil.