To what extent can oil palm plantations in the Amazon support assemblages of Odonata larvae?
2019
Mendes, Thiago Pereira | Benone, Naraiana Loureiro | Juen, Leandro
The aims of the study were to identify differences in alpha and beta diversity of Odonata larvae of the suborders Zygoptera and Anisoptera found between continuous forest sites (forest) and oil palm sites with forested buffers (oil palm), and to evaluate the extent of turnover and nestedness of communities within each habitat type. Twenty‐nine streams were sampled, 11 in forests and 18 in oil palm sites in the eastern Amazon. Alpha diversity of Zygoptera and Anisoptera was higher in streams at oil palm sites. Variation in species composition measured by beta diversity is primarily structured by turnover. Biotic heterogeneity of Zygoptera was higher in oil palm sites, while no difference was found in Anisoptera. Forested streams had more wood in the streambed, whereas oil palm sites had finer sediment, higher non‐agricultural human impact, water temperature, and road proximity index. Anisoptera turnover was positively correlated with water temperature and amount of wood in the streambed; Zygoptera turnover was positively correlated with non‐agricultural human impact. The patterns observed in Zygoptera can be attributed to the presence of forested buffers, which may have influenced the selection of foraging sites by adults and determined larval distribution. We conclude that oil palm plantations can change the environmental structure of streams and influence genus richness and turnover in Amazon streams. These results might help explain changes caused by oil palm plantations on Anisoptera and Zygoptera assemblages.
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