Water body type and land cover shape the dragonfly communities (Odonata) in the Pampa biome, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
2018
Renner, Samuel | Périco, Eduardo | Dalzochio, MarinaSchmidt | Sahlén, Göran
The biogeographical region known as the Pampa biome in southern Brazil, was originally mainly covered with open fields or grassland, with areas of riparian forest surrounding the water bodies. Today this landscape appears highly fragmented due to agricultural activities such as rice cultivation, extensive cattle farming, and forest plantations. Studies have shown that the Pampa biome has high levels of biodiversity and endemism, but with regard to invertebrates, this biome is still one of the least known in Brazil. We therefore designed a study comparing the dragonfly (Odonata) communities to environmental and landscape features in this area, measuring diversity by species richness, relative abundance and Shannon index. Our results showed that the Pampa is a biome very rich in odonates, and that the species communities are highly dependent on the environmental conditions of the area. Habitats such as Rivers/Streams, bordered by native grasslands and riparian forests, were shown to harbour communities that were ecologically more complex and sensitive than other habitat types. Man-made lakes and agricultural areas displayed lower levels of biodiversity and odonate communities dominated by generalist species. By combining data on the communities of Odonata and other taxa, our analyses may be instrumental in determining priority areas for future conservation measures within the area.
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