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Structure and dynamics of stream fish communities in the flood zone of the lower Purus River, Amazonas State, Brazil

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Abstract

The structure and dynamics of fish communities were characterized by richness, abundance, diversity and stability, during high-water and low-water periods. These analyses were performed on data from the flood zone of four streams in the lower Purus River, in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 188 species of fish were collected, distributed among 29 families and eight orders. The statistical test showed a difference in community diversity between periods. The high-water period showed higher evenness in comparison to the low-water season. The low-water period was marked by high species abundance. A great variation in community composition between the flood and low-water periods was encountered. The adjustments for species abundance models suggested that stochastic events structure the communities. Most of the species showed a temporal variation of abundance indicating low community stability. Changes in the physico-chemical conditions of the water caused by the seasonal hydrological regime may be influencing the structuring of the fish communities.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Fundação o Boticário de Proteção da Natureza for financing the project. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for investing in the Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Piagaçu-Purus (SDR-PP) by supplying equipment to the support base where we worked. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) for the laboratory infrastructure and the ichthyologists that helped to identify the species. Instituto Piagaçu (IPi) for the logistic support and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Amazonas (FAPEAM) for granting a MSc scholarship to the first author for 2 years.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil

    Fábio R. Silva

  2. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

    Efrem J. G. Ferreira & Cláudia P. de Deus

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  1. Fábio R. Silva
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  2. Efrem J. G. Ferreira
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  3. Cláudia P. de Deus
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Correspondence to Fábio R. Silva.

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Handling editor: J. A. Cambray

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Silva, F.R., Ferreira, E.J.G. & de Deus, C.P. Structure and dynamics of stream fish communities in the flood zone of the lower Purus River, Amazonas State, Brazil. Hydrobiologia 651, 279–289 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0307-7

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