Aquatic habitats of the Upper Paraquay River-Floodplain-System and parts of the Pantanal (Brazil)

• Autorzy: Wantzen K. M. , Drago E. , Da Silva C.J.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The Paraguay-Paraná river system forms an important ecological corridor across South America. Here, we report the first description of the fluvial geomorphology and the physical structure of aquatic habitats along the main channel a 200-km long section of the Upper Paraguay River between Cáceres city and Taiamã island (Mato Grosso, Brazil). Four functional sets were identified: (a) main channel and anabranches, (b) floodplain channel, (c) floodplain lake, and (d) aquatic-terrestrial-transition zone. The diversity of functional units was higher in the meandering and transitional sectors (Brillouin index 1.957 and 2.003) than in the straight and fluviolacustrine sectors (Brillouin index 1.562 and 1.577, respectively). In the transversal dimension, the relatively homogeneous habitats of the main channel contrasted with the heterogeneous floodplain habitats. We attribute this morphological diversity to changes in the hydrological connectivity, caused e.g. by drifting large macrophyte mats or by multi-year periods of higher and lower inundation phases.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

aquatic habitat; physical habitat; Upper Paraquay River-Floodplain-System; Brazil; wetland; flood plain; river; large river; conservation; Parana River; hydrology

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: International Journal of Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology
• Rocznik: 2005
• Tom: 05
• Numer: 2
• Opis fizyczny: p.107-126,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Wantzen K. M.

• Limnologisches Institut, University of Konstanz, Postfach M659, 78467 Konstanz, Germany

autor

Drago E.

autor

Da Silva C.J.