Spatial and temporal distribution of the gastropod Heleobia australis in an eutrophic estuarine system suggests a metapopulation dynamics
ABSTRACT
Hydrobiidae is one of the most diverse taxa among limnic and estuarine mollusks. Patterns of spatial and seasonal distribution of Heleobia australis were studied in ten stations over two years, in the urban eutrophic bay of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Spatial dispersal strategies in adults of this species, analyzed in the laboratory, revealed three patterns: 1) mobility on soft sediments; 2) mobility on hard substrata; and 3) the ability to lift from the bottom to the surface, to again sink down. This facilitate species movement from one location to another by surface currents or attached to floating debris. Thus, individuals are able to escape from an impacted area and further re-colonize other patches after recovering from local impacts. The hypothesis of metapopulation dynamics (source– sink) was analyzed. Two stations with high and constant numbers of individuals were grouped and tested as possible ‘sources’. The number of specimens in the remaining stations was highly variable, even with the complete disappearance and posterior highly dense re-occurrence of the mollusk, whereby these were tested as possible ‘sinks’. Results derived from nested ANOVA supported the hypothesis of metapopulation dynamics in the case of H. australis adults, ex-pressed through opportunistic-species domi- nation of a highly impacted estuarine system, such as Guanabara Bay.
Hydrobiidae is one of the most diverse taxa among limnic and estuarine mollusks. Patterns of spatial and seasonal distribution of Heleobia australis were studied in ten stations over two years, in the urban eutrophic bay of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Spatial dispersal strategies in adults of this species, analyzed in the laboratory, revealed three patterns: 1) mobility on soft sediments; 2) mobility on hard substrata; and 3) the ability to lift from the bottom to the surface, to again sink down. This facilitate species movement from one location to another by surface currents or attached to floating debris. Thus, individuals are able to escape from an impacted area and further re-colonize other patches after recovering from local impacts. The hypothesis of metapopulation dynamics (source– sink) was analyzed. Two stations with high and constant numbers of individuals were grouped and tested as possible ‘sources’. The number of specimens in the remaining stations was highly variable, even with the complete disappearance and posterior highly dense re-occurrence of the mollusk, whereby these were tested as possible ‘sinks’. Results derived from nested ANOVA supported the hypothesis of metapopulation dynamics in the case of H. australis adults, ex-pressed through opportunistic-species domi- nation of a highly impacted estuarine system, such as Guanabara Bay.
Cite this paper
Echeverría, C. , Neves, R. , Pessoa, L. and Paiva, P. (2010) Spatial and temporal distribution of the gastropod Heleobia australis in an eutrophic estuarine system suggests a metapopulation dynamics. Natural Science, 2, 860-867. doi: 10.4236/ns.2010.28108.
Echeverría, C. , Neves, R. , Pessoa, L. and Paiva, P. (2010) Spatial and temporal distribution of the gastropod Heleobia australis in an eutrophic estuarine system suggests a metapopulation dynamics. Natural Science, 2, 860-867. doi: 10.4236/ns.2010.28108.
References
[1] Senra, M.C.E. (2003) Análise preliminar e caracteriza??o da malacofauna em sedimentos da Baía de Guanabara. Anuario do Instituto de Geociências da UFRJ, 26, 149-151. [2] Bemvenuti, C.E., Capitoli, R.R. and Gianuca, N.M. (1978) Estudos de ecologia bent?nica na regi?o estuarial da Lagoa dos Patos. II Distribui??o quantitativa do macrobentos infralitoral. Atlantica, 3, 23-32. [3] Lopez-Figueroa, F. and Niell, F.X. (1988) Feeding behavior of Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant) in microcosms. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 114(2-3), 153-167. [4] Little, C. and Nix, W. (1976) The burrowing and floating behavior of the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae. Estuarine, Coastal and Marine Science, 4(5), 537-544. [5] Bemvenuti, C.E. (1998) Fundos n?o vegetados. In: Seeliger, U., Odebrecht, C. and Castello, J. Eds., Os ecossistemas costeiro e marinho do extremo sul do Brasil, Ecoscientia, Rio Grande, Brazil, 87-92. [6] Norkko, J., Bonsdorff, E. and Norkko, A. 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University of Chicago Press, Chicago. [12] Pulliam, H.R. (1988) Sources, sinks and population regulation. American Naturalist, 132(5), 652-661. [13] Junkins, R., Kelaher, B. and Levinton, J. (2006) Contribution of adult oligochaete emigration and immigration in a dynamic soft-sediment community. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 330(1), 208-220. [14] Amador, E.S. (1997) Baía de Guanabara e ecossistemas periféricos: Homem e natureza. Reporte Gráfica e Editora LTDA, Rio de Janeiro. [15] Valentin, J.L., Tenenbaum, D.R., Bonecker, A.C.T., Bo-necker, S.L.C., Nogueira, C.R. and Villac, M.C. (1999) Osistema planct?nico da Baía de Guanabara: Síntese do conhecimento. In: Silva, S.H.G. and Lavrado, H.P. Eds., Ecologia dos ecossistemas costeiros do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Série Oecologia Brasiliensis, Rio de Janeiro, 35-39. [16] Kjerfve, B., Ribeiro, C.H.A., Dias, G.T.M., Filippo, A.M. and Quaresma, V.S. (1997) Oceanographic characteristics of an impacted coastal bay: Baía de Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Continental Shelf Research, 17(13), 1609-1643. [17] Underwood, A.J. (1991) Beyond BACI: Experimental designs for detecting human environmental impacts on temporal variations in natural populations. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42(5), 569-587. [18] Underwood, A.J. (1992) Beyond BACI:The detection of environmental impact on populations in the real, but variable, world. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 161(2), 145-178. [19] Wandeness, A.P., Mattos, M.A.R. and Nogueira, C.S.R. (1997) Copepoda (Crustacea) of Guanabara bay, R.J.I. specific composition. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 40, 377-381. [20] Geraldes, M.C., Paula, A.H., Godoy, J.M. and Valeriano, C.M. (2006) Pb isotope signatures of sediments from Guanabara Bay, SE Brazil: Evidence for multiple anthro-pogenic sources. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 88(1-3), 384-388. [21] INMET. (2005-2007). Rain precipitation data of the region and years of study, Meteorology National Institute. (Meteorology National Institute data center, RJ, BR) on-line. http://www.inmet.gov.br [22] Quaresma, V.S., Dias, G.T.M. and Baptista Neto, J.A. (2000) Caracteriza??o da ocorrência de padr?es de sonar de varredura lateral e sísmica de alta freqüência (3,5 e 7,0 kHz ) na por??o sul da Baía de Guanabara-RJ. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics, 18(2), 201-214. [23] Quinn, G.P. and Keough, M.J. (2003) Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [24] Morrisey, D.J., Howitt, L., Underwood, A.J. and Stark, J.S. (1992) Spatial variation in soft-sediment benthos. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 81, 197-204. [25] Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1995) Biometry: The principles and practice of statistics in biological research. 3rd Edition, W. H. Freeman and Co, New York. [26] Underwood, A.J. (1997) Experiments in ecology: Their logical design and interpretation using analysis of variance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [27] Paiva, P.C. (2001) Spatial and temporal variation of a nearshore benthic community in Southern Brazil: Implications for the design of monitoring programs. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 52(4), 423-433. [28] Forbes, V.E. and Lopez, G.R. (1990) The role of sediment type in growth and fecundity of mud snails (Hidrobiidae). Oecologia, 83, 53-61. [29] Grudemo, J. and Bohlin, T. (2000) Effects of sediment type and intra- and interespecific competition on growth rate of the marine snails Hydrobia ulvae and Hydrobia ventrosa. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 253, 115-127. [30] Fish, J.D. and Fish, S. (1974) The breeding cycle and growth of Hydrobia ulvae in the Dovey Estuary. Journal of the Marine Biology Association UK, 54(3), 685-697. [31] Paranhos, R., Pereira, A.P. and Mayr, L.M. (1998) Diel variability of water quality in a tropical polluted bay. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 50(2), 131-141. [32] Mayr, L.M., Tenenbaum, D.R., Villac, M.C., Paranhos, R., Nogueira, C.R., Bonecker, S.L.C. and Bonecker, A.C.T. (1989) Hydrobiological characterization of Guanabara Bay. In: Magoon, O. and Neves, C. Eds., Coastlines of Brazil, American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, 124-138. [33] Rakocinski, C.F., Brown, S.S., Gaston, G.R., Heard, R.W., Walker, W.W. and Summers, J.K. (2000) Species-abun- dance-biomass responses by estuarine macrobenthos to sediment chemical contamination. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery, 7(3), 201-214. [34] Fenchel, T. (1975) Factors determining the distribution patterns of mud snails (Hydrobiidae). Oecologia, 20(1), 1-17. [35] Lacerda, L.D., Souza, C.M.M. and Pestana, M.H.D. (1988) Geochemical distribution of Cd, Cu, Cr and Pb in sediments along the southeastern Brazilian coast. In: Seeliger, U., Lacerda, L.D. and Patchineelam, R. Eds., Metals in Coastal Environments of Latin America, Springer, Berlin, 86-89. [36] Davis, A.P., Hao, O.J. and Chen, J.M. (1994) Kinetics of heavy metal reactions with ferrous sulphide. Chemosphere, 28(6), 1147-1164. [37] Ivanov, M.V. (1983) Major fluxes of the global biogeo-chemical cycle of sulphur. In: Ivanov, M.V. and Freney, J.R. Eds., The Global Biogeochemical Sulphur Cycle, Wiley, Chichester, 449-463. [38] Okland, J. (1992) Effects of acidic water on freshwater snails: Results from a study of 1000 lakes throughout Norway. Environmental Pollution, 78(1-3), 127-130. [39] Bemvenuti, C.E., Rosa-Filho, J.S. and Elliot, M. (2003) Changes in soft-bottom macrobenthic assemblages after a sulphuric acid spill in the Harbour of Rio Grande (RS-Brazil). Brazilian Journal of Biology, 63(2), 183- 194. [40] Rosenberg, R. (2001) Marine benthic faunal successional stages and related sedimentary activity. Scientia Marina, 65(2), 107-119. [41] Santos, S.L. and Simon, J.L. (1980) Marine soft-bottom community establishment following annual defaunation: Larval or adult recruitment? Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2, 235-241. [42] Little, C. (2000) The biology of soft shores and estuaries. Oxford University Press, New York. [43] Thrush, S.F., Hewitt, J.E. and Pridmore, R.D. (1989) Patterns in the spatial arrangement of polychaetes and bivalves in intertidal sandflats. Marine Biology, 102(4), 529-535. [44] Neto, A.S. and Lana, P.C. (1994) Effects of sediment disturbance on the structure of benthic fauna in a sub-tropical tidal creek of southeastern Brazil. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 106, 239-247.
[1] Senra, M.C.E. (2003) Análise preliminar e caracteriza??o da malacofauna em sedimentos da Baía de Guanabara. Anuario do Instituto de Geociências da UFRJ, 26, 149-151. [2] Bemvenuti, C.E., Capitoli, R.R. and Gianuca, N.M. (1978) Estudos de ecologia bent?nica na regi?o estuarial da Lagoa dos Patos. II Distribui??o quantitativa do macrobentos infralitoral. Atlantica, 3, 23-32. [3] Lopez-Figueroa, F. and Niell, F.X. (1988) Feeding behavior of Hydrobia ulvae (Pennant) in microcosms. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 114(2-3), 153-167. [4] Little, C. and Nix, W. (1976) The burrowing and floating behavior of the gastropod Hydrobia ulvae. Estuarine, Coastal and Marine Science, 4(5), 537-544. [5] Bemvenuti, C.E. (1998) Fundos n?o vegetados. In: Seeliger, U., Odebrecht, C. and Castello, J. Eds., Os ecossistemas costeiro e marinho do extremo sul do Brasil, Ecoscientia, Rio Grande, Brazil, 87-92. [6] Norkko, J., Bonsdorff, E. and Norkko, A. (2000) Drifting algal mats as an alternative habitat for benthic invertebrates: Species specific responses to transient resource. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 248(1), 79-104. [7] Orvain, F. and Sauriau, P.G. (2002) Environmental and behavioural factors affecting activity in the intertidal gastropod Hydrobia ulvae. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 272(2), 191-216. [8] Lana, P.C. (1986) Macrofauna bêntica de fundos sublitorais n?o consolidados da Baía de Paranaguá (Paraná). Neritica, 1(3), 79-89. [9] Bemvenuti, C.E., Cattaneo, A.S. and Netto, S.A. (1992) Características estruturais da macrofauna bent?nica em dois pontos da regi?o estuarial da Lagoa dos Patos, RS, Brasil. Atlantica, 14(4), 5-28. [10] Stiling, P. (1996) Ecology: Theories and applications. 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall Inc, New Jersey. [11] Holyoak, M., Leibold, M.A. and Holt, R.D. (2005) Me-tacommunities: Spatial dynamics and ecological communities. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. [12] Pulliam, H.R. (1988) Sources, sinks and population regulation. American Naturalist, 132(5), 652-661. [13] Junkins, R., Kelaher, B. and Levinton, J. (2006) Contribution of adult oligochaete emigration and immigration in a dynamic soft-sediment community. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 330(1), 208-220. [14] Amador, E.S. (1997) Baía de Guanabara e ecossistemas periféricos: Homem e natureza. Reporte Gráfica e Editora LTDA, Rio de Janeiro. [15] Valentin, J.L., Tenenbaum, D.R., Bonecker, A.C.T., Bo-necker, S.L.C., Nogueira, C.R. and Villac, M.C. (1999) Osistema planct?nico da Baía de Guanabara: Síntese do conhecimento. In: Silva, S.H.G. and Lavrado, H.P. Eds., Ecologia dos ecossistemas costeiros do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Série Oecologia Brasiliensis, Rio de Janeiro, 35-39. [16] Kjerfve, B., Ribeiro, C.H.A., Dias, G.T.M., Filippo, A.M. and Quaresma, V.S. (1997) Oceanographic characteristics of an impacted coastal bay: Baía de Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Continental Shelf Research, 17(13), 1609-1643. [17] Underwood, A.J. (1991) Beyond BACI: Experimental designs for detecting human environmental impacts on temporal variations in natural populations. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 42(5), 569-587. [18] Underwood, A.J. (1992) Beyond BACI:The detection of environmental impact on populations in the real, but variable, world. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 161(2), 145-178. [19] Wandeness, A.P., Mattos, M.A.R. and Nogueira, C.S.R. (1997) Copepoda (Crustacea) of Guanabara bay, R.J.I. specific composition. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 40, 377-381. [20] Geraldes, M.C., Paula, A.H., Godoy, J.M. and Valeriano, C.M. (2006) Pb isotope signatures of sediments from Guanabara Bay, SE Brazil: Evidence for multiple anthro-pogenic sources. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 88(1-3), 384-388. [21] INMET. (2005-2007). Rain precipitation data of the region and years of study, Meteorology National Institute. (Meteorology National Institute data center, RJ, BR) on-line. http://www.inmet.gov.br [22] Quaresma, V.S., Dias, G.T.M. and Baptista Neto, J.A. (2000) Caracteriza??o da ocorrência de padr?es de sonar de varredura lateral e sísmica de alta freqüência (3,5 e 7,0 kHz ) na por??o sul da Baía de Guanabara-RJ. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics, 18(2), 201-214. [23] Quinn, G.P. and Keough, M.J. (2003) Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [24] Morrisey, D.J., Howitt, L., Underwood, A.J. and Stark, J.S. (1992) Spatial variation in soft-sediment benthos. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 81, 197-204. [25] Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1995) Biometry: The principles and practice of statistics in biological research. 3rd Edition, W. H. Freeman and Co, New York. [26] Underwood, A.J. (1997) Experiments in ecology: Their logical design and interpretation using analysis of variance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [27] Paiva, P.C. (2001) Spatial and temporal variation of a nearshore benthic community in Southern Brazil: Implications for the design of monitoring programs. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 52(4), 423-433. [28] Forbes, V.E. and Lopez, G.R. (1990) The role of sediment type in growth and fecundity of mud snails (Hidrobiidae). Oecologia, 83, 53-61. [29] Grudemo, J. and Bohlin, T. (2000) Effects of sediment type and intra- and interespecific competition on growth rate of the marine snails Hydrobia ulvae and Hydrobia ventrosa. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 253, 115-127. [30] Fish, J.D. and Fish, S. (1974) The breeding cycle and growth of Hydrobia ulvae in the Dovey Estuary. Journal of the Marine Biology Association UK, 54(3), 685-697. [31] Paranhos, R., Pereira, A.P. and Mayr, L.M. (1998) Diel variability of water quality in a tropical polluted bay. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 50(2), 131-141. [32] Mayr, L.M., Tenenbaum, D.R., Villac, M.C., Paranhos, R., Nogueira, C.R., Bonecker, S.L.C. and Bonecker, A.C.T. (1989) Hydrobiological characterization of Guanabara Bay. In: Magoon, O. and Neves, C. Eds., Coastlines of Brazil, American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, 124-138. [33] Rakocinski, C.F., Brown, S.S., Gaston, G.R., Heard, R.W., Walker, W.W. and Summers, J.K. (2000) Species-abun- dance-biomass responses by estuarine macrobenthos to sediment chemical contamination. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery, 7(3), 201-214. [34] Fenchel, T. (1975) Factors determining the distribution patterns of mud snails (Hydrobiidae). Oecologia, 20(1), 1-17. [35] Lacerda, L.D., Souza, C.M.M. and Pestana, M.H.D. (1988) Geochemical distribution of Cd, Cu, Cr and Pb in sediments along the southeastern Brazilian coast. In: Seeliger, U., Lacerda, L.D. and Patchineelam, R. Eds., Metals in Coastal Environments of Latin America, Springer, Berlin, 86-89. [36] Davis, A.P., Hao, O.J. and Chen, J.M. (1994) Kinetics of heavy metal reactions with ferrous sulphide. Chemosphere, 28(6), 1147-1164. [37] Ivanov, M.V. (1983) Major fluxes of the global biogeo-chemical cycle of sulphur. In: Ivanov, M.V. and Freney, J.R. Eds., The Global Biogeochemical Sulphur Cycle, Wiley, Chichester, 449-463. [38] Okland, J. (1992) Effects of acidic water on freshwater snails: Results from a study of 1000 lakes throughout Norway. Environmental Pollution, 78(1-3), 127-130. [39] Bemvenuti, C.E., Rosa-Filho, J.S. and Elliot, M. (2003) Changes in soft-bottom macrobenthic assemblages after a sulphuric acid spill in the Harbour of Rio Grande (RS-Brazil). Brazilian Journal of Biology, 63(2), 183- 194. [40] Rosenberg, R. (2001) Marine benthic faunal successional stages and related sedimentary activity. Scientia Marina, 65(2), 107-119. [41] Santos, S.L. and Simon, J.L. (1980) Marine soft-bottom community establishment following annual defaunation: Larval or adult recruitment? Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2, 235-241. [42] Little, C. (2000) The biology of soft shores and estuaries. Oxford University Press, New York. [43] Thrush, S.F., Hewitt, J.E. and Pridmore, R.D. (1989) Patterns in the spatial arrangement of polychaetes and bivalves in intertidal sandflats. Marine Biology, 102(4), 529-535. [44] Neto, A.S. and Lana, P.C. (1994) Effects of sediment disturbance on the structure of benthic fauna in a sub-tropical tidal creek of southeastern Brazil. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 106, 239-247.