Variação espacial e temporal do microfitoplâncton e sua utilização no monitoramento da qualidade de água do Reservatório de Boa Esperança – PI / MA

Abstract

Opportunist species increase their population in detriment to others that previously participated in the assemblage, changing the ecosystem structure. Such changes can be used as ecological tools in pollutant sources monitoring, because they corroborate in the description of alterations of aquatic ecosystem trophic state. Therfore, this study aimed at surveying and characterizing the planktonic algae species of Boa Esperança Hydroelectric reservoir – PI/MA, Brazil, along its extension in different seasonal periods. Four quarterly surveys were carried out, between July 2006 and April 2007, in 17 sampling stations. The biological material was obtained through vertical tows along the euphotic zone. Algae ecological strategies and associations were defined and biotic indexes applied. 189 taxons were identified, distributed among Chlorophyta (94), Bacillariophyta (41), Cyanophyta (30), Euglenophyta (13), Dinophyta (4), Chrysophyta (3), Cryptophyta (3) and Xantophyta (1). The diversities and densities showed temporal differences, although tended to be longitudinally similar. The highest diversity was found in October 2006, 4,3 bit×org-1, in BOA 04, and the lowest was found in July 2006, 0,6 bit×org-1, in BOA 17, due the density of Aulacoseira granulata. The highest density was recorded in January 2007, 114,8×103 org×L-1, in BOA 17, and the lowest in April 2007, 1,4×103 org×L-1, in BOA 02. During the study, Cyanophyta and Aulacoseira granulata (Bacillariophyta) were the algal division and the species that presented the highest densities, respectively. The indexes indicated that the environment was, predominantly, mesotrophic during the year sessions.