Above- and below-ground vertebrate herbivory may each favour a different subordinate species in an aquatic plant community

At least two distinct trade-offs are thought to facilitate higher diversity in productive plant communities under herbivory. Higher investment in defence and enhanced colonization potential may both correlate with decreased competitive ability in plants. Herbivory may thus promote coexistence of plant species exhibiting divergent life history strategies. How different seasonally tied herbivore assemblages simultaneously affect plant community composition and diversity is, however, largely unknown. Two contrasting types of herbivory can be distinguished in the aquatic vegetation of the shallow lake Lauwersmeer. In summer, predominantly above-ground tissues are eaten, whereas in winter, waterfowl forage on below-ground plant propagules. In a 4-year exclosure study we experimentally separated above-ground herbivory by waterfowl and large fish in summer from below-ground herbivory by Bewick’s swans in winter. We measured the individual and combined effects of both herbivory periods on the composition of the three-species aquatic plant community. Herbivory effect sizes varied considerably from year to year. In 2 years herbivore exclusion in summer reinforced dominance of Potamogeton pectinatus with a concomitant decrease in Potamogeton pusillus, whereas no strong, unequivocal effect was observed in the other 2 years. Winter exclusion, on the other hand, had a negative effect on Zannichellia palustris, but the effect size differed considerably between years. We suggest that the colonization ability of Z. palustris may have enabled this species to be more abundant after reduction of P. pectinatus tuber densities by swans. Evenness decreased due to herbivore exclusion in summer. We conclude that seasonally tied above- and below-ground herbivory may each stimulate different components of a macrophyte community as they each favoured a different subordinate plant species

Atividade de amilase em quimo de três espécies tropicais de peixes teleostei de água doce

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a atividade de amilase no quimo presente nos intestinos médio e posterior, ou reto, em três espécies tropicais de peixes Teleostei de água doce: piracanjuba, Brycon orbignyanus (Valenciennes, 1849), piau, Leporinus friderici (Bloch, 1794), onívoros, e surubim, Pseudoplatystoma coruscans (Agassiz, 1829), preferencialmente carnívoro, visando fornecer referência à nutrição para o ajuste da alimentação artificial. As atividades de amilase foram determinadas usando-se kit BIOCLIN com metodologia modificada por CARAWAY (1959). Os resultados monstraram atividade específica média (2106,33 UA/mg) para amilase do piracanjuba e foram 91,74% menor em comparação ao piau (25.488,14 UA/mg), ambos de hábito alimentar onívoro, enquanto a atividade específica da amilase para o piracanjuba foi 89,06% menor em relação ao surubim (19.246,80 UA/mg), carnívoro, o qual apresentou atividade específica da amilase 24,49% menor em relação à do piau. Os dados sugerem que a grande diferença da atividade específica de amilase entre o piau e o piracanjuba possui ligação com sua morfometria e o complexo arranjo das pregas da mucosa dos intestinos médio e posterior. Além disso, a atividade de amilase do surubim indica possibilidade de uso de ração contendo carboidratos, porém estudos adicionais são necessários para a avaliação do comportamento dessas espécies na alimentação artificial.The objective of this work was to determine the amylase activity in the chyme present in the medium and posterior intestines or in the rectum of three tropical freshwater Teleostei species: piracanjuba, Brycon orbignyanus (Valenciennes, 1849), piau, Leporinus friderici (Bloch, 1974), omnivorous, and surubim, Pseudoplatystoma coruscans (Agassiz, 1829), preferably carnivorous, aiming to provide nutritional reference data for the adjustment of the artificial feeding systems. The amylase activity was determined by the use of BIOCLIN kit with a modified methodology by CARAWAY (1959). The results showed an average specific activity (2.106,33 UA/mg) for piracanjuba amylase and were 91.74% lower as compared to piau (25,488,14 UA/mg), both with an omnivorous feeding habit, while the specific activity for piracanjuba amylase was 89.96% lower as compared to surubim (19,24680 UA/mg), carnivorous, which showed amylase specific activity 24.49% lower as compared to the piau. These data suggest that the greatest difference of amylase specific activity between piau e piracanjuba was related to its morphometry and the complex arrangement of the medium and posterior intestine mucous membrane folds. Furthermore, the surubim amylase activity indicates the possibility of the use of carbohydrate containing diet; however, additional studies are necessary to evaluate the behavior of these species in the artificial feeding

Oportunismo alimentar de Knodus moenkhausii (Teleostei, Characidae): uma espécie abundante em riachos do noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a biologia alimentar de Knodus moenkhausii (Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903) em riachos do Alto rio Paraná no Estado de São Paulo. Em oito riachos (R1-R8), K. moenkhausii se alimentou de 18 itens, dos quais algas, ninfas de efemerópteros e larvas de dípteros foram os itens autóctones mais freqüentes e dominantes; fragmentos de insetos terrestres, himenópteros e aranhas foram os itens alóctones mais freqüentes e dominantes. No riacho R2, K. moenkhausii apresentou dieta distinta dos demais riachos, principalmente em função da profundidade, tipo de substrato e da presença de vegetação ripária. No riacho R9, amostrado mensalmente durante um ano, foram identificados 15 itens, dos quais insetos terrestres predominaram ao longo do ano; larvas de dípteros e algas foram pouco expressivas nos períodos de dezembro-janeiro (período mais quente e chuvoso) e junho-julho (período mais frio e seco). No riacho R9 foram realizadas observações subaquáticas durante mergulho livre, onde observamos a cata de itens na coluna d'água junto do substrato, da vegetação submersa e na superfície da água. A elevada variedade de itens consumidos - condicionada às variações do hábitat e sazonais - e a prática de diversas táticas nos permitem considerar K. moenkhausii uma espécie oportunista quanto ao uso dos recursos alimentares. Este oportunismo aparentemente se reflete na abundância da espécie, demonstrando boa capacidade em alocar parte significativa de sua energia à reprodução, mesmo em ambientes fisicamente impactados por ação antrópica.In the present investigation we studied the feeding biology of Knodus moenkhausii (Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903) in streams of the Upper Paraná river system in the state of São Paulo. In eight streams (R1-R8), K. moenkhausii consumed 18 items, of which algae, ephemeropteran nymphs, and dipteran larvae were the most frequent and dominant autochthonous items, as were terrestrial insects, hymenopterans, and spiders regarding allochthonous items. In the R2 stream, K. moenkhausii showed distinct diet, mostly due to depth, substrate type, and presence of riparian vegetation. In the R9 stream (monthly sampled for one year), 15 items were consumed, of which terrestrial insects predominated all year round; dipteran larvae and algae were least relevant during December-January (hot and wet period) and June-July (cold and dry period), respectively. During snorkeling observations in this stream, we recorded individuals performing drift feeding, picking at relatively small preys close to the substrate and submerged vegetation, and surface picking. The large diversity of consumed items - conditioned to habitat and seasonal variations - and the diversity of feeding tactics allow us to consider K. moenkhausii a rather opportunistic fish species. Such opportunism apparently reflects on the species abundance, showing its ability to allocate a significant part of its energy to reproduction, even in physically impacted habitats by human actions