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TAXONOMIC AND FUNCTIONAL

DIVERSITY OF SUBLITTORAL

BENTHIC MACROFAUNA OF

THE LAGUNA ESTUARINE SYSTEM,

SOUTH BRAZIL

Eje Temático Biodiversidad y Servicios Ecosistémicos

hanges in species richness, habitat homogenization, and decreased diversity
can affect the ecosystem functions of an environment. In unconsolidated
Csediment systems, habitat variability is of particular importance because of the
strong link between habitat and species diversity. In this paper, we comparatively Renan da Silva Martins
analyze the taxonomic and functional structure associated with bioturbation of
macroinvertebrate assemblages in a southern Brazilian lagoon. Thirty-six points Key Words: Functional
were sampled along orthogonal saline gradients (sites named Mirim, inner portion traits; Functional diversity;
oligohaline; Imaruí intermediate mesohaline, and Santo Antonio area mixohaline), Macroinvertebrates
and sedimentary (sectored by orientation West muddy, Intermediate sandy silt, and
East sandy silt). Functional traits associated with bioturbation were size, bioturbation Institution: Unisul
type, feeding strategy, mobility and excavation type. The results of Permutational
Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) show that the taxonomic structure of the benthic Country: Brazil
fauna among the gradients are not dependent, i.e., regardless of sediment type,
richness was always higher in the more saline areas than in the lower salinity areas. E-mail: martinss.renan@
At the same time, independent of salinity, muddy sandy sediments always exhibited hotmail.com
a richer fauna than muddy sediments. On the other hand, the response of functional
traits to orthogonal gradients was much more varied, exhibiting interdependent
relationships between saline and sediment gradients. This means that the response
of a given functional trait, such as feeding strategy at a given salinity depended
on the sediment type. Some functional traits, for example those associated with
bioturbation and mobility showed a direct relationship with salinity. Unexpectedly, no
functional trait was exclusively associated with sediment. The results of this study
show a clear distinction between the taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic
associations across multiple estuarine gradients. Furthermore, the study shows the
importance of a better understanding of functional diversity given the increasing
changes and impacts in estuaries.

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