Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
https://actalb.org/article/doi/10.1590/S2179-975X8125
Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
Original Article

Phytoplankton community dynamics in a tropical urban artificial reservoir

Dinâmica da comunidade fitoplanctônica em um reservatório artificial urbano tropical

André Luiz Stocco; Andréa Tucci; Juliana Pomari; Amanda Costa Ferreira; João Augusto Iglecias Carrasco; Ciro Cesar Zanini Branco

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S2179-975X8125 Acta Limnol. Bras. (Online), vol.38, e30, 2026
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Abstract

Aim: Urban artificial reservoirs are commonly constructed to manage rainwater runoff, with phytoplankton playing a key role in the flow of matter and energy in these systems. This study aimed to ecologically characterize the phytoplankton community of an urban reservoir in western São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil.

Methods: Monthly sampling from April 2023 to March 2024 assessed phytoplankton composition, structure, and abiotic parameters. Qualitative samples supported taxonomic analysis, while quantitative samples evaluated species richness, relative abundance, and diversity. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) were used to identify patterns of similarity among samples based on environmental data and species composition, respectively.

Results: Chlorophyceae was the most represented class (36 genera), followed by Cyanobacteria (10) and Cryptophyceae (6). PCA suggested a tendency for spring–summer and autumn–winter sampling dates to differ along a seasonal environmental gradient driven mainly by pH, temperature, and precipitation. PCoA revealed a temporal pattern in phytoplankton community composition, with samples collected from late spring to early autumn forming a relatively cohesive group, whereas samples collected during the remaining months showed greater dispersion. This pattern suggests that periods associated with higher temperature, pH, and precipitation supported more similar phytoplankton assemblages, while periods characterized by lower values of these variables exhibited greater compositional variability. Additionally, the virtual absence of dominant species indicates a dynamic equilibrium, with Simpson’s Dominance (D’) declining under less stable water column conditions and increasing under higher stability. Accordingly, Shannon–Weaver Diversity (H’) and Pielou’s Evenness (J’) declined with increasing water column stability, suggesting intensified interspecific competition.

Conclusion: Overall, this study demonstrates that even a small urban artificial reservoir exhibits high ecosystem complexity shaped by environmental conditions, particularly seasonal climatic variation, thereby highlighting the ecological relevance of such lentic habitats. Enhanced continuous monitoring of biota is recommended to advance the understanding of urban aquatic systems and to guide management strategies under global climate change and intensifying anthropogenic pressures.

Keywords

phytoplankton dynamics; ecological succession; seasonal variation; microalgae; urban impoundment

Resumo

Objetivo: Reservatórios artificiais urbanos são comumente construídos para gerenciar o escoamento de águas pluviais, com o fitoplâncton desempenhando um papel central nos fluxos de energia e matéria nesses sistemas. O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar ecologicamente a comunidade fitoplanctônica de um reservatório urbano localizado no oeste do Estado de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil.

Métodos: Coletas mensais, de abril de 2023 a março de 2024, avaliaram a composição e a estrutura do fitoplâncton, bem como parâmetros abióticos. Amostras qualitativas subsidiaram a análise taxonômica, enquanto amostras quantitativas foram utilizadas para avaliar riqueza de espécies, abundância relativa e diversidade. A Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA) e a Análise de Coordenadas Principais (PCoA) foram empregadas para identificar padrões de similaridade entre as amostras com base em dados ambientais e na composição de espécies, respectivamente.

Resultados: Chlorophyceae foi a classe mais bem representada (36 gêneros), seguida por Cyanobacteria (10) e Cryptophyceae (6). A PCA identificou dois períodos sazonais distintos: outono–inverno (menor precipitação e temperatura) e primavera–verão (maior precipitação e temperatura). A PCoA mostrou que as amostragens realizadas entre o final da primavera e o início do outono formaram um grupo coeso, enquanto aquelas entre o final do outono e o início da primavera não exibiram um claro padrão de agrupamento, sugerindo uma comunidade fitoplanctônica mais homogênea sob condições de maior precipitação e temperatura, em contraste com uma estrutura mais dinâmica e imprevisível sob menor pluviosidade e temperatura. Além disso, a virtual ausência de espécies dominantes indica um equilíbrio dinâmico da comunidade, com a dominância de Simpson (D’) diminuindo sob condições menos estáveis da coluna d’água e aumentando com maior estabilidade. De forma correspondente, a diversidade de Shannon–Weaver (H’) e a equitabilidade de Pielou (J’) diminuíram com o aumento da estabilidade da coluna d’água, sugerindo intensificação da competição interespecífica.

Conclusões: De modo geral, este estudo demonstra que mesmo um pequeno reservatório artificial urbano apresenta alta complexidade ecossistêmica moldada pelas condições ambientais, particularmente pela variação climática sazonal, destacando assim a relevância ecológica desses habitats lênticos. Recomenda-se a ampliação do monitoramento contínuo da biota, a fim de aprimorar a compreensão dos sistemas aquáticos urbanos e subsidiar estratégias de manejo mais eficazes frente às mudanças climáticas globais e ao aumento das pressões antrópicas.

Palavras-chave

dinâmica do fitoplâncton; sucessão ecológica; variação sazonal; microalgas; reservatório urbano

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Submitted date:
11/12/2025

Accepted date:
09/28/2026

Publication date:
10/27/2026

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