Inventário dos microcrustáceos fitotelmata bromelícolas (copepoda) da Mata Atlântica de Alagoas

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest contains several types of vegetation. However, they are mostly secondary and fragmented. Due to the high degree of endemism in the Atlantic Forest, bromeliads are one of the most relevant. The overlapping of their leaves and accumulation of water creates a suitable environment for several organisms, usually referred to as phytotelmata. In particular, these environments also serve as habitats to microcrustaceans of the Subclass Copepoda. This monograph aims to inventory the fauna of Microcrustacea Copepoda in phytotelmata in the APA of Catolé and Fernão Velho, APA of Santa Rita and Dunas do Cavalo Russo, considering that, in Alagoas, there are no records of inventories of this fauna. The material was collected from water retained in the imbrication of the leaves of the bromeliads in two periods (dry and rainy) totalizing six collections and 80 sampling units. In each collection, the water retained from 20 bromeliads was randomly sampled. Two copepod orders (Harpacticoida and Cyclopoida), three genera (Microcyclops sp, Tropocyclops sp and Bryomcamptus sp.), and one species (Tropocyclops prasinus) were identified, as well as the presence of another group of microcrustaceans, the ostracods. It appears that temperature solar exposition and the amount of water retained in the foliate imbrication influence the presence or absence of Copepoda in the phytotelmata environment.