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Influence of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on terrestrial isopods in coastal wetlands of Mediterranean Chile
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Resumo(s)
Mediterranean coastal wetlands are ecologically valuable ecosystems under increasing anthropogenic pressures that threatens their biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Among the invertebrate fauna inhabiting these environments, terrestrial isopods play crucial roles in decomposition processes and nutrient cycling, yet their diversity and distribution patterns in Chilean Mediterranean wetlands remain understudied. Recent research suggests that isopod communities in these wetlands are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance and environmental stressors, such as salinization and degradation of habitat. This study examined how different land uses — agriculture, plantations and urban areas surrounding the wetlands — and local environmental conditions influence the diversity and structure of terrestrial isopod communities. We sampled 18 coastal wetlands in central Chile and calculated both taxonomic and size-based metrics. We observed significantly higher isopod abundances in wetlands surrounded by agriculture and plantations, compared to urban sites. Size diversity did not differ significantly among the different land use categories. Environmental conditions varied across these wetlands, with urban soils tending to be more acidic and enriched in organic matter, whereas wetlands surrounded by agriculture and plantations were characterized by higher salinity and more alkaline soil conditions. These environmental gradients, along with the occurrence of native and exotic species in different land-use contexts, suggest species-specific ecological adaptations.
Descrição
Tese de Mestrado, Biologia da Conservação, 2025, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências
Palavras-chave
Mediterranean wetlands anthropogenic disturbance environmental conditions terrestrial isopods size structure