title: Urbanization effects on the composition and structure of macrophytes communities in a lotic ecosystem of Pernambuco State, Brazil.
abstract: Population growth in urban areas changes freshwater ecosystems, and this can have consequences for macrophyte communities as can be seen in the municipalities that border the Capibaribe River, Pernambuco, Brazil. This study reports the effects of urbanization on the composition and structure of macrophyte communities in areas along that river. The following urbanized and non-urbanized sampling sites were chosen: Sites 1 and 2 (municipality of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe), Sites 3 and 4 (municipality of Toritama), and Sites 5 and 6 (metropolitan region of Recife). These sites were visited every two months from January to July 2013 to observe seasonal variation (wet and dry seasons). Thirty-one species were identified. Generally, the non-urbanized sites had a higher number of species. Multivariate analyses indicated significant overall differences between urbanized and non-urbanized areas (R = 0.044; p < 0.001) and between seasons (R = 0.018; p < 0.019). Owing to the large variation in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between urbanized and non-urbanized areas, we found that urbanization significantly influenced the floristic composition and structure of macrophyte communities.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica - PPGB, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Avenida Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: L R C C
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica - PPGB, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Avenida Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scherner
authors.affiliation: Gerência Regional de Educação Recife Sul - GERE, Secretaria Estadual de Educação de Pernambuco, Rua Acadêmico Hélio Ramos, 500, Cidade Universitária, CEP 50740-530, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE, Avenida Jornalista Aníbal Fernandes, s/n, Cidade Universitária, CEP 50740-560, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica - PPGB, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Avenida Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Humana e Meio Ambiente - PPGSHMA, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória - CAV, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco - UFPE, Rua do Alto do Reservatório, s/n, Bela Vista, CEP 55608-680, Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: S M B
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D010944:Plants; D045483:Rivers; D012621:Seasons; D014507:Urbanization