Effect of macrophyte submerged leaf morphometry on periphytic meiofauna community structure in the atlantic forest freshwater ecosystems

Aquatic macrophytes play a vital role in shaping freshwater invertebrate communities. Although Salvinia taxa exhibit morphological differences, the influence of these variations on the structure of the periphytic meiofauna communities has not been sufficiently explored, especially in Atlantic Forest. We aimed to analyze the effect of the Salvinia leaf morphometry on meiofauna communities, testing the hypothesis that the increase in submerged leaves area influences the structure of these communities, leading to higher invertebrate abundance and increased values of richness and Shannon diversity of major invertebrate taxa. Floating mats of each of four Salvinia taxa were randomly sampled in two tropical rivers. The submerged leaf area was measured and invertebrates associated were quantified and identified to higher taxonomic levels. Larger submerged leaf areas, such as those of S. oblongifolia, supported a higher invertebrate abundance, but no significant relationships were found between leaf area and taxa richness or Shannon diversity. Differences between invertebrate communities from both varieties of S. auriculata highlight the leaf morphometric features as an important structuring factor of invertebrate communities associated with macrophytes. Our findings provide a baseline for future studies on invertebrate-macrophyte interactions in protected areas and support decision-making in ecological restoration efforts.