Resumo

VAZQUEZ PERERA, Antonio Alejandro; GUTIERREZ AMADOR, Alfredo  e  SANCHES NODA, Jorge. Diversity studies in freshwater mollusc populations of medical importance . Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2008, vol.60, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3054.

Background: An ecological study was carried out on the diversity of freshwater mollusc populations of medical importance to show the significance of changes in diversity for their behaviour in various ecosystems. Objective: to determine what changes in the abundance of the populations were responsible for diversity variations. Methods: Five locations were evaluated to obtain monthly changes in diversity (Beta-diversity). Results: the normal value for diversity change in mollusc communities was around 5-6 % whereas the highest values were seen in locations where dramatic changes in the ecosystem had occurred. Only one location showed a very low value because diversity fluctuations depended merely on two species. In those places with highly dominant species, diversity was low due to less equity in the amount of present species and not to a reduction in species richness. Conclusions: Diversity changes can be as important as the environmental fluctuations and usually have marked effects in the dynamics of intermediary host species populations.

Palavras-chave : Molluscs; ecology; diversity; intermediary hosts.

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