Do metals differentiate zooplankton communities in shallow and deep lakes affected by mining tailings? The case of the Fundão dam failure (Brazil).

The effects of exposure to mining tailings on water quality and biota of tropical lacustrine ecosystems remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that after mining tailing spills, shallow lakes should retain higher metal concentrations in comparison with deep lakes, which might contribute to differentiating species sorting and community structure of zooplankton in both ecosystems. Surveys were performed in 6 Brazilian lakes affected by the Fundão dam failure from October 2018 to September 2019.

Changes in the hydro-sedimentary balance: Impacts of the use of a borrow pit in a low-order stream.

Construction of dams for hydroelectric power requires significant quantities of soil and rock, which are often extracted in borrow pits from adjacent regions. Although the effects of dams on stream processes has received significant attention, the effects of borrow pits has not. The main objective of this study was to analyze the geomorphological and sedimentological aspects of two second-order streams, one of which was directly affected by the borrow pit located upstream of its source (Pedra Branca stream).

Egg production and life history of Alona guttata Sars, 1862 (Cladocera, Chydoridae): implications for colonization of temporary ponds.

Cladocerans are a diverse group of species that show rapid responses to changes in environmental conditions. This adaptive capacity has important implications for egg production and life cycle, especially in transitory environments such as temporary waterbodies. The present study investigated the life history and egg production of Alona gutatta Sars, 1862 (Crustacea, Cladocera), an abundant and frequent species from a high-altitude temporary pond (Lagoa Seca, Minas Gerais, Brazil).

A methodological proposal for the analysis of Cladocera (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) subfossils from sediments of temporary aquatic ecosystems.

The main objective of the present study was to promote some adaptations to the standard methodology used in the analysis of Cladocera subfossils. The samples used in this study were collected at Lagoa dos Coutos, a temporary lake located on an outcrop with iron-rich duricrust in the Serra do Gandarela (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The sediment from this pond, typical of temporary ecosystems in the region, is characterized by rigid concretions that are difficult to dissolve in aqueous media, making it difficult to visualize and analyze subfossils taxa.

Irrigation canals in Melo creek basin (Rio Espera and Capela Nova municipalities, Minas Gerais, Brazil): habitats to Biomphalaria (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) and potential spread of schistosomiasis.

This study analyzed the presence of Biomphalaria in Melo creek basin, Minas Gerais state, and its relationship to irrigation canals. Seventeen of these canals were used to determine a limnological, morphological and hydrological characterization during an annual seasonal cycle. Biomphalaria samples were sent to René Rachou Research Center/FIOCRUZ for identification and parasitological examination.