Resumo Objetivo: Descrever variações limnológicas em um gradiente longitudinal do rio Paraná, rio com grande numero de barragens, ao longo do trecho entre Porto Primavera e Itaipu, região com inúmeros tributários não barrados. Métodos Foram analisados 12 transectos ao longo do eixo longitudinal do rio Paraná, distribuídos desde a jusante do reservatório de Porto Primavera até a montante do reservatório de Itaipu. As variáveis limnológicas analisadas foram: transparência da água, condutividade elétrica, pH, fósforo e nitrogênio totais. Resultados Nas regiões mais próximas a Porto Primavera observou-se altos valores de transparência da água e baixas concentrações de nitrogênio e fósforo. Em geral, foi observado incremento nas concentrações de nitrogênio e fósforo ao longo do gradiente longitudinal do rio Paraná, com redução na transparência da água à medida que os tributários se conectavam com a calha do rio Paraná. Nos pontos mais distantes da barragem de Porto Primavera, observaram-se valores de nutrientes próximos aqueles reportados antes da construção dessa barragem. Conclusões O aumento de nutrientes observados e, consequentes, alterações na integridade ecológica, provavelmente devem-se à presença de tributários não barrados que, por originarem-se de bacias hidrográficas diferentes, contribuem de maneira distinta na composição limnológica do rio Paraná. Os resultados obtidos nesse estudo apontam que tributários não barrados possuem importância fundamental na preservação das condições ecológicas necessárias para manutenção da biota no rio Paraná e podem mitigar impactos gerados pela barragem de Porto Primavera, ressaltando a importância desses tributários na conservação da produtividade do rio.

Abstract Aim: Describe the limnological pattern in a longitudinal gradient in the Paraná River, a highly dammed river, in a stretch localized between two dams, but rich in undammed tributaries. Methods Twelve transects in the longitudinal gradient of the Paraná River were sampled, with the first transect being placed right after Porto Primavera dam, and the last one in the lotic region of the Itaipu dam. In each of these transects, water transparency, electrical conductivity, pH, total nitrogen and total phosphorous were analyzed. Results In those regions nearer Porto Primavera dam it was observed high values of water transparency and low values of nitrogen and phosphorous. The values of water transparency decreased and the values of nitrogen and phosphorous increased as the distance from Porto Primavera dam increased. Because the new tributaries connect to the Paraná River, with the sites farer from Porto Primavera dam presenting values similar to those prior its construction. Conclusions Increase in the nutrients concentration and changes in ecological integrity are probably due to the presence of the undammed tributaries. They are originate in different river basins and therefore contribute to the Paraná River in distinct manners. Results presented here are an indicative of the fundamental importance of undammed tributaries in mitigating damming negative impacts in extremely dammed rivers and highlight the importance of keeping such tributaries free of dams.

Abstract Organic decomposition is a complex interaction between chemical, physical and biological processes, where the variety of aquatic vascular plants is essential for the trophic dynamics of freshwater ecosystems. The goal of this study was to determine the aquatic macrophyte Eichhornia azurea (Sw.) Kunth decomposition rate, the time relation with the limnological parameters, and whether this relationship is a result of decomposition processes. To that end, we collected water and leaves of E. azurea in Surf Leopoldo, PR. The experiment consisted of two treatments: 25 containers with 450 mL of water and 0.8 g of biomass dry weight were used with or without the addition of macrophytes. Samples were collected in triplicate at times 0, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 72 h, 120 h, 168 h and 240 h. When the container was removed, the plant material was dried in an oven. After 48 h, the material was measured to obtain the final dry weight. Analyses of pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus N-ammonia (NH4), soluble reactive phosphorus (PO4) and dissolved organic carbon were performed, and the decomposition rate was calculated. The results showed significant temporal variation of limnological parameters in the study. Additionally, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, dissolved organic carbon and total phosphorus were correlated with the dry weight of the biomass, suggesting that E. azurea decomposition significantly interferes with the dynamics of these variables.

Since the introduction of the Microbial Loop concept, many studies aimed to explain the role of bacterioplankton and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems. Paraná River floodplain system is a very complex environment where these subjects were little explored. The aim of this work was to characterize bacterial community in terms of density, biomass and biovolume in some water bodies of this floodplain and to verify its temporal variation and its relation with some limnological variables, including some indicators of DOC quality, obtained through Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis. Bacterial density, biomass and biovolume are similar to those from other freshwater environments and both density and biomass were higher in the period with less rain. The limnological and spectroscopic features that showed any relation with bacterioplankton were the concentrations of N-NH4 and P-PO4, water transparency, and some indicators of DOC quality and origin. The analysis of these relations showed a possible competition between bacterioplankton and phytoplankton for inorganic nutrients and that the DOC used by bacterioplankton is labile and probably from aquatic macrophytes.