Abiotic dynamics in an area of occurrence of the golden mussel: Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857), in a stretch of the Rio Grande

Physical-chemical parameters can influence the distribution of organisms in space and time. Limnoperna fortunei, a bivalve originating in China, is an example of an organism with high plasticity and wide geographic distribution. A decade after its introduction in the Rio Grande Basin, studies of physicochemical parameters are still scarce. Thus, the objective of this work is to describe the dynamics of physical-chemical parameters in the Lower Rio Grande Basin. For this, the physical-chemical parameters were analyzed: temperature; pH; oxidation potential; Electric conductivity; turbidity; dissolved oxygen and total dissolved solids. A Principal Components Analysis; and a Non-Metric Scaling Analysis were performed. Finally, to verify significant abiotic differences between the points, a comparative analysis was performed. The study demonstrated that even with the effects of seasonality acting on the points, the two stretches of the Lower Rio Grande Basin showed similarity in the abiotic parameters, reflecting environmental stability; what may be positively influencing the population stabilization of Limnoperna fortunei.