Karoline Victor Serpa

@uvv.br

Programa de Pós Graduação em Biotecnologia Vegetal
Vila Velha University

Karoline Victor Serpa


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https://researchid.co/serpakaroline
Master in Ecosystem Ecology from the Postgraduate Program in Ecosystem Ecology at Vila Velha University. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Universidade Vila Velha and is currently a PhD candidate in Plant Biotechnology, with an emphasis on Biotechnology applied to agriculture and the is also a PhD candidate in Agriculture, Environment and Related Studies at the University of Southern Queensland. Furthermore, she is a Research Associate at the Aquatic Insect Ecology Laboratory (LEIA) under the guidance of Professor Dr. Marcelo da Silva is part of the General Secretariat of TWRA Brasil (Tropical Water Research Alliance) and is a member of the TWRA Regional Committee in Espírito Santo.

EDUCATION

Bachelor in Biological Sciences
Master in Ecology
PhD candidate in Plant Biotecnology
PhD candidate in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Ecology, Environmental Science
5

Scopus Publications

48

Scholar Citations

3

Scholar h-index

2

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Individual and combined effects of shading and habitat complexity on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a mesocosm stream experiment (São Paulo, Brazil)
    Mariana Morilla, Karoline V. Serpa, Matheus E. K. Ogasawara, Jeremy J. Piggott, Marcin Penk, Marcelo S. Moretti, Christoph D. Matthaei, Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Ricardo H. Taniwaki
    Restoration Ecology, 2026
    Introduction Agricultural activities are a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in subtropical streams, often altering macroinvertebrate community structure and associated ecosystem functions. Although restoration strategies increasingly target these impacts, the relative importance of riparian shading and in‐stream habitat complexity remains poorly understood. Objectives This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of shading and habitat complexity on macroinvertebrate recolonization, aiming to inform ecological restoration strategies in agricultural landscapes. Methods We conducted a 42‐day mesocosm experiment under controlled conditions. Forty‐eight mesocosms were exposed to three shading levels (0, 30, and 70%), with or without the addition of rocks and branches to increase habitat complexity. Macroinvertebrate communities were assessed using abundance, taxa richness, Shannon diversity, equitability, and EPT richness and abundance indices. Results Shading significantly increased macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity, whereas habitat complexity enhanced abundance, with no significant effects on richness or diversity indices. The combination of 70% shading and increased structural complexity resulted in the highest macroinvertebrate abundance. Overall, shading exerted a stronger influence on community responses than habitat complexity applied alone. Conclusion These results highlight the importance of shading and habitat complexity in enhancing macroinvertebrate community structure, although their effects on taxonomic diversity appear limited. Shading consistently promoted increases in abundance and diversity, while structural complexity primarily affected abundance, suggesting complementary but distinct ecological roles.
  • Size-mass relationships of aquatic insects in forest streams: addressing a knowledge gap in Neotropical communities
    Felipe Silva das Chagas, Paula Munhoz de Omena, Larissa Corteletti da Costa, Karoline Victor Serpa, Marcelo da Silva Moretti
    Revista Brasileira De Ciencias Ambientais, 2025
    Determining individuals' dry mass is crucial for better understanding community structure in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The establishment of size‒mass relationships for different populations constitutes a helpful tool for indirectly determining the total biomass of freshwater communities. In this study, we determined the size‒mass relationships of 14 genera from the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, and Odonata commonly found in leaf patches in Atlantic Forest streams (SE Brazil). We used individual body length as a size measure and three mathematical models (linear, exponential, and power) to establish the best-fitting equations. The equations described by the power model showed the best fit (coefficient of determination [r²]≥0.80) for the genera Anacroneuria, Macrogynoplax (Plecoptera), Smicridea (Trichoptera), Archaegomphus, Idiataphe, Hetaerina, Heteragrion, and Neocordulia (Odonata); the exponential model presented the best fit for Phylloicus (r²=0.74), Triplectides (Trichoptera, r²=0.60), Enderleina (r²=0.96), and Tupiperla (Plecoptera, r²=0.60); and the linear model exhibited the best fit for Elasmothemis (Odonata, r²=0.85) and Massartella (Ephemeroptera, r²=0.63). Our findings demonstrated that body length is a strong predictor of dry mass for most of the studied genera but some exceptions suggest that it may not fully capture biomass variation. The power models performed better in general, whereas the exponential and linear models were optimal for specific genera, indicating diverse influences on taxa allometry. This study reinforces the need to evaluate different approaches for estimating the dry mass of aquatic insects and underscores the caution required when using indirect methods for biomass determination.
  • Niche breadth of invertebrate shredders in tropical forest streams: which taxa have restricted habitat preferences?
    Karoline Victor Serpa, Walace Pandolpho Kiffer, Miliane Fardim Borelli, Marcos Antônio Ferraz, Marcelo S. Moretti
    Hydrobiologia, 2020
  • Do changes in riparian zones affect periphyton growth and invertebrate colonization on rocky substrates in Atlantic Forest streams?
    Walace P. Kiffer Jr., Thaís Z. Giuberti, Karoline V. Serpa, Flávio Mendes, Marcelo S. Moretti
    Iheringia Serie Zoologia, 2018
    We evaluated the growth of periphyton and colonization of sterilized cobbles by invertebrates in three coastal streams of the Atlantic Forest (Southeast Brazil) that differ in the conservation level of riparian zones. Because of differences in light availability and water temperature, we hypothesized the growth of periphytic algae would be higher in the most altered stream. Consequently, invertebrate assemblages would differ among streams. Cobbles with similar sizes were ashed and incubated for 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days in the studied streams. Despite periphyton growth was faster in the most altered stream, contents of chlorophyll-a did not differ among streams. A total of 954 individuals (98% insects) belonging to 36 taxa was found. Invertebrate density was higher and increased throughout the experiment in the preserved stream, while invertebrate biomass was higher on the initial sampling intervals (7 and 15 days). A stream effect on invertebrate assemblages was observed after the 15th day and 17 taxa were found only in the preserved stream. Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera), Hydroptilidae, Helichopsychidae, Leptoceridae (Trichoptera) and Orthocladiinae (Diptera) showed specificities with the assemblages found in the preserved stream and no taxa proved to be an indicator of the assemblages found in the altered streams. These results showed that changes in the riparian zones of Atlantic Forest streams did not affect the content of chlorophyll-a on rocky substrates, but the growth of periphyton influenced the density and structural composition of invertebrate assemblages. Our findings partially support the proposed hypothesis and conform to the notion of the importance of periphyton community for the colonization of exposed substrates by invertebrates and for evaluating the consequences of anthropogenic changes in ecosystem functioning and aquatic communities.
  • Size-mass relationships and the influence of Larval and case size on the consumption rates of Triplectides sp. (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae)
    Walace Pandolpho Kiffer, Flavio Mendes, Juliana Vieira Rangel, Pâmela Barbosa, Karoline Serpa, Marcelo da Silva Moretti
    Fundamental and Applied Limnology, 2016

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Individual and combined effects of shading and habitat complexity on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a mesocosm stream experiment (São Paulo, Brazil)
    M Morilla, KV Serpa, MEK Ogasawara, JJ Piggott, M Penk, MS Moretti, ...
    Restoration Ecology, e70376 , 2026
    2026
  • Size-mass relationships of aquatic insects in forest streams: addressing a knowledge gap in Neotropical communities
    FS das Chagas, PM de Omena, LC da Costa, KV Serpa, ...
    Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais 60, e2253-e2253 , 2025
    2025
  • Niche breadth of invertebrate shredders in tropical forest streams: which taxa have restricted habitat preferences?
    KV Serpa, WP Kiffer Jr, MF Borelli, MA Ferraz, MS Moretti
    Hydrobiologia 847 (7), 1739-1752 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 24
  • Do changes in riparian zones affect periphyton growth and invertebrate colonization on rocky substrates in Atlantic Forest streams?
    WP Kiffer Jr, TZ Giuberti, KV Serpa, F Mendes, MS Moretti
    Iheringia. Série Zoologia 108, e2018014 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 9
  • As alterações nas zonas ripárias afetam o crescimento do perifíton e a colonização de substratos rochosos por invertebrados em riachos de Mata Atlântica?
    WP Kiffer Jr, TZ Giuberti, KV Serpa, F Mendes, MS Moretti
    Iheringia. Série Zoologia 108, e2018014 , 2018
    2018
  • Size-mass relationships and the influence of larval and case size on the consumption rates of Triplectides sp. (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae).
    WP Kiffer, F Mendes, JV Rangel, P Barbosa, K Serpa, MS Moretti
    2016
    Citations: 15

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Niche breadth of invertebrate shredders in tropical forest streams: which taxa have restricted habitat preferences?
    KV Serpa, WP Kiffer Jr, MF Borelli, MA Ferraz, MS Moretti
    Hydrobiologia 847 (7), 1739-1752 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 24
  • Size-mass relationships and the influence of larval and case size on the consumption rates of Triplectides sp. (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae).
    WP Kiffer, F Mendes, JV Rangel, P Barbosa, K Serpa, MS Moretti
    2016
    Citations: 15
  • Do changes in riparian zones affect periphyton growth and invertebrate colonization on rocky substrates in Atlantic Forest streams?
    WP Kiffer Jr, TZ Giuberti, KV Serpa, F Mendes, MS Moretti
    Iheringia. Série Zoologia 108, e2018014 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 9
  • Individual and combined effects of shading and habitat complexity on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a mesocosm stream experiment (São Paulo, Brazil)
    M Morilla, KV Serpa, MEK Ogasawara, JJ Piggott, M Penk, MS Moretti, ...
    Restoration Ecology, e70376 , 2026
    2026
  • Size-mass relationships of aquatic insects in forest streams: addressing a knowledge gap in Neotropical communities
    FS das Chagas, PM de Omena, LC da Costa, KV Serpa, ...
    Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais 60, e2253-e2253 , 2025
    2025
  • As alterações nas zonas ripárias afetam o crescimento do perifíton e a colonização de substratos rochosos por invertebrados em riachos de Mata Atlântica?
    WP Kiffer Jr, TZ Giuberti, KV Serpa, F Mendes, MS Moretti
    Iheringia. Série Zoologia 108, e2018014 , 2018
    2018