2017-02-212017-02-212009-06CARVALHO, P.; BINI, L. M.; DINIZ FILHO, J. A. F.; MURPHY, K. J. A macroecological approach to study aquatic macrophyte distribution patterns. Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia, Rio Claro, v. 21, n. 2, p. 169-174, 2009.2179-975Xhttp://repositorio.bc.ufg.br/handle/ri/11412Aim: Macroecology is a useful tool in the determination of species distribution patterns. Large scale data about the distribution area of aquatic macrophytes in Brazil are scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the geographic distribution of 56 species, belonging to two families (Potamogetonaceae and Characeae) of aquatic macrophytes in Great Britain and Ireland, examining the relationship of this distribution with the plant size and latitude (Rapoport’s rule); Methods: Data were obtained from the literature and reorganized in a grid containing 418 quadrats. The ellipse method was used to estimate areographics parameters such as central position, distribution form and extent of occurrence; Results: Most species have relatively small range sizes, a pattern found for many assemblages. The broad distribution ranges of some species (e.g. Potamogeton natans and Potamogeton polygonifolius) have often been taken as compelling evidence of high dispersal rates. The aquatic macrophytes distribution corroborated Brown’s model where large sized species must have large areas of occupancy to avoid extinction. Rapoport’s rule was observed to hold only for the Characeae; Conclusions: Patterns in the geographic distribution of aquatic plants have been ignored in the macroecological literature. However, we did detect some of the patterns that are recurrently detected in other groups of organisms (e.g., Brown’s model and Rapoport’s Rule). Therefore, our results add to the growing body of research that suggests the importance of mechanisms operating in large spatial scales.engAcesso AbertoAreographyAquatic macrophytesPotamogetonaceaeCharaceaeRapoport’s ruleArtigo