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The establishment of habitats for immature Ae. aegypti is regulated by biotic and abiotic factors and interactions between these factors. This study aimed to determine the effects of physico-chemical variables and planktonic algae on immature Ae. aegypti habitats in 101 water tanks (50 of them containing Ae. aegypti pupae and/or larvae) in Girardot, Colombia. Physical data were collected from the water tanks (volume, capacity, material, detritus, and location), along with the physico-chemical variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, redox potential, dissolved oxygen, percentage of oxygen saturation, nitrates, nitrites, and orthophosphates). The richness and abundance of the planktonic organisms were also measured. A chi-square test showed that the occurrence of detritus was greater and the container volume was smaller in the tanks that were positive for larvae. Only Cyanobacteria had a positive correlation with the abundance of immature-stage Ae. aegypti. The results could be important for understanding the vector ecology and envisaging its probable control in the domestic water tanks of Girardot. Journal of Vector Ecology 42 (2): 289-297. 2017.

Vertical distribution of phytoplankton is highly influenced by physical and chemical factors, but the knowledge about these aspects remain unknown in Colombian Amazon lakes. In this work, the relations between the physico-chemical variables and the vertical distribution of phytoplankton community of a clear water lake (Lake Boa) are analyzed. Samples were taken at every 30 cm from surface to bottom in the center of the lake at different times of the hydrological cycle. Phytoplankton transformed from a diluted community dominated by cyanobacteria in high waters to one with elevated abundance of coccal chlorophytes in low waters. In the low water phase, the vertical distribution of Cryptomonas spp., Peridinium cf. umbonatum and Chlamydomonas spp. had significant statistical associations with the redox potential (RP), reactive phosphorus (PO 4 ), and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) (p £ 0.05). During the flood stage the conditions were more varied and significant associations were detected between the vertical arrangement of Botryococcus braunii, Oscillatoria splendida, Dinobryon serturlaria, Euglena acus, and Trachelomonas volvocina with conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, temperature, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), PO 4 , RP, and ammonia (NH 4 ). The vertical structure of the Lake Boa's phytoplankton responds to annual changes produced by the flood pulse, and to the vertical environmental variations, which are stronger during the high water phase.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates (AMI) play an important role in the ecology of wetlands, either by their job as regulators of the cycles of matter, as for their energy storage function represented in their biomass, which is transferred to higher trophic levels. To answer the question of how biomass of different AMI trophic guilds is related with physicochemical variables in the wetland Jaboque (Bogotá, Colombia), four samplings were achieved between April 2009 and January 2010, according to periods of rain and drought in the region. The AMI biomass values obtained were rated as of intermediate rank. No temporal but spatial significant differences were found. Apparently these spatial differences appear to be associated with variations in anthropogenic pressure, which differs in each area of the wetland. In dry months (January and August), biomass was greater and dominated by detritivores. We observed a positive relationship between the specific conductance of water and the biomass of predators and detritivores and between water temperature and the biomass of detritivores and shredders. These relationships suggest that the physical and chemical variables influence the distribution, abundance, and biomass of functional groups. The physical and chemical conditions of water exhibited spatiotemporal fluctuations related to changes in the concentration of organic matter and nutrients, which presumably were related to the affluents discharges and the high impact of local human populations.Keywords: biomass, aquatic macroinvertebrates, urban wetlands, Jaboque, Andes. Biomassa de macroinvertebrados e características físicas e químicas da água em um pantanal urbano dos Andes na Colômbia ResumoMacroinvertebrados aquáticos (MIA) desempenham um importante papel na ecologia das zonas úmidas, quer pelo seu emprego como reguladores dos ciclos da matéria, como para a sua função de armazenamento de energia representada na sua biomassa, que é transferido para elevados níveis tróficos. Para responder à questão de como a biomassa de diferentes categorias tróficas de MIA está relacionada com as variáveis físicas e químicas da água do pantanal Jaboque (Bogotá, Colômbia), quatro amostragens foram realizadas entre abril de 2009 e janeiro de 2010, de acordo com os períodos de chuva e seca na região. Os valores de biomassa de MIA obtidos foram classificados como de grau intermediário. Nós não encontramos nenhuma diferença significativa no tempo, mas foram observadas diferenças espaciais. Aparentemente, estas diferenças parecem estar associadas com as variações espaciais na pressão antrópica, que difere em cada região do pantanal. Nos meses de menor precipitação (janeiro e agosto), a biomassa foi maior e dominado por detritívoros. Observou-se uma relação positiva entre a condutividade específica da água ena biomassa de predadores e detritívoros e entre a temperatura da água e a biomassa de detritívoros e trituradores. Estas relações sugerem que as variáveis físicas e químicas influenciam a distribuição, abundância e biomassa de grupos fu...

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RESUMENEl objetivo central de este trabajo es presentar algunas experiencias realizadas por el Departamento de Biología de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia en la elaboración de índices limnológicos para evaluar el estado ecológico de sistemas acuáticos colombianos. Se presentan siete casos que van desde la construcción de un índice multimétrico para los humedales bogotanos, hasta el desarrollo de un método de biomonitoreo del estado trófico basado en microalgas encapsuladas en alginato. Los índices consideran tanto variables físicas y químicas como características bióticas de los ambientes limnológicos analizados. Las comunidades acuáticas trabajadas fueron el fitoplancton, el perifiton, las plantas acuáticas y los invertebrados acuáticos. Los índices propuestos son: Índice de Condiciones Limnológicas de los humedales de Bogotá -ICOL; Índice de Diatomeas Perifíticas de los humedales de Bogotá -IDPHB; Índice de Integridad Biótica de Macroinvertebrados en ciénagas del Cesar-IIBM; Índice de Estado Limnológico para ciénagas del Canal del Dique -IEL; Índice de Estado Limnológico Fluvial para ríos de la cuenca alta del río Chicamocha-IELf; Índice de Integridad del Hábitat para ríos licenciados -IIH, los cuales permiten establecer escalas de calidad y funcionalidad de los ecosistemas estudiados. Las algas encapsuladas, por su parte, reflejan a través de sus tasas de crecimiento la condición trófica del agua. De esta manera se ponen a disposición de las autoridades ambientales una serie de herramientas técnicas y científicas que permiten tomar decisiones sobre el uso, restauración y conservación de los ambientes acuáticos continentales del país. Palabras clave: bioindicación, estado limnológico, salud ecológica, sistemas lénticos, sistemas lóticos. ABSTRACTThe main objective of this paper is to show some experiences of the Department of Biology of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in the development of limnological indices to assess the ecological status of aquatic systems in Colombia. Seven cases are presented ranging from the construction of a multimetric index for the urban wetlands of Bogotá, to the development of a method for biomonitoring the water trophic status, based on microalgae encapsulated in alginate. The indices shown consider physical, chemical, and biotic variables in the limnological environments analyzed. Aquatic communities worked were phytoplankton, periphyton, aquatic plants, and aquatic invertebrates. The proposed indices (Limnological Conditions Index of Bogotá wetlands-LICOI; Periphytic Diatoms Index of Bogotá Wetlands-PDIBW; Biotic Integrity Index for Macroinvertebrate of Cesar swamps BIIM; Limnological State Index for the Canal del Dique swamps-LSI; Limnological River State Index for upper basin of River Chicamocha -LRSI; Habitat Integrity Index for licensed rivers-HII) permit to set ranges of quality and functionality of ecosystems studied. Encapsulated algae, meanwhile, reflected through their growth rates trophic status of water. Thus, technical and scientific methodologies are offere...

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