Temporal and altitudinal variations in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in an Andean river basin of Argentina

Scheibler, Érica Elizabeth; Claps, María Cristina; Roig, Sergio Alberto

doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2014.789

Cited by 29 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(70 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Family Chironomidae belonging to Diptera was the most dominant taxa and this finding is in accordance with previous findings elsewhere (Oliveira, 2010;Scheibler, 2014). This taxon can be found in a range of physico-chemical conditions and have been reported to be one of the most dominant taxa in cold temperatures (Lencioni et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Macroinvetebrate Assemblages as Indicators of Water Quality of the West Seti River, Bajhang, Nepal

Matangulu¹,

Gurung²,

Prajapati³

et al. 2017

Int. J. Environ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water quality of the West Seti River, a tributary of the Karnali in West Nepal was assessed using macroinvertebrates as bioindicators. The main objective of the study was to assess the ecological water quality of the West Seti River and to generate a baseline data on macroinvertebrate assemblages. The sampling was conducted during December 2015 and a total of 11 sampling sites were selected from the West Seti River and its tributaries. Qualitative samples of macroinvertebrates were collected from different habitats. Selected physico-chemical parameters such as pH and temperature were estimated on-site. Dissolved oxygen (DO) was estimated by Winkler's method. The macroinvertebrate samples were enumerated and identified up to Family level following standard literature. Chi-square test was performed to see whether macroinvertebrate taxa varied significantly along the altitudinal gradient and between the West Seti River and its tributaries. An ecological assessment tool Nepalese Biotic Score/ Average Score Per Taxon (NEPBIOS/ASPT) was applied to assess the water quality of the sampling sites. The pH value ranged from 7.9 to 8.7 indicating the alkaline nature of the river. A total of 1666 individuals belonging to 34 Families and 7 Orders of macro-invertebrates were observed. The highest diversity of the macroinvertebrate taxa was observed at site T5 with nineteen Families whereas the lowest taxa diversity was observed at R3 with only five Families. The variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages between the sub-tropical and temperate zones; and the West Seti River and its tributaries were not significant. NEPBIOS/ASPT revealed a score of Water Quality Class of III-IV at Site R3 indicating that the site was polluted. This site was characterized by the abundance of red Chironomids which are considered as the indicators of organic pollution.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Macroinvetebrate Assemblages as Indicators of Water Quality of the West Seti River, Bajhang, Nepal

Matangulu¹,

Gurung²,

Prajapati³

et al. 2017

Int. J. Environ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, in glacial stream ecosystems with harsh conditions within different regions across Europe, the species richness of chironomid assemblages was found to be much higher (for example, 39 genera recorded; Lods-Crozet et al 2001) than in the Andean river of the present study, with only 11 genera recorded. We attribute these low diversities to the aridity of the sampling area, as has been demonstrated in studies of other similar high-altitude lotic systems (Scheibler & Debandi 2008, 2014. Table 1 Site Sampling Conductivity Ca …”

Section: Databases 1 and 2: Chironomid Community Diversitymentioning

confidence: 84%

“…This is be cause this section of the river is a transition area where species of the upper and lower sections coexist (Scheibler et al 2014). Diamesinae and Podono minae had the highest density at VA (headwater sampling site).…”

Section: Database 2: Community Assemblage Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, to assess seasonal variations in chironomid fauna, we found that application of Database 2 was better as this method yielded more consistent results in the present study compared with the results obtained when considering the entire macroinvertebrate community. Density and taxon richness of the invertebrate community peaked during autumn and winter (Scheibler et al 2014).…”

Section: Databases 1 and 2: Chironomid Community Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Andean mountain streams are also affected by altitudinal variations (Miserendino 2009) that cause changes in the density and taxonomic richness of benthic communities along the longitudinal gradient (Miserendino & Pizzolon 2000). There are several environmental parameters that are stressors of macroinvertebrate communities in Argentina's mountain systems, including: sudden increases in stream flow that result in peaks of abundance and richness of invertebrates during the dry season (Miserendino & Pizzolon 2000, Mesa et al 2009, Scheibler et al 2014); higher conductivity values, which strongly affect the presence of some macroinvertebrates (Miserendino & Pizzolon 2000) and result in changes in community assemblages along the longitudinal gradient (Scheibler & Ciocco 2011; acidic stress, which induces unfavorable effects on the community (Tripole & Corigliano 2005); and land use, a parameter that affects stream water quality and macroinvertebrate biodiversity (Miserendino et al 2011). In Mendoza province in western-central Argentina, the diversity, ecological requirements and distribution of chironomid larvae have been previously described by Medina et al (2008) and .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) assemblages along an Andean altitudinal gradient

Scheibler¹,

Roig‐Juñent²,

Claps³

2014

Aquat. Biol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Chironomidae are an abundant, diverse and ecologically important group common in mountain streams worldwide, but their patterns of distribution have been poorly described for the Andes region in western-central Argentina. Here we examine chironomid assemblages along an altitudinal gradient in the Mendoza River basin to study how spatial and seasonal variations affect the abundance patterns of genera across a gradient of elevation, assess the effects of environmental variables on the chironomid community and to describe its diversity using rarefaction and Shannon's indices. Three replicate samples and physicochemical parameters were measured seasonally at 11 sites in 2000 and 2001. Twelve genera of chironomid larvae were identified, which belonged to 5 subfamilies. Chironomid composition changed from the headwaters to the outlet and was associated with changes in altitude, water temperature, substrate size and conductivity. We found a pronounced seasonal and spatial variation in the macroinvertebrate community and in physicochemical parameters. Environmental conditions such as elevated conductivity levels and increased river discharge occurring during the summer produced low chironomid density values at the sampling sites. The rarefaction index revealed that the sampling sites with highest richness were LU (middle section of the river) and PO (lower section). However, Shannon's diversity index indicated that LU had the lowest diversity as a consequence of the dominance of Cricotopus over the other genera found. We attribute the low diversity found in our aquatic system to the aridity of the sampling area, as has been demonstrated in studies of other similar lotic systems in this mountain region.

show abstract

Ecological perspectives on the organization of biodiversity in Neotropical streams

Valente-Neto,

Mello,

Pestana

et al. 2024

Hydrobiologia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Temporal and altitudinal variations in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in an Andean river basin of Argentina

Abstract: Environmental variables and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were spatially and seasonally examined over two consecutive years (2000)(2001)(2002)

Cited by 29 publications

References 42 publications

Macroinvetebrate Assemblages as Indicators of Water Quality of the West Seti River, Bajhang, Nepal

Macroinvetebrate Assemblages as Indicators of Water Quality of the West Seti River, Bajhang, Nepal

Chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) assemblages along an Andean altitudinal gradient

Ecological perspectives on the organization of biodiversity in Neotropical streams

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About