Macroinvertebrate communities in high mountain desert wetlands: Building biological indexes to address the vulnerability of species and communities

SCHEIBLER, E.E.; MONTEMAYOR S. I.; MELO M. C.

INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022

1752-458X

Andean wetlands in arid climates are isolated ecosystems surrounded by steep terrain and have crucial relevance as a water resource. The species inhabiting them are adapted to these habitats and vulnerable to environmental changes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the vulnerability of invertebrate aquatic species to climate change and organic pollution through an index adapted from the species distributional models (SDM) score [vulnerability of aquatic invertebrate species index (Vais)], and the vulnerability of the invertebrate communities through an index developed herein [wetland community vulnerability index (Wcv)]. The Vais index ranges from 1 (highly vulnerable) to 0 (non‐vulnerable species). It was calculated for 22 species of the orders Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera, and Odonata. According to our results, the most vulnerable species belong to the orders Ephemeroptera (2) and Odonata (8) (scores 0.63–0.76); species with medium vulnerability belong to the orders Coleoptera (1) Ephemeroptera (1), Hemiptera (4) and Odonata (1) (scores 0.43–0.54); and the most tolerant species belong to the orders Coleoptera (2) and Hemiptera (3) (0.31–0.29). The Wcv index was calculated for 31 communities in Andean wetlands. Lower Wcv values correspond to less vulnerable communities and higher values to more vulnerable communities. According to our results, communities can be divided into three groups: the most vulnerable (scores 0.61–0.71), the ones with medium vulnerability (scores 0.49–0.59), and the least vulnerable (scores 0.33–0.48). The Vais and Wcv indexes are useful tools for evaluating the vulnerability of aquatic species and wetland communities, providing valuable information for defining conservation strategies. Vais index combines the effect of climate change on species distributions, and the vulnerability of the species to organic pollution, an approach unexplored up to now for aquatic macroinvertebrate species. Wcv index considers the Vais index, species dispersal ability, macroinvertebrate assemblage composition, and the resilience and aridity of the wetlands, evaluating the environmental health of the wetland. Vais and Wcv indexes are useful tools to evaluate the status of macroinvertebrate species and the ecosystems that they inhabit, particularly if applied for environmental monitoring of fragile ecosystems.