Patrones espaciales en comunidades de macroinvertebrados acuáticos de la Puna Argentina

JULIETA CARILLA; SOLEDAD CUELLO; CAROLINA NIETO; ANDREA IZQUIERDO; MARTÍN ZANNIER; CAROLINA NIETO; ANDREA IZQUIERDO; MARTÍN ZANNIER; AGUSTINA MALIZIA; JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ; RICARDO GRAU; AGUSTINA MALIZIA; JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ; RICARDO GRAU; JULIETA CARILLA; SOLEDAD CUELLO

REVISTA DE BIOLOGíA TROPICAL

REVISTA DE BIOLOGIA TROPICAL

Lugar: Turrialba; Año: 2016 p. 747 - 762

0034-7744

The macroinvertebrates are a vital component of freshwater ecosystems as they contribute to the process of organic matter while serving as food for other organisms such as fish and amphibians. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the aquatic diversity is poor in the high Andean systems, especially in the Argentinean peat bogs, a fact which has made interpreting spatial patterns on a regional scale difficult.These ecosystems can be found between 3200 and 5200 masl and the rainfall is below 300 mm per year. The present study is the first quantitative analysis of diversity spatial patterns, as well as the composition of the aquatic macroinvertebrates in seven peat bogs in Argentinean Puna. The relationship of these organisms with the environment, the surrounding vegetation and physico-chemical data of water are also dealt with. 3131 specimens of aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected, representing 25 taxa belonging to 22 families and 24 genera. In addition, 62 species of vascular plants were recorded, belonging to 20 families. The most abundant life form was the tufted grasses, followed by cushions. By using an NMDS (Non-Metrical Multidimensional Scaling) statistical analysis, the sampling sites were ordered in each peatbog as follows. The peatbogs located furthest west and south with higher water temperature were grouped on axis 1, whereas those with higher conductivity, whole solids dissolved and salt concentration in water were grouped on axis 2. The temperature of water was higher than air temperature at all times, and we found no association between temperature and altitude. The altitude had no correlation with the abundance of macroinvertebrates or with the richness of plants. Life forms such as scattered graminoids, trailing herbs and prostrate herbs (in many cases they get into the channel) and aquatic plants were more abundant in peatbogs 4, 5 and 7 and they had a correlation with some macroinvertebrates belonging to functional trophic groups such as filter-collectors, collectors and scrapers. Finally, conductivity, whole solids dissolved and salt concentration had their highest value in peatbog 6 where Bivalvia (filter-collector) and Hyallela (collector) were also found.