The role of macroinvertebrates for conservation of freshwater systems

NIETO, CAROLINA; OVANDO, XIMENA; LOYOLA, RAFAEL; IZQUIERDO, ANDREA E.; ROMERO, FATIMA; MOLINERI, CARLOS; JOSÉ RODRIGUEZ; MARTIN RUEDA, PAOLA; FERNANDEZ, HUGO; MANZO, VERONICA; MIRANDA, MARIA JOSE

Ecology and Evolution

Wiley

Año: 2017

Aims Freshwater ecosystems are the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. Argentinian protected areas have been established mainly to protect vertebrates and plants in terrestrial ecosystems. In order to create a comprehensive biodiverse conservation plan it is crucial to integrate both aquatic and terrestrial systems and to include macroinvertebrates. Here, we address this topic by proposing priority areas of conservation including invertebrates, aquatic ecosystems and their connectivity and land uses.Location Northwest of ArgentinaMethods We modeled the ecological niches of more than 120 species of different taxa of macroinvertebrates. Based on these models we analyzed the contribution of currently established protected areas in the conservation of the aquatic biodiversity and we proposed a spatial prioritization taking into account the possible conflict regarding to different land uses. Our analysis units were the real watersheds adding the longitudinal connectivity up and down in the rivers.Results 123 species were modeled in the priority area analyses. The existing protected areas in the North West of Argentina include an insignificant percentage of the macroinvertebrates distributions. Both analyses (A2 and A3) recovered similar values of protection for the macroinvertebrates species. The upper part of Bermejo, Salí-Dulce, San Francisco and the Upper part of Juramento basins were recovered as priority areas of conservation.Main Conclusions The aquatic ecosystems need special protection and 10% or even as much as 17% of land conservation is insufficient for these systems. In turn the protected areas need to combine the aquatic and terrestrial systems and need to include the macroinvertebrates as a key factor to sustain the biodiversity. In many cases the land uses are in conflict with the preservation of the biodiversity however it is possible to apply the connectivity of the watersheds and create multiple-use modules