Odonata assemblages as indicators of stream condition ? a test from northern Argentina

SCHRÖDER, NOELIA M.; RIPPEL, CAMILA G.; WALANTUS, L.H. ; ZAPATA, P.D. ; PESSACQ, P

NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

UNIV ORADEA PUBL HOUSE

Lugar: Oradea, Rumania; Año: 2020 vol. 16 p. 117 - 124

1584-9074

The increasing consumption of natural resources due to population growth, and the expansion of agricultural activityhave a major impact on freshwater ecosystems. The aim of this study was to verify if possible changes in habitat condition andphysical-chemical variables due to different land uses are reflected by changes in Odonata assemblages. In order to do that, weevaluated the conservation status of the riparian zone and the physicochemical parameters of stream waters affected by differentdegrees of anthropogenic impact, and assessed richness and variation in species composition, testing for potential indicator speciesof habitat quality. The riparian index allowed the differentiation of three habitat condition categories: conserved, intermediate anddegraded. No significant differences were found in species richness between the three conservation states, but it was possible todiscriminate between the communities present. Four species showed potential as habitat quality indicators that can serve asbiomonitors in future strategies of stream management and conservation