Pine afforestation affects key primary producers in mountain grassland streams in Córdoba, Argentina

CIBILS-MARTINA, LUCIANA; MÁRQUEZ, JAVIER; PRINCIPE, ROMINA; GARI, NOEMÍ; ALBARIÑO, RICARDO

NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH

RSNZ PUBLISHING

Año: 2017 p. 1 - 17

0028-8330

We evaluated changes in benthic algal community in grasslandmountain streams converted to exotic pine afforestation. Threeheadwater streams draining grasslands and three drainingplantations of Pinus elliottii were selected in a semiarid mountainwatershed (Córdoba, Argentina). Hydraulic and physicochemicalvariables were recorded and benthic algal samples werecollected in each stream at two hydrological periods (high andlow flow). Light intensity was lower in afforested streams.Community composition differed between grassland andafforested streams. Algal abundance and richness, richness ofchlorophytes and cyanobacteria, and the indicator taxa werereduced in afforested streams. Diversity, evenness and biomasswere higher in the high water period but did not differ betweenriparian vegetation types. The observed changes in benthic algalattributes may have implications in ecosystem functioningbecause of the central role that algal biofilms play in theproductivity of these fluvial systems, as sources of food, energyand oxygen.