INVESTIGADORES
GOMEZ Nora
artículos
Título:
Aplicación de Indices bióticos en la evaluación de la calidad del agua en sistemas lóticos de la llanura pampeana a partir del empleo de diatomeas
Autor/es:
LICURSI, M.; GOMEZ, N.
Revista:
Biología Acuática Versión Electrónica
Referencias:
Lugar: Argentina; Año: 2004 vol. 21 p. 31 - 49
ISSN:
1668-4869
Resumen:
ABSTRACT
Diatoms are useful ecological indicators
because they are found in abundance in most lotic ecosystems. The use of
diatoms as indicators of the quality of river waters is widely accepted based
on the fact that all diatom species have optima with respect to their tolerance
for environmental conditions such as nutrients, organic pollution, pH, etc.
Moreover diatoms are indicators of pollution in short term compared with other
groups eg. macroinvertebrates. The rivers and streams of the Pampean plain, in Buenos Aires Province, are subjected to different human
impacts. The most important stresses on rivers and streams in the Pampean plain
are organic enrichments (discharge of insufficiently treated sewage),
nutrients, heavy metals, pathogenic agents, pesticides, herbicides and physical
changes produced by dredging and canalisation. The bottom substrate is mostly composed
of slime-clay with low proportions of gravel and sand; in consequence, the
epipelon is the most represented benthic community and suitable for
biomonitoring purposes because it allows for comparing similar substrates along
the rivers and streams. The aim of this study is to summarise the most common
methodologies used in biomonitoring with diatoms and the application of biotic indices
(diversity and pollution indices) in the evaluation of water quality of rivers
and streams from the Pampean plain.