Influencia del uso del suelo y la calidad de hojarasca en la composición, organización estructural y funcional de la comunidad de macroinvertebrados asociados a la descomposición de materia orgánica

Abstract

Land use change and exotic plant species in riparian zones determine the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. The present study analyzed the effects of land use and leaf-litter type on the assemblages of macroinvertebrate community associated to leaf breakdown in Andean streams of South Ecuador. Nine streams with riparian zones covered by three different land uses were studied. Macroinvertebrates were collected from coarse-mesh bags enclosing leaf litter of three plant species commonly found along the riparian zones. Several metrics related to composition, structural and organizational assemblages, and biological traits of the macroinvertebrate community were determined. Then, metrics were compare between land use and leaf-litter type by applying a perMANOVA. Land use had a greater effect on macroinvertebrate composition, structure, organization, and biological traits than leaf-litter type. Therefore, the conversion of riparian zones is altering the ecological condition of Andean stream ecosystems, which in turn, is promoting the loss of biodiversity and altering the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the macroinvertebrate community.