Diversidad taxonómica y funcional de invertebrados acuáticos en un gradiente de deforestación

Abstract

Abstract: Structure and functioning of stream macroinvertebrate communities are closely related to adjacent vegetation and land use. Changes produced on this vegetation, such as deforestation to establish pastureland, alter the physical-chemical conditions of the streams affecting negatively the macroinvertebrate communities leading on species loss and stream ecosystem degradation. Nevertheless, such effects have been barely studied across the Andean region. In this work, we assessed the influence of deforestation on taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in Andean streams of southern Ecuador. We found a significant reduction of both taxonomic and functional diversity along the deforestation gradient. Nevertheless, the response of taxonomic diversity to deforestation was significantly stronger than functional diversity. Furthermore, we observed an increasing in water temperature, and nutrients concentration along the deforestation gradient. These findings provide evidence about the importance of riparian forest to control pollutants input and to improve the ecological integrity of montane stream ecosystems affected by an intensive land use.