Caracterización de la fauna malacológica presente en los ríos del casco urbano de la ciudad de Loja

Abstract

Abstract: Managing wildlife has been and continues to be a very important issue, and the study of species is the primary step for such management. Mollusks have been rarely studied in several Latin American countries, including Ecuador, despite the diversity and size of the taxon. This is due to several factors, among them the lack of malacological researchers. This has led to a lack of knowledge about the species present and the role they perform in freshwater ecosystems, as bioindicators of water quality. This study seeks to identify which mollusk species exist in the different rivers of the city of Loja to the south of the country. Samples were taken in three streams and four rivers of the city, following a standardized protocol. Identification of individuals to the lowest possible taxon was carried out with the help of malacological experts and dichotomous keys. The study shows for the south of Ecuador the presence of freshwater mollusks, reporting Stenophysa cf marmorata of Gastropoda s class, found in Zamora, Zamora Huayco, Malacatos and Jipiro rivers of Loja city s.