Abstract

MOYA, Nabor et al. Comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities from intermittent and perennial bolivian headwater andean streams: implications for future climate change. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2009, vol.8, n.1-2, pp.105-114. ISSN 1726-2216.

The impact of hydrologic non-permanence (intermittent streams) on benthic macroinvertebrate communities was investigated in Bolivian head Andean streams. Samples of benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables were taken in nine intermittent and nine permanent streams during dry and transition to dry seasons during 2008. Using different multivariate analyses, we determined relationships between biological variables (richness, density, trophic composition and biological traits) and environmental variables. Hydrologic non¬permanence had no significant effect on total species richness, total density, trophic composition or physiological traits (i.e. respiration). However, significant effects were found on taxonomic composition, specifically on taxonomic richness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. Likewise, we found that environmental variables such as profundity, total dissolved solids and pH have more important effects on total richness and density than hydrologic non-permanence itself. Thus, climate change would likely have stronger implications for taxa conservation than for the functional characteristics of stream macroinvertebrate communities.

Keywords : aquatic insects; intermittent streams; Andean glaciers; Bolivia.

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