Establishing habitat-specific indicator species in Tierra del Fuego with freshwater macroinvertebrates

• Published in: New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
• Main Authors: Anderson, Christopher Brian, Johnson, Montana, Lopez, María Eugenia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: AQUATIC INSECTS; BIOINDICATORS; PATAGONIA; STREAM ECOLOGY; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Austral; Patagonia; Argentina; Lopez; Beaver Pond; Beaver Ponds; Pond Lake; Springtail; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/63417

As a tool to understand Tierra del Fuego’s basic ecology and detect changes due to human pressures, this study develops habitat bioindicators. We compared the freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates at 61 study sites in six habitat types: grassland streams, urbanised streams, forested streams, beaver ponds, lakes and peat bog ponds. Forty-nine taxa were identified; insects were the most diverse group. Beaver pond, lake and grassland stream assemblages were similar, as were those from lakes, grassland streams and peat bog ponds. Fourteen taxa were habitat-specific. In forests, these included mayfly scrapers (Andesiops, Meridialaris) and blackfly filterers (Gigantodax). In lakes, two copepod filterers were indicators, and in urban streams, one shredder (Aphroteniella) and three collector-gatherers (springtail, earthworm, aquatic worm). Predators (Corixa, Aeshna) were characteristic of peat bog ponds. Beaver ponds had no indicator species. Establishing links between species and ecosystems constitutes the beginning of a broader effort to understand anthropogenic impacts to Fuegian watersheds. Fil: Anderson, Christopher Brian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina Fil: Johnson, Montana. Northern Arizona University; Estados Unidos Fil: Lopez, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina