Chironomidae assemblages at different altitudes in Northwest Argentina: the role of local factors



Document title: Chironomidae assemblages at different altitudes in Northwest Argentina: the role of local factors
Journal: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias
Database: PERIÓDICA
System number: 000435991
ISSN: 0001-3765
Authors: 1
2
3
Institutions: 1Universidad Nacional de Catamarca, Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca, Catamarca. Argentina
2Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet", La Plata, Buenos Aires. Argentina
3Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas, Laboratorio de Entomología, Mendoza. Argentina
Year:
Volumen: 92
Country: Brasil
Language: Inglés
Document type: Artículo
Approach: Analítico, descriptivo
English abstract This study aimed to examine spatiotemporal variations in chironomid assemblages and to detect how environmental variables affect their structure. We sampled seven streams at low and high altitudes in Northwest Argentina under contrasting climate conditions (Puna and Chaco Serrano) during high- and low-water periods. The environmental variables that affected Chironomidae community structure were water temperature, conductivity, hardness, current velocity and type of substrate. Fine substrates, gravel and low water temperature favoured cold stenothermal fauna, composed of Orthocladiinae, Diamesinae and Podonominae specimens in the high-altitude streams, whereas warm waters with low conductivity and higher velocity favoured increased species diversity in lowland streams, where there was greater abundance of Chironominae (which corresponds to warm eurythermal fauna). The studied environments belong to a transition zone that should be preserved where cold stenothermic and warm eurythermal Chironomidae overlap
Disciplines: Biología
Keyword: Insectos,
Ecología,
Larvas de insectos,
Ensambles de especies,
Variables fisicoquímicas,
Chironomidae,
Argentina
Keyword: Insects,
Ecology,
Insect larvae,
Species assemblages,
Physicochemical variables,
Chironomidae,
Argentina
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