Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T22:48:25.680Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spatial and temporal variation of stream communities in a human-affected tropical watershed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2010

Ronald Sánchez-Argüello ,
Aydeé Cornejo ,
Richard G. Pearson  and
Luz Boyero
Ronald Sánchez-Argüello*
Affiliation:
Ministerio Nacional del Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones, Área de Conservación Tortuguero, Costa Rica Brazil
Aydeé Cornejo
Affiliation:
Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Panamá, Panama Brazil Sección de Entomología, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ave. Justo Arosemena & Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panamá, Panama
Richard G. Pearson
Affiliation:
School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Luz Boyero
Affiliation:
School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia Wetland Ecology Group, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio s/n, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

We explored the spatial and temporal variability of benthic macroinvertebrate communities (density, taxon richness, evenness and taxonomic composition) in a tropical Panamanian stream that is potentially affected by organic and chemical pollution resulting from human activities. As predicted, pristine headwaters of Site 1, located within the Altos de Campana National Park, showed the lowest macroinvertebrate densities, suggesting an increase in pollution-tolerant taxa at downstream sites located near human settlements and agricultural land. Moreover, Site 1 had higher accumulated taxon richness than downstream sites (except Site 5), although evenness was higher at Site 3. Density and taxon richness were higher and more variable in the dry season, while evenness was only higher in the dry season at Site 1. Multivariate analysis showed that the fauna responded to a natural longitudinal gradient, but there was also a strong water quality signal associated with human settlements. Community composition was related to abiotic variables commonly associated to pollution, such as alkalinity, dissolved solids, phosphates, and total organic carbon.

Keywords

Stream macroinvertebratesPanamaspatial variationseasonalitytropics
Type
Research Article
Information
Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , 2010 , pp. 149 - 156
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alba-Tercedor, J., 1996. Macroinvertebrados acuáticos y calidad de las aguas de los ríos, IV Simposio del Agua en Andalucía (SIAGA). Almaeria , 2, 203–213.Google Scholar
Allan, J.D., 2004. The influence of land use on stream ecosystems. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Sys. , 35, 257–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyero, L., Ramirez, A., Dudgeon, D. and Pearson, R.G., 2009. Are tropical streams really different? J. N. Amer. Benthol. Soc. , 28, 397–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connolly, N. and Pearson, R.G., 2007. The effect of fine sedimentation on tropical stream macroinvertebrate assemblages: a comparison using flow-through artificial stream channels and recirculating mesocosms. Hydrobiologia , 592, 423–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connolly, N.M., Pearson, B.A. and Pearson, R.G., 2007. Macroinvertebrates as indicators of ecosystem health in Wet Tropics streams. In: Arthington, A.H. and Pearson, R.G. (eds.), Biological Indicators of Ecosystem health in Wet Tropics Streams, Final Report Task 3 Catchment to Reef Research Program Cooperative Research Centre for Rainforest Ecology & Management and Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Área, 129–176.Google Scholar
Couceiro, S.R., Hamada, N., Luz, S.L., Forsberg, B.R. and Pimentel, T.P., 2007. Deforestation and sewage effects on aquatic macroinvertebrates in urban streams in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Hydrobiologia , 575, 271–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dudgeon, D., 2006. The impacts of human disturbance on stream benthic invertebrates and their drift in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Freshwat. Biol. , 51, 1710–1729.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eaton, A.D., Clesceri, L.S. and Greenberg, A.E., 1995. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 19th edn., American Public Health Association, Washington DC, 1000 p.Google Scholar
Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A., 2008. Registros diarios de temperaturas y humedad relativa de la estación de Antón, Panamá, http://www.hidromet.com.pa/sp/InicioFrm.htm.Google Scholar
Helson, J.E., Williams, D. and Turner, D., 2006. Larval chironomid community organization in four tropical rivers: human impacts and longitudinal zonation. Hydrobiologia , 559, 413–431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hynes, H.B.N., 1960. The biology of polluted waters, Liverpool University Press, Liverpool.Google Scholar
Margalef, R., 1983. Limnologia, Omega, Barcelona, 1010 p.Google Scholar
Matagi, S.V., 1996. The effect of pollution on benthic macroinvertebrates in a Ugandan stream. Arch. Hydrobiol. , 137, 537–549.Google Scholar
McCune, B. and Mefford, M.J., 2006. PC-ORD. Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data, Version 5.10, MjM Software, Gleneden Beach.Google Scholar
Merrit, R.W. and Cummins, K.W., 1996. An introduction to the aquatic insects of North America, Kendall/Hunt Publication, Dubuque, 862 p.Google Scholar
Moulton, T.P. and Wantzen, K.M., 2006. Conservation of tropical streams special questions or conventional paradigms? Aquat. Conserv. , 16, 659–663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ndaruga, A., Ndiritu, G., Gichuki, N. and Wamicha, W.N., 2004. Impact of water quality on macroinvertebrate assemblages along a tropical stream in Kenya. African J. Ecol. , 42, 208–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pascoal, C., Cassio, F. and Gomes, P., 2001. Leaf breakdown rates: a measure of water quality? Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. , 86, 407–416.3.0.CO;2-P>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, R.G. and Penridge, L.K., 1987. The effects of pollution by organic sugar mill effluent on the macro-invertebrates of a stream in tropical Queensland, Australia. J. Environ. Manag. , 24, 205–215.Google Scholar
Posada, J., Roldan, G. and Ramirez, J., 2000. Caracterización fisicoquímica y biológica de la calidad de aguas en la cuenca Piedras Blancas, Antioquia, Colombia. Rev. Biol. Trop. , 48, 59–70.Google Scholar
Pringle, C.M., Scatena, F.N., Paaby-Hansen, P. and Nuñez-Ferrera, M., 2000. River conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean. In: Boon, P.J., Davies, B.R. and Petts, G.E. (eds.), Global Perspectives on River Conservation: Policy and Practice, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 41–77.Google Scholar
Ramirez, A. and Pringle, C., 2001. Spatial and temporal patterns of invertebrate drift in streams draining a Neotropical landscape. Freshwat. Biol. , 46, 47–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roldán, G., 1988. Guía para el estudio de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos del Departamento de Antioquia, Fondo FEN, Medellín, 217 p.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, D.M. and Resh, V.H., 1993. Freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates, Chapman and Hall publishers, New York, 488 p.Google Scholar
Springer, M., Hanson, P. and Ramirez, A. (eds.), 2010. Macroinvertebrados de Agua Dulce de Costa Rica I. Rev. Biol. Trop., 58, Suppl. 3.Google Scholar
Thorne, R. and Williams, W., 1997. The response of benthic macroinvertebrates to pollution in developing countries: a multimetric system of bioassessment. Freshwat. Biol. , 37, 671–686.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vannote, R.L., Minshall, G.W., Cummins, K.W., Sedell, J.R. and Cushing, C.E., 1980. The river continuum concept. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. , 37, 130–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wantzen, K.M., Ramirez, A. and Winemimller, K.O., 2006. New vistas in Neotropical stream ecology – Preface. J. N. Amer. Benthol. Soc. , 25, 61–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yule, C.M., Boyero, L. and Marchant, R., 2010. Effects of sediment pollution on food webs in a tropical river (Borneo, Indonesia). Mar. Freshwat. Res. , 61, 204–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

OLM - limn 46(3) 2010 p.149 - Spatial and temporal variation of stream ...

Appendix

Download OLM - limn 46(3) 2010 p.149 - Spatial and temporal variation of stream ...(PDF)
PDF 50 KB