Escobar-Ramos, Paola M.

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Comunidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos y la calidad biológica de cuatro ríos de Puerto Rico
(2010) Escobar-Ramos, Paola M.; Santos-Flores, Carlos J.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Thaxton, Jarrod; Acosta Martínez, Jaime; Department of Biology; Goyal, Megh
Four communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates were evaluated, two reference streams, Cupeyes River and La Olimpia Quebrada, and two impaired streams Guanajibo and Rosario Rivers. Drifting organism and those from leaf packs, rocks and riparian vegetation were collected. The communities were dominated by insects in the orders Ephemeroptera (F. taino), Diptera (Chironomidae), and Trichoptera (P. pulchrus y H. minima) as well as non insects such as gastropods (M. tuberculata). With respect to habitat type no significant differences in abundances were found. However we observed that leaf packs supported more individuals and, were more similar in taxa when compared to other microenvironments. Futhermore hydroperiods affected abundance. The reference streams shared taxa sensitive to pollution (Blepharicera sp.), organisms indicator of enrichment by organic matter (Hyallela sp.) and differences in the presence such as Hagenulus sp. Neohagenulus sp. and B. carmencita. The biological quality of the rivers was that of unaltered water, criterion that should be reevaluated in function of biological features of the groups of macroinvertebrates collected.