Habitat Suitability Curves for Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Tropical Andean Rivers

Abstract

Sustainable river management requires a thorough understanding of the response of aquatic biota to riverine microhabitat variability. The purpose of this study was to assess macroinvertebrate hydraulic-habitat suitability in Ecuadorian Andean rivers to support habitat modelling for sustainable ecosystem management. 597 macroinvertebrate samples were collected from ten sampling stations the Yanuncay River, Ecuador. Physical, chemical, hydraulic and habitat variables were measured/calculated. Froude number, Reynolds number, substrate index and algae coverage were major drivers of macroinvertebrate response, and were used to develop suitability curves for Baetodes, Andesiops, Camelobaetidius, Ecuaphlebia, Anacroneuria, Atopsyche, Simulium and Palpomyia using General Additive Models. Standardised density contours of taxa as functions of hydraulic and habitat variables were also developed. Taxonomic response was related to body structures/shapes and feeding habits. Baetodoes, Simulium, Anacroneuria and Atopsyche preferred fast flowing waters, and thus, they could be significantly affected in case of flow reduction. Similar habitat suitability curves were developed from the main river and the tributaries, possibly due to the short distance between the sampling stations. This study fills a major knowledge gap by developing macroinvertebrate habitat suitability curves for future physical habitat simulations and environmental flow assessments in the Andean region.

Analysis of Water Quality and Habitat Suitability for Benthic Macro-Invertebrates in the Majiagou Urban River, China

“…Therefore, only a nonparametric test, such as generalized additive models (GAMs), could be applied. We used minimal smoothness (k = 3) to calculate the regressions of GAMs [33] and reported p-values (significance level p < 0.05) from the summaries of GAM regressions when the residuals were normally distributed [34,35]. As a presumption for stepwise multiple regression, independent variables were checked for GAM concurvity-we only reported multiple relationships with a variance inflation factor (VIF) < 10 between the independent variables.…”

Evaluating the Ecological Status of Fluvial Networks of Tropical Andean Catchments of Ecuador

“…Orimarga, another genus from the páramo rivers, are dipterans that usually live associated with fine substrates, such as sand or silt [66], where oxygen concentrations are lower and there may be accumulations of decomposing debris, which may explain the association of this genus with the higher BOD5 in the present study. Further, genera such as Anacroneuria, Helicopsyche, Paltostoma, Atopsyche, Pheneps, and Maruina are associated with heterogeneous fluvial habitats and high altitude rivers [67][68][69]. In the current study, these genera were related to higher elevation sampling stations of mountain forest and humid shrub river types, where more shade and riverbed heterogeneity were present.…”

Variables de hábitat que regulan la estructura de las comunidades de macroinvertebrados en corrientes de montaña del Oriente antioqueño (Colombia)

“…En concordancia con los resultados de este estudio, Galeano-Rendón y Mancera-Rodríguez (2018) encontraron que durante el período de transición de seco-lluvia destacan órdenes como Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera y Diptera con mayores valores de abundancia. Vázquez et al (2020) en su estudio sobre idoneidad de hábitat para macroinvertebrados también encontraron que en ríos andinos tropicales algunos géneros de estos órdenes se asocian a flujos más rápidos y turbulentos, como resultado de sus adaptaciones específicas a este entorno. Asimismo, González-Tuta y Gil-Padilla (2020) y Principe et al (2007) encontraron que familias como Coenagrionidae, Hydrobiosidae, Leptohyphidae, Glossosomatidae, Perlidae, Baetidae, Elmidae, Psephenidae y Simuliidae tienen mayor preferencia por mesohábitats con sustratos conformados por cantos rodados y en general, superficies rocosas donde la velocidad es mayor.…”