PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 3: Aquatic Ecology
Monday, August 8, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 210 D, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Andean freshwater stream bioindicators.
Gil Mora, Eduardo*,1, 2, Cruz Miranda, Luciano3, 4, Yanque, Percy, 1 aquatic ecology, Cusco, Cusco2 Invertebrate ecology, Cusco, Cusco3 4
ABSTRACT- The Andean zone of Peru, mainly Cusco, where the research work has been carried out is located over 3,300 meters above sea level; the main geological characteristics are: Andean prairie over 3,500 meters above sea level and a topography with heavy slopes under that altitude, the main rocks are limestone, sandstone and volcanic rocks; the Andean zone is the one where the rivers start its trip either to the Pacific river basin of to the Atlantic one: The average temperature of the water is under 11 degrees Celsius and the annual rainfall is around 800 mm. Under such ecological conditions there are several freshwater invertebrates adapted to live in small rivers with a high turbulence and a big eroding capacity. There have been analyzed many freshwater invertebrates such: Crustacean (Hyalella); Tricoptera (caddisfly larva); Diptera (true fly larva, midge fly larva, cranefly larvae); Coleoptera (beetle larvae); Hemiptera (water boatman, water strider, backswimmer); Plecoptera (stonefly nymph); Odonata (dragonfly nymph, damselfly nymph); Ephemeroptera (mayfly nymph); Simuliidae ( blackfly larvae); Turbellaria (Planaria); Hirudinea (leech); those invertebrates under the Andean environmental conditions are indicators of organic pollution. The work reports a water quality map of two Andean rivers on the basis of those bioindicators; beside that shows figures and graphs of the relative abundances of the main bioindicators.
Key words: Bioindicators, macroinvertebrates, waterstream, nimphs