Determinación de la calidad ecológica de la cuenca del río Chimbo basada en las comunidades de macroinvertebrados acuáticos.

Abstract

The objective of this research was to determine the ecological quality of the Chimbo River basin, it was based on the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. The inventory of macroinvertebrates was developed, but the collection of the individuals was performed with a net type D (SURBER) and directly from rocks with the help of entomological tweezers, they were identified in a laboratory with a stereoscope with 1080 resolution, through dichotomous keys and guides of identification, the present families were determined. In addition, indexes of alpha and beta diversity were performed. The hypothesis was checked through a canonical analysis of correlations (CCA) between the environmental variables and the most abundant families of macroinvertebrates. As a result, 26 families were identified, being the Baetidae family the most abundant. On the other hand, the Chimbo River basin presents a medium diversity. The relationship between environmental variables and macroinvertebrate families is significant. To sum, anthropic activities can alter the structure and composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, so it is recommended to execute the strategies raised through the results of this work, for the management, conservation and restoration of the hydrographic basin.