Evaluación de la calidad de agua de tres sitios de visita de la Laguna Patococha - reserva de Fauna Chimborazo mediante macroinvertebrados bentónicos

Abstract

Patococha lagoon located in Chimborazo Wildlife Production Reserve, in Pilahuín parish, at 4228 meters above sea level, being a tourist place, this is subject to anthropic activities, which generate a deterioration in natural resources especially in the water resource, which is affected by the presence of waste, eutrophication and presence of animal feces which generates a change in the water quality of the lagoon. The objective of this research work was to evaluate the water quality of 3 visit sites of the lagoon through macroinvertebrates. The work focused on two phases of field and laboratory, in the field the collection of water samples was carried out for later analysis, measurement of environmental variables and physicochemical and microbiological parameters and finally the search and collection of macroinvertebrates in each one of the points, based on the laboratory phase, the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the water were measured, in turn individuals were identified and classified in ethanol for storage. Through the techniques used, the water quality assessment was carried out using BMWP/Col which gave results of water with “critical” and “dubious” quality, as for the ABI this indicated a quality of “bad” and “terrible” and “bad” and based on the EPT for the 3 points of both samplings it was “bad” thus indicating the state of the water in which the lagoon is, indicating that its state is worrying, due to the fact that it is in progressive deterioration of the resource. For which it is recommended that management and conservation measures be established quickly, in order to avoid the deterioration of natural resources by reducing sources of pressure.