ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE SAN BERNARDO STREAM'S LOW BASIN, SIERRA DE LA VENTANA, ARGENTINA

The ecological status of a river is the measure of quality in the structure and functioning of the aquatic ecosystem. Geomorphological processes determine a variety of habitats, thus promoting biodiversity and productivity of aquatic and coastal ecosystems. The hydrogeomorphological indicators are key to determining the ecological status of rivers. The hydrological dynamics ensures biodiversity, environmental quality and protection of all system elements and their relationships. The aim of this study was to determine the ecological status of a section in the lower San Bernardo stream watershed, for which the hydrogeomorphological index (IHG) was used. The results showed that the section used has good quality. This is important because it indicates that the functional quality of the system, the quality of the channel, and the bank is within the acceptable limits. This means that the anthropogenic interventions have not impacted the naturalness of the section.