Macroinvertebrate assemblages in Andean Patagonian rivers and streams: environmental relationships

Macroinvertebrate communities from 29 streams and rivers of the mountain and the Andean Patagonian Plateau were analyzed. Samples were collected from six river basins, which were part of four different biozones of the Patagonian Ecoregion. Samples from mountain streams were dominated by Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Diptera, while plateau rivers where mainly Diptera, Oligochaeta and Mollusca. Total invertebrate abundance ranged from 7 to 12 249 ind.m−2. Elmidae, Paratrichocladius, Chironomus, Smicridea annulicornis, Parasericostoma ovale and Meridialaris laminata were the most abundant insect taxa, while Nais communis and Hyalella curvispina were the most abundant non-insect taxa. Species-environmental relationships were examined using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Current speed, conductivity, substrate size and abundance of aquatic plants, were identified as the major variables structuring faunal assemblages. Regression analyses revealed that species richness was negatively correlated with latitude, and positively correlated with water temperature and altitude. Macroivertebrate abundance increased with conductivity, altitude and water temperature. These results suggest that habitat heterogeneity was the strongest predictor of macroinvertebrate assemblages, but species richness could be predicted at a landscape scale using topographical and climatic features.