Tuesday, June 5, 2007
457

Biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in Puerto Rican Stream: the effect of land use

Pablo J. Hernandez-Garcia, Omar Pérez-Reyez, and Alonso Ramirez Ramirez. Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, H FIGUEROA C 10 VILLA SAN ANTON, Carolina, PR 00987

The importance of land use in determining stream physicochemistry and in influencing biotic community composition is well established.  However, we have limited information on how land use impacts stream communities in tropical regions.  Here, we studied this relationship in Puerto Rican streams to (a) assess the diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates and their relation to land use, and (b) explore which taxa could be potential bioindicators of stream health. Samples were collected from streams around the island at low elevations (mostly <250 m.a.s.l.) during 2006 and 2007. Invertebrates were collected from micro-habitats (e.g., leaf accumulations, wood, cobbles) in riffles and water quality was determined at each location and sampling date. Overall, we found Tarebia granifera (Mollusca) and Leptophlebidae (Ephemeroptera) in high abundance at most sites.  In contrast, Atya spp. and Macrobrachium spp. (Decapoda) were observed in low abundance at most streams.  Our study indicated that less impacted streams had high diversity (i.e., Shannon index) and macroinvertebrates were distributed more equitably among sites than in impacted streams. Of all taxa found, several aquatic insect families showed some potential for use as bioindicators.  The families, Baetidae, Libellulidae, Polycentropodidae, Hydropsychidae and Helicopsychidae were found only in less impacted streams.

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