Macroinvertebrados acuáticos como bioindicadores de calidad de agua en la microcuenca Columbe cantón Colta.

This research aimed to determine water quality using aquatic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators in the Columbe River micro watershed in the Colta Canton of the Chimborazo Province. To this end, ten sampling stations were established and strategically distributed based on land use coverage and accessibility. The organisms were collected between January and March 2024 using a D-net type network. The study recorded 4109 individuals belonging to 29 families and 14 orders. The predominant families were Gripopterygidae, Chironomidae, Simulidae, and Baetidae. The BMWP index revealed that water quality is critical in most points, except in points 9 and 10, which present doubtful and acceptable quality in the general context of contaminated waters. The ABI index showed poor quality, except for points 9 and 10, which showed average quality. These results reflect a high degree of contamination in the micro watershed, attributed mainly to human activities such as agriculture, deforestation, and urban development. The presence of indicator species of low water quality highlights the negative impact of these practices on aquatic ecosystems. This convergence of results emphasizes the urgent need to implement management and conservation measures to mitigate anthropogenic effects and protect the health of these high Andean aquatic ecosystems.

• Autor Principal: Santillán Lima, Guido Patricio (author)
• Formato: masterThesis
• Idioma: spa
• Publicado: 2024
• Subjects: ABI; bioindicadores; BMWP; macroinvertebrados bentónicos; microcuenca Columbe
• Acceso en liña: http://dspace.unach.edu.ec/handle/51000/13571