Open AccessMacroinvertebrates responses based on chemical and physical variables in urban streams
Author(s) -
Germano Henrique Costa Barrilli,
Natália Félix Negreiros,
Odete Rocha,
José Roberto Verani
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
papéis avulsos de zoologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.358
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1807-0205
pISSN - 0031-1049
DOI - 10.11606/1807-0205/2021.61.83
Subject(s) - benthic zone , streams , environmental science , biodiversity , invertebrate , water quality , habitat , aquatic ecosystem , community structure , ecology , ordination , benthos , vegetation (pathology) , drainage basin , environmental quality , ecosystem , biomass (ecology) , hydrology (agriculture) , geography , biology , computer network , cartography , computer science , medicine , geotechnical engineering , pathology , engineering
The Land uses and occupations around small watersheds generate negative impacts such as deterioration of water quality, environmental simplification, reduced availability of habitats for species, and loss of biodiversity. Benthic macroinvertebrates are an important aquatic community and are widely used in environmental monitoring actions in aquatic ecosystems, including urban streams, which are still little studied in Brazil. In our study, an urban headwater basin (Monjolinho River Basin) was studied on the benthic community structure, together with the physical and chemical variables of the water, as an environmental monitoring tool calculated by RHDEP, TSI, BMWP indexes and abundance-biomass curves. The results showed a gradient of environmental quality, where the best environments are a consequence of preserving the vegetation cover. These environments (Espraiado and Canchim) present groups sensitive to environmental degradation (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera), greater diversity and a better structure in the respective benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Among the streams sampled, one is very clean, four are moderately polluted, and one is severely polluted. Thus, considering that these streams’ waters are essential for public supply, actions to clean up and recover degraded environments are urgent and a priority.