Abstract

MACHADO, Verónica; GRANDA, Roberto  and  ENDARA, Alexandra. Analysis of benthic macroinvertebrates and biotic indices to evaluate water quality in Sardina´s River, Ecuadorian Chocó Andino. Enfoque UTE [online]. 2018, vol.9, n.4, pp.154-167. ISSN 1390-6542.  https://doi.org/10.29019/enfoqueute.v9n4.369.

An aquatic macroinvertebrates community analysis was made at Sardinas River, in the rainy and wet seasons of April and July, 2018, using macroinvertebrates as environmental bioindicators, these were collected with Surber net, kick net and hand collection, in five points along the river. In laboratory they were classified and identified as class, order and family. They were studied by analysis of richness (S) and abundance (N). The environmental quality was determinate applying the BMWP/Col, EPT indices and Principal component analysis. A total of 526 individuals belonging to five class, 11 orders and 36 families were collected, 31 families in rainy season and 30 in dry season. The most abundant family in rainy season was Leptophlebiidae, 34 specimens, 12,8%. In dry season, the most representative was Chironomidae with 45 individuals, 17.2%. In rainy season the points 2 had greater richness S15 and in the dry season P1, S18, P3 - P5 presented medium quality water (BMWP/Col = 69-94) and an EPT of 56 wet season and 38 dry season. This study determined the ecological status of Sardinas river through abundance, richness, BMWP/Col, EPT index and Physico-chemical parameters using a PCA.

Keywords : aquatic entomofauna; environmental quality; Andean montane forest.

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