Native Fauna of Tardigrades from Two Natural Areas of the Argentina Republic

Abstract

Understanding and preserving biodiversity in natural habitats is crucial due to their rapid degradation and destruction. The meiofauna of natural areas is less well known than the macroscopic life. Tardigrades are common in limno-terrestrial meiofauna and can indicate environmental conditions. In this study, we expand our understanding of the taxonomy and ecology of tardigrade communities in two natural reserves in Argentina by examining the environmental factors that can affect them and the species that could be used as indicators. In 2018, sampling occurred in the Parque Luro Provincial Reserve (province of La Pampa) and the Poligono A Municipal Ecological Reserve (province of Salta). Samples were taken from epiphytic communities that grow on the bark of trees. Various environmental and microhabitat factors were taken into account. In the province of La Pampa, there were 1326 specimens of five species, and in the province of Salta, there were 212 specimens of nine species. The tardigrade communities in Salta exhibited statistically higher diversity than those in La Pampa. Temperature and moisture affected the tardigrade community of Parque Luro Provincial Reserve, while the microhabitat thickness affected those of Poligono A Municipal Ecological Reserve. The species turnover shaped the community of Salta, while nesting shaped the community of La Pampa.