Odonata Diversity and Synantrophy in Urban Areas: A Case Study in Avellaneda City, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

The increase of human population, especially in urban areas, correlates with analarming destruction of green spaces. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms bywhich urbanization processes affect biodiversity is crucial in integrating theenvironment in a proper urban planning. The main urban centre of Argentina is knownas the Greater Buenos Aires (GBA), it includes the Autonomous City of Buenos Airesand 24 surrounding districts. Avellaneda, one of the districts of the GBA is an importanturban and industrial center with green areas and low level of urbanization on thecoastal area of the Río de La Plata. This paper provides the first Odonata inventory forAvellaneda, it determines the species´ level of synanthropy with the Nuorteva index,and assess the Odonata species replacement along a latitudinal gradient on theoccidental margin of the Río de la Plata