Distribution and habitat preference of ephemeroptera and trichoptera in subtropical mountain streams: Implications for monitoring and conservation

Abstract

The assessment of biotic-habitat relationships provides key information to predict biotic responses to perturbations and important tools for river management and monitoring. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera in mountain streams of central Argentina. We evaluated the effect of seasonality and identified the variables conditioning the abundance of the assemblages and the habitat with the highest taxonomic richness. Sampling was carried out in four streams (Carcarañá River basin) during high and low water periods. Three lotic habitats were sampled: riffles, coarse substrate runs, and fine substrate runs; and physicochemical and habitat variables were measured. We found differences in assemblage composition, among the 25 genera of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, at the habitat level. The most important variables affecting distribution patterns were substrate and flow type, but macroalgae and organic matter (twigs, leaves, and detritus) were also important predictors. Riffles maintained the highest richness but when considering only the Ephemeroptera taxa, fine substrate runs emerged also as an important habitat for these taxa. Our study provided valuable ecological information related to habitat preference of taxa with a key role in stream functioning and of great usefulness for the monitoring of lotic systems.