Evolution and Identification of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Like Bioindicators of Water Quality

This bibliographic review work presents a compilation of the bioindicators of water quality, its main advantages and disadvantages; the types of bioindicators are detailed, for example bacteria, protozoa, phytoplankton, macrophytes, fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates. It is important to know how the collection of macroinvertebrates is carried out, in the case of environments with running or sleeping waters, not very deep, a net is used, while for environments with currents or calm but deep waters, the use of dredgers is It is recommended that, after collection, it should be kept in appropriate containers until the types of bioindicators that were collected can be identified with the help of a microscope. It can be said that the use of aquatic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality is very widespread throughout the world, so their evolution has increased as they already have taxonomic species determined for different quality states. That is why the objective of this research is to know the evolutionary importance of aquatic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality, at the same time the advantages and disadvantages of the use of bioindicators, compared to physical-chemical methods. Keywords: Bioindicator, macroinvertebrates, evolution, water quality, monitoring. Resumen El presente trabajo de revisión bibliográfica muestra una recopilación de los bioindicadores de la calidad del agua, sus principales ventajas y desventajas; se detalla los tipos de bioindicadores por ejemplo bacterias, protozoos, fitoplancton, macrófitas, peces y macroinvertebrados acuáticos. La importancia de este artículo radica en la recolección de macroinvertebrados, en el caso de ambientes con aguas corrientes o dormidas no muy profundas, se utiliza una red, mientras que en ambientes de aguas corrientes o tranquilas pero profundas, se recomienda el uso de dragas. Luego de la recolección se debe mantener en envases apropiados, hasta que con la ayuda de un microscopio se pueda identificar los tipos de Bioindicadores que se colectó. Se puede decir que el uso de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos como indicadores de la calidad del agua está generalizándose en todo el mundo, por lo que su evolución ha incrementado al tener especies taxonómicas determinadas para diferentes estados de calidad. Es por ello que el objetivo de esta investigación es dar a conocer la importancia evolutiva que tienen los macroinvertebrados acuáticos como indicadores de la calidad del agua, así como las ventajas y desventajas que presenta la utilización de bioindicadores, en comparación con métodos físico-químicos. Palabras Clave: Bioindicador, macroinvertebrados, evolución, calidad del agua, monitoreo.

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Rivers Under the Influence of Mining Activities

Mining is one of the main pollution issues worldwide, causing the greatest disturbances to the environment. Industrial and artisanal mining activities are widespread in Mexico, being a major global producer of various metals. This study aimed to assess the ecological impairments resulting from mining activities using the aquatic macroinvertebrates assemblages (MA). A multiple co-inertia analysis (MCOA) was applied to determine the relationships between environmental factors, habitat quality, heavy metals, and aquatic macroinvertebrates in two rivers of the Central Plateau, Mexico. The results revealed three contrasting environmental conditions and different MA. High concentrations of heavy metals, nutrients, and salinity limit the presence of various families of seemingly sensitive macroinvertebrates, these factors were identified as the drivers of structural changes in the MA, showing that not only mining activities, but also agriculture, and villages in the basin, exert negative effects to the macroinvertebrate communities. Diversity indices showed that the lowest diversity matched with both, the most polluted and the most saline rivers. The rivers studied displayed a high alkalinity and hardness, which can lead to the formation of metal precipitates and thus acting as a protection to aquatic biota. Aquatic biomonitoring in rivers, impacted by mining and other human activities, is critical for detecting the effect of metals and other pollutants to improve management and conservation strategies. This study supports the design of cost-effective and accurate water quality biomonitoring protocols in developing countries.

Impact of Spatial and Environmental Variables on Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in Hilly Ponds

Ponds are “islands” of independent habitats and research hotspots of regional biodiversity. This paper got some basic information about habitat conditions and aquatic macroinvertebrates in hilly ponds. Then we tried to provide a theoretical basis for the regional biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of the pond networks among basins. In this paper, the environmental and spatial variables concerned about aquatic macroinvertebrates in the ponds with different small basins of Liangping District, which is located in the east of Sichuan Basin, China, were investigated. The results showed that drainage basin effect did not occur among basins. The aquatic macroinvertebrates in the hilly ponds were mainly affected by altitude, nutrients, pH and other environmental factors. Within the basin scale, pond isolation was also one of the important factors affecting community structure. Considering the spatial pattern of the macroinvertebrate assemblages in the hilly ponds, the protection and management of those ponds need to focus on pond network other than a single pond, improve the habitat quality of the ponds, and ensure the cost-effectiveness and ecological benefits.