Chironomidae (Diptera) diversity in extreme environments (Salar de Olaroz, Puna Desert, Argentina)

Silvia E. Torrejon; Laura Pereyra; Nelly Vargas; Carlos Molineri

doi:10.25260/EA.22.32.3.0.1902

Authors

Silvia E. Torrejon Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas, INECOA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina. Laboratorio de Limnología y Ecología Acuática, LALIMECO, Cátedra de Ecología General y Cátedra de Ecología Acuática y Limnología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Jujuy, Argentina
Laura Pereyra Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas, INECOA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina. Grupo de Ecología Urbana y Disturbios (GEUDi-INECOA)
Nelly Vargas Laboratorio de Limnología y Ecología Acuática, LALIMECO, Cátedra de Ecología General y Cátedra de Ecología Acuática y Limnología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Jujuy, Argentina
Carlos Molineri Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, CONICET-UNT (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto M. Lillo. Tucumán, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2662-624X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.22.32.3.0.1902

Keywords:

non-biting midges, high altitude, benthic community, Salar de Olaroz

Abstract

The Salar de Olaroz, located in the Argentine Puna, is one of the largest lithium deposits of the world. Lithium extraction requires large amounts of fresh and brackish water, creating pressure on wetlands of these desert environments. The knowledge of the aquatic fauna of the area is of interest to monitor impacts of these extractive activities. In this work, a study of the Chironomidae (Diptera) prior to mining is carried out in order to understand the structure of the Chironomidae assemblage at morphospecies level, with the aim of evaluating its spatial and seasonal variation, relating changes in the assemblage to some environmental variables. Quantitative biological samples and environmental variables of interest were taken and registered in three streams during four season in three consecutive years (2013-2015). Our results show that the Chironomidae assemblage could respond to variables related with discharge by decreasing its richness. Some morphotypes (e.g., Podonomus, Parametriocnemus, Limnophyes and Polypedilum) associated with changes in pH, decreases in dissolved oxygen and water velocity, and increases of finer sediments could disappear from the area.

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