JIMENEZ-GONZALEZ, Diana María; MURILLO-GARCIA, Kathiana    RIOS-PULGARIN, Maria Isabel. Physical, chemical, and hydrobiological characterization of three karstic ecosystems of the Magdalena River Basin (Antioquia, Colombia) in the 2016 - 2017 hydrological cycle. []. , 45, 175, pp.432-448.   14--2021. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.1260.

Studies about aquatic fauna of tropical karst ecosystems are scarce, which hinders our understanding of their dynamics, as well as the adoption of regulations for their conservation. In this context, between October 2016 and April 2017, we conducted the present study to characterize the fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities living in streams associated with karst ecosystems in Sonsón and San Luis municipalities (Antioquia, Colombia) and their relationship with internal and external environmental variables. We used standardized methods of collection and treatment of biological and physical-chemical data. Additionally, we determined the composition and abundance of fish and macroinvertebrate species, as well as ecological indices (diversity, dominance) and water quality bioindicators (BMWP / Col) based on benthic macroinvertebrates. We established the spatial and temporal variability, as well as the relationship between environmental and biological parameters, using analysis of variance and canonical discriminants. The most abundant macroinvertebrates were Ephemeroptera of Leptoplebiidae and Baetidae (Thraulodes sp and Camelobaetidius) families, Coleoptera of the Elmidae {Microcylloepus) family, and Trichoptera of the Hydropsychidae (Leptonema) y Philopotamidae {Chimarra) families. The most representative fish species was Poecilia caucana. Although none of these organisms showed a particular dependency on water physical and chemical variables, they showed a preference for the outside of the caverns but moving between the compartments of the system depending on the vegetation cover and the resources in each of them. This suggests a dependence between forest conservation status, vertebrates, and caverns aquatic life.

: Cavern; Macroinvertebrates; Fish; Forest.

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