Metal leaching, acidity, and altitude confine benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in Andean streams

Andean streams drain metal‐rich bedrock and are subjected to an extreme altitude gradient, which may create highly selective conditions for life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined effects of metals and altitude on benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in Andean stre...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2014-02, Vol.33 (2), p.404-411
Main Authors: Loayza‐Muro, Raúl A, Duivenvoorden, Joost F, Kraak, Michiel H.S, Admiraal, Wim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidity
Altitude
Andean stream
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Arsenic - analysis
Arsenic - chemistry
Biodiversity
Biological and medical sciences
Communities
Community composition
community structure
Concentration (composition)
Confining
Diptera
Dissolved organic matter
Drains
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Fresh water ecosystems
Fresh water environment
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geological Phenomena
High altitude
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Igneous rocks
Invertebrates - classification
Leaching
Macroinvertebrate
Macroinvertebrates
Metal concentrations
Metal leaching
Metals
Metals - analysis
Metals - chemistry
Peru
Rivers - chemistry
Streams
Synecology
Ultraviolet radiation
Ultraviolet Rays
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Andean streams drain metal‐rich bedrock and are subjected to an extreme altitude gradient, which may create highly selective conditions for life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined effects of metals and altitude on benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in Andean streams. Metal‐rich sites were characterized by high metal concentrations and low pH, and high‐altitude sites were characterized by high ultraviolet‐B radiation and low concentrations of dissolved organic matter. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the patterns in faunal composition were best explained by metals followed by altitude, with dipterans and collembolans occurring mostly under harsh conditions of high altitude and high metal levels. Interaction between metals and altitude was most evident at metal‐rich sites. It is suggested that in Andean streams, metal leaching from igneous rock and altitude may be important factors confining benthic macroinvertebrate communities, reducing their numbers and changing their composition toward specialized taxa. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:404–411. © 2013 SETAC
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.2436