Composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate community of the Citalapa River, Villa el Carmen, Nicaragua, rainy season 2024.

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5377/rtu.v14i40.21162

Keywords:

Animal taxonomy, Aquatic ecosystems, Biodiversity, Water resources.

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate (MIB) community in the Citalapa River, Nicaragua, during the rainy season of 2024, to assess the biodiversity and ecological conditions of this aquatic ecosystem. To this end, artificial substrates were used in three subsamples along a stretch of the river from which the organisms were collected, which were identified down to the genus or family level. The Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indices were used to determine specific biodiversity and dominance, and the Kruskal-Wallis’s test was applied to compare abundance and diversity among subsamples. In total, 789 individuals were collected, distributed in 5 classes, 7 orders, 19 families and 20 genera. The results showed low diversity in the three subsamples, with no particular taxon dominance. Although organisms indicating good water quality, such as the orders Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, were identified, the highest abundance corresponded to the order Diptera, suggesting a moderate environmental impact on the ecosystem. In addition, the presence of the invasive gastropod of the genus Melanoides was recorded, which could be displacing native species and compromising the stability of the ecosystem. The study concludes that, although the Citalapa River still presents stable ecological conditions for the MIB community, it is essential to implement conservation and management measures to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic activities that take place in the vicinity of the river. This information will serve as a basis for future studies and the creation of locally adapted biological indices.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
242
PDF (Español (España)) 68

References

Adhurya, S., Lee, D-Y., Lee, D-S y Park, Y-S. (2023) Functional trait dataset of benthic macroinvertebrates in South Korean streams. Scientific Data, 10. 838. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02678-y

Aguilar, M. (17 de junio de 2016). Uso de macroinvertebrados dulceacuícolas para diagnosticar la calidad del agua del río Jesús, Municipio San Rafael del Sur, Departamento de Managua [Tesis de grado, UNAN-Managua]. Repositorio Institucional de la UNAN-Managua http://repositorio.unan.edu.ni/id/eprint/13735

Allan, J. D., y Castillo, M. M. (2007). Stream Ecology: Structure and function of running waters (2da ed.). Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4020-5583-6

Alvan-Aguliar, M., Ochoa, M., Tuesta, S., Ismiño-Orbe. R., Chu-Koo, F. (2024). Comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos de quebradas del área de influencia de la carretera Iquitos-nauta, Loreto-Perú. Ecología Aplicada, 23 (1) 47. https://doi.org/10.21704/rea.v23i1.2164

Domínguez, E y Fernández R. (2009). Macroinvertebrados bentónicos sudamericanos. Sistemática y biología. (1era ed.). Fundación Miguel Lillo. https://www.lillo.org.ar/editorial/index.php/publicaciones/catalog/book/125

Ertaş, A., Kizilkaya, I. T., & Yorulmaz, B. (2020). Determination of diversity and species composition of the benthic macroinvertebrates in Sangı stream (Izmir, Turkey). Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 19-30. https://doi.org/10.22120/jwb.2020.125757.1137

Flowers, R, W y De la Rosa, C. (2010) Ephemeroptera. Revista de Biología Tropical, 58 (4), 63-93. https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/20083/20285.

Hamada, N., Thorp, J y Rogers, C. (2018) Keys to Neotropical Hexapoda. (4ta ed.) Academic Press. https://shop.elsevier.com/books/thorp-and-covichs-freshwater-invertebrates/hamada/978-0-12-804223-6

Herrera, F., Beatriz-Gutiérrez, D y Chaverri, L. (2024). Primer listado de los macroinvertebrados acuáticos presentes en el Parque Metropolitano La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica. Repertorio Científico, 27 (1), 109-117. https://doi.org/10.22458/rc.v27i1.5389

Matus-Román, K., Gonzales, N., & Flores, J. (2020). Comunidades de macroinvertebrados: bio-indicadores de la calidad del agua en el Territorio Indígena Rama-Kriol. Ciencia e Interculturalidad, 27(2), 129-146. https://doi.org/10.5377/rci.v27i02.10438

Pérez, A y López, A. (2002). Atlas de los Moluscos Gasterópodos Continentales del Pacífico de Nicaragua. (1era ed.). Centro de Malacología, Universidad Centroamericana (UCA). https://catalogosiidca.csuca.org/Record/UNANI.019242

Pepa, B., Paparisto, A., y Kicaj, H (2023). Community structure of the EPT group (Insecta) in the main Albanian rivers. Journal of Hygienic Engineering and Design, 43. 198–207. https://keypublishing.org/jhed/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/11.-Full-paper-Bledar-Pepa.pdf

Pio, J., Santiago, E., & Copatti, C. (2020). Composition and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in a Brazilian Cerrado stream. Iheringia. Série Zoologia, 110. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4766e2020016

Quesada-Alvarado, F y Solano-Ulate, D. (2020). Colonización de macroinvertebrados acuáticos en tres tipos de sustratos artificiales, en un río tropical. Revista de Biología Tropical, 68 (20) S68-S78. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v68iS2.44339

Ramírez, A. (2010) Odonata. Revista de Biología Tropical, 58 (4). 97-136 https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/20084/20286

Springer, M. (2010). Revista de Biología Tropical. Trichoptera, 58 (4). 151-198. https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/20086/20288

Published

2025-10-15

How to Cite

García Pérez, J. R., Sánchez García, V. de J., & Varela Urbina , R. E. (2025). Composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate community of the Citalapa River, Villa el Carmen, Nicaragua, rainy season 2024. Torreon Universitario Magazine, 14(40). https://doi.org/10.5377/rtu.v14i40.21162

Issue

Section

Sciences