Evaluación de la calidad de hábitat de Astroblepus ubidiai, en drenajes de la cuenca del lago San Pablo, cantón Otavalo, provincia de Imbabura

Abstract:

Ichthyology studies on native species are limited in Ecuador, a country that has 24 species of siluriform fish within the genus Astroblepidae, of which more than 50% is considered endemic. The preñadilla Astroblepus ubidiai is native to the province of Imbabura, according to historical compilations the province owes its name to this small fish due to its remarkable abundance and medicinal and nutritional use by the communities located near Imbakucha Lake. However, in 2004 Astroblepus ubidiai was classified as a species in "Critical Hazard" according to criteria of The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2004). The latest studies about this specie were made more than a decade ago, leaving a gap with respect to their abundance and quality shelters. The El Quinde, Proaño and Gallopogyo drainages were part of an ecological evaluation, using the Andean Biotic Index (ABI), Andean Ribera Vegetation Quality Index (QBR-And) and Fluvial Habitat Index (IHF), which evidenced a strong pressure on the high mountain riverside ecosystems located next to the tributaries, caused by infrastructures for the abstraction of drinking water, limited river habitat, water pollution, scarce tree vegetation, lack of connectivity between shelters and riverside forest , which provoke a low quality in the fluvial sections according to the ECOSTRIAND in the drainages, where it was estimated a decrease in the population density of preñadilla in comparison to its last census and a positive relation between the population density of preñadilla versus availability of habitat river quality, water quality and riparian vegetation.

Año de publicación:

2018

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus