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Aquatic biodiversity loss in Andean urban streams

Abstract:

Andean rivers support an amazing biodiversity and provide important environmental services for Andean landscapes like water for agriculture and human consumption. Urban areas in Andean countries have grown at an accelerated rate in the last decades. As a consequence, a lack of wastewater treatment and riparian preservation have threatened these streams. We studied urban, agricultural, and well-preserved streams in the Upper Guayllabamba River Basin, where Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is located. We found an aquatic insect richness loss of 78% in urban impacted streams. Urbanization extent within a watershed was strongly related to pollution and water quality decline, and aquatic insect community composition shifts to less diverse assemblages. Urban streams in Quito have lost most of their biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, they are important green areas for citizens and deserve better attention. Well-preserved streams in the area need protection since they host a rich biodiversity that we are starting to describe.