Evaluación de la calidad ecológica del río Ushimana utilizando comunidades de macroinvertebrados como indicadores de la calidad del agua

Abstract

The objective of the current project was to evaluate the ecological quality of Ushimana River which has different characteristics in the length studied, because it crosses an area of land use change, from rural to urban. The ecological assessment integrated physical-chemical, biological, and hydromorphological information collected during 2 periods, in 7 points distributed in the main channel river`s and in its major tributaries. In addition, a point located upstream of the study zone is analyzed, for making comparisons with the results obtained. Results show that the ecological health of the river is in a serious state because, tolerant taxa at low concentrations of oxygen and at high concentrations of organic matter were identified, such as Chironomidae (Chironominae and Orthocladiinae), Haplotaxidae and Glossiphonidae, this information is complemented by the physico-chemical characterization, represented by the Water Quality Index (ICA) that locates the river in the "Contaminated" category. This fluvial course has a good hydromorphological quality reflected in high and medium values of IHF and QBR, which contribute to the formation of microhabitats suitable for macroinvertebrates, in addition they demonstrate the existence of elements that favor the self-purification of the river.