TITLE:
Macroinvertebrate Community in Streams on the Canary Islands: Gradient Analysis and Stressors
AUTHORS:
Volker Lüderitz, Uta Langheinrich, José María Fernández-Palacios, Cristina González-Montelongo, José Ramón Arévalo
KEYWORDS:
Canary Islands, Degradation, Diversity, Endemism, Freshwater Streams, Macroinvertebrates
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Science,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
18,
2024
ABSTRACT: This study describes the gradient analysis of the freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages in eight streams of Tenerife and La Gomera (Canary Islands) over a 16-year period. During this period, a total of 75 taxa belonging to 34 taxonomic families were found. Endemism has an important presence in the streams on both islands, especially regarding Trichoptera and Coleoptera. The overall status of freshwater macroinvertebrates is rather uncertain as recent data on these communities are scarce and focused on a limited number of sites. Overexploitation of aquifers and the diversion of natural water flows for irrigation have resulted in the drying up of numerous natural streams, inevitably endangering the fauna that inhabits them. A reduction in number and abundance of endemic and sensitive species was observed in the majority of the sampled streams resulting in a lower ecological rating. Therefore, it is proposed that the protection of streams of high conservation value is essential to conserve freshwater macroinvertebrate fauna native to the Canary Islands.