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The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates as an indicator
of water quality and ecosystem health: a case study for Brazil
F.A.R Barbosaa,
M. Callistoa, N. Galdeana,b
aLab.
Limnologia, Dep. Biologia Geral, ICB, Universidade Federal
de Minas Gerais, Ave. Antônio Carlos, 6627, CP. 486,
CEP. 30.161-970, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. E-mail: barbosa@mono.icb.ufmg.br
bNational Museum of Natural History Grigore Antipa, Buchaerest,*Corresponding
author.
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Abstract
The state of Minas Gerais still has some nearly
pristine aquatic ecosystems, thus representing strategic aquatic
resources for Brazil. Rivers and creeks of Serra do Cipó
(19° - 20° S, 43° - 44° W) constitute an example
of natural ecosystems in preserved conditions where a broad research
project was initiated in 1996 aimed at the assessment of aquatic
biodiversity and water quality characterisation. This area is the
natural water division between the hydrographic basins of Doce and
São Francisco rivers, two of the most important watersheds
of Minas Gerais. The main goal of this study was to assess the diversity
of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and use them as bioindicators
of water quality. A secondary goal was to classify the benthic communities
into four categories: 1) non-affected communities: those preserving
a pristine structure, which are significant for fragile ecosystems,
2) median-affected communities: those receiving some degree of impacts,
formed by a mixture of stenotopic and euritopic populations capable
of adapting to new conditions thus reflecting the ecosystem's resilience,
and 3) heavily-affected communities: those with very poor diversity,
generally subject to severe human impact with destructive effects,
but that are still important for the functioning of these degraded
ecosystems.
Keywords: biodiversity, bioindicators
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