Thais Carvajal-Baldeón, Andrés Castañeda-Chávez, Wanky Conejo, José V. Montoya, Michael Burghardt, Christian Villamarín
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Abstract
The high Andean páramos (biomes above the treeline, ranging from 3000 to 5000 m a.s.l.) are ecosystems that have long been threatened by human activities, impacting their ability to store water. In Ecuador, the wetlands within these páramos have been drained for cattle ranching and agriculture. One notable example is the Pugllohuma wetland, an important water reservoir for the city of Quito, which is in a recovery process. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of different types of restoration processes on the diversity and community structure of aquatic invertebrates in the Pugllohuma wetland. To evaluate this influence, three sampling campaigns were conducted in five ponds subjected to active restoration and five ponds subjected to passive restoration. During each sampling event, physicochemical parameters were measured, samples of the invertebrate communities were collected and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level, and alpha and beta diversity analyses were performed to detect community differences associated with the restoration methods. The results showed no significant differences in alpha diversity indices between the two restoration types. However, notable differences in aquatic community composition were observed, influenced by environmental variables such as temperature, pH, and pond connectivity. In ponds with passive restoration, species turnover had a stronger influence on beta diversity, whereas in ponds with active restoration, differences in species abundance were more significant. This study highlights the importance of evaluating aquatic community structures when assessing the effectiveness of restoration processes in wetlands of the Andean páramos, providing valuable insights for their management and conservation. Restoration efforts often result in heterogeneous landscapes, making it essential to understand how biodiversity responds to this spatial variability. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of restoration ecology in high-altitude wetlands.
期刊介绍：
Aquatic Sciences – Research Across Boundaries publishes original research, overviews, and reviews dealing with aquatic systems (both freshwater and marine systems) and their boundaries, including the impact of human activities on these systems. The coverage ranges from molecular-level mechanistic studies to investigations at the whole ecosystem scale. Aquatic Sciences publishes articles presenting research across disciplinary and environmental boundaries, including studies examining interactions among geological, microbial, biological, chemical, physical, hydrological, and societal processes, as well as studies assessing land-water, air-water, benthic-pelagic, river-ocean, lentic-lotic, and groundwater-surface water interactions.
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