Estado actual y perspectivas en el empleo de la comunidad de macroinvertebrados bentónicos como indicadora del estado ecológico de los ecosistemas fluviales españoles

Abstract

Fluvial ecosystems are nowadays affected by several anthropogenic activities. Impounded and channalized rivers, organic matter pollution, eutrophication, and mining activities, among others, cause changes in the structure and function of biological communities inhabiting rivers and streams. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities are sensitive to those environmental impacts. These communities enclose invertebrates that dwell the bottom substrate and that can be detected with the naked eye. The study of those communities permits to assess the health of fluvial ecosystem. In this article we review the main traits of macroinvertebrate communities that are used as environmental indicators, and we show several cases of Spanish fluvial bioassessments. Besides the future necessities in fluvial macroinvertebrate bioassessment are discussed.