Journal of Environmental Biology

Invasive alien species water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes as abode for macroinvertebrates in hypertrophic Ramsar Site,

Lake Xochimilco, Mexico 

A. Rocha-Ram?rez¹*, E. Robles-Valderrama² and E. Ram?rez-Flores³

¹Laboratorio de Ecolog?a, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico, Av. de los Barrios # 1, los Reyes Iztacala, CP 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de M?xico, M?xico

²Laboratorio de Calidad del Agua, UIICSE, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico, Av. de los Barrios # 1, los Reyes Iztacala, CP 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de M?xico, M?xico

³Proyecto Conservaci?n y Mejoramiento del Ambiente, UIICSE, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Aut?noma de M?xico, Av. de los Barrios # 1, los Reyes Iztacala, CP 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de M?xico, M?xico

*Corresponding Author E-mail: arocha@unam.mx

Publication Data

Paper received:

12 June 2013

Revised received:

19 November 2013

Accepted:

22 May 2014

Abstract

This paper presents information on the density, diversity and functional feeding groups of macroinvertebrate assemblages associated with water hyacinth in Antiguo Canal Cuemanco, part of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. Rare (low frequency and density) and dominant (high frequency and density) taxa prevailed in the assemblages, with the most predominant being Hyalella azteca, Chironomus plumosus and Ischnura denticollis. Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling confirmed two climatic seasons: warm-rainy and cold-dry; the former with the highest diversity and density of taxa. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that conductivity, nitrates and turbidity explained the density variations of taxa. Antiguo Canal Cuemanco waters are spatially homogeneous with the characteristics of hypertrophic shallow lakes, inhabited by scrapers and gathering-collectors. The species found were tolerant to organic pollution.

Key words

Aquatic macroinvertebrates, Anthropogenic eutrophication, Biodiversity Eichhornia crassipes, Diversity,? Functional feeding groups, Hypertrophic, Lake Xochimilco, Ramsar Site 

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