Abstract
We studied richness and composition of the cladoceran species in 61 temporary peat-pools (pools within high-altitude peatland mires) in the Cordillera del Tunari in Cochabamba (Bolivia) during one wet season. Of the 21 species collected, two were new to science and five were new records to Bolivia. Across all 61 pools, species richness per pool varied from 3-16 (mean = 8.3 + 2.8 SD). Rarefaction analysis revealed that more than 80% of all collected species was represented by a subsample of 25 pools. This is the first study to comprehensively present the cladoceran fauna of temporary peat-pools in the high Andes. The cladoceran diversity is comparable with many permanent systems in the region and other temporary pool systems around the world, and underlines the conservation value of these peatland systems (bofedales) for the aquatic biodiversity of South America.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1166-1174 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Wetlands |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- invertebrates peat-pools South America wetlands park sw spain species richness conservation priorities biodiversity hotspots community structure high-andes ponds crustacean ecology zooplankton Environmental Sciences & Ecology