Abstract

RAMOS MONTANO, Carolina; CARDENAS-AVELLA, Nancy Milena  and  HERRERA MARTINEZ, Yimy. Characterization of the Community of Aquatic Macrophytes in Lakes of La Rusia Paramo (Boyacá-Colombia). Ciencia en Desarrollo [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.73-82. ISSN 0121-7488.

The aquatic macrophytes are one of the most important components of lacustrine ecosystems. They are in charge of the primary productivity, the availability of niches for other trophic levels, the nutrient cycling and the stabilizing of sediments. Research in relation of aquatic macrophytes in neotropical lakes of high Andean mountains is scarse and necessary to approach a better comprehension of the functioning of these ecosystems. We made the characterization the community of aquatic macrophytes in the lakes Cristalina, Media and Pozo, in La Rusia Paramo (Boyacá-Colombia), between 3.720 and 3.792 m. alt., using 0.25 m. quadrants to evaluate the frequency and cover. Besides it was evaluated the distribution of different growth habits. Frequencies per species were used like abundance estimators to calculate the Shannon diversity index (H), the Simpson dominance index (D), and the similarity indices of Jaccard and Bray-Curtis. Overall, it was collected 17 species of aquatic macrophytes, from which only Callitriche heterophylla, Isoetes palmeri, Ranunculus flagelliformis, Juncus sp. and Elatine minima were common to all lakes. The Media lake showed the highest diversity (13 species, H = 2,053, D = 0,184). Although the Secchi transparence was similar and the distance among lakes is reduced, we found differences in diversity, cover and habits distribution of the macrophytes, what suggest an effect of environmental factors different to light, possibly nutrients or geomorphology. The analysis of results is based on the previous similar investigations in Andean countries

Keywords : Aquatic macrophytes; Cover; Submerged; Floating; Emergent; Diversity; High Andean lakes.

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