Riparian and microhabitat factors determine the structure of the EPT community in Andean headwater rivers of Ecuador

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Vimos-Lojano, D.J., F. Martínez-Capel, and H. Hampel. 2017. Riparian and Microhabitat Factors Determine the Structure of the EPT Community in Andean Headwater Rivers of Ecuador. Ecohydrology 10 (8). Wiley: e1894. doi:10.1002/eco.1894, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1894. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."[EN] This research was conducted in the high-Andean basin of the Zhurucay River in southern Ecuador. In 4 river reaches, 19 sampling campaigns were conducted per reach spread over a period of 35months. The biotic samples were selected in the periods with greatest flow stability. Parallel to each sampling, 37 environmental variables grouped into 3 factors (riparian corridor, hydromorphology, and water quality) were recorded. The study aimed to analyse during periods of stable flow the influence of these environmental factors on the structure and density of the EPT community (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) in a quasi-pristine aquatic ecosystem. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the Froude number, gravel type, and width/depth ratio are the most relevant hydromorphological variables explaining variations in EPT density. Xiphocentronidae, Contulma, and Helicopsyche were observed to have a relationship with the order of the river, while Ochrotrichia, Nectopsyche, and Phylloicus varied with the type of riparian vegetation. Phylloicus, Ochrotrichia, and Nectopsyche were common in lentic sites, while the proportion of gravel and the width/depth ratio restricted the genus Helicopsyche. The only relevant water quality factor was the total phosphorus, which was related with 2 taxa. In conclusion, although macroinvertebrates are currently employed in water quality studies, riparian vegetation and hydromorphological factors are determinant for their communities in pristine Andean rivers. Such factors are therefore crucial in the study of environmental flows and the assessment of the ecological integrity.This research was funded by the SENESCYTPIC 11-726 Project (Interpretation of hydro-ecological processes as a basis for assessing the ecological flow in the Paute and Jubones watershed), the hydroelectric company CELECEP, and DIUC (Investigation Department of the University of Cuenca). Thanks are due to the SENESCYT project PIC 11-715 (Impact of land use change in the hydrogeochemistry of Andean basins) for providing the hydrological data used in this study. Further, financial support was provided by SENESCYT through a fellowship granted to the first author for carrying out his doctoral programme and through the PROMETEO fellowship awarded to the third author. We are greateful to Ing. Andres Quichimbo for reviewing the hydrological data, and the staff of the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory at the University of Cuenca for their assistance and field logistics. Finally, the authors are grateful to Prof. Jan Feyen for constructive polishing edition the manuscript.Vimos-Lojano, D.; Martinez-Capel, F.; Hampel, H. (2017). Riparian and microhabitat factors determine the structure of the EPT community in Andean headwater rivers of Ecuador. Ecohydrology. 10(8):1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1894115108Albariño, R. J., & Balseiro, E. G. (2002). Leaf litter breakdown in Patagonian streams: native versus exotic trees and the effect of invertebrate size. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 12(2), 181-192. doi:10.1002/aqc.511ALLAN, D., ERICKSON, D., & FAY, J. (1997). The influence of catchment land use on stream integrity across multiple spatial scales. Freshwater Biology, 37(1), 149-161. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.1997.d01-546.xAllan, J. D. 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