Grupos tróficos de nematodos en el bentos del río Monachil (Granada)

Abstract

Trophic groups of nematodes found in the benthos of the Monachil River (Granada)
In this work the variations in the water quality of the Monachil River are examined. The environment’s physical and chemical characteristics as well as the nematode species present have been identified, and a study carried out on the trophic structure of the nematode community in the river. Data obtained from direct observation of food remains in tbe digestive tract of severa1 of the species, were presented. Five trophic categories were established to define the trophic spectrum for the nematofauna at each of sampling sites established along the river. Moreover, the sampling sites were grouped according to the Czekanowski similarity index based on the abundance of each trophic category and on each of the physical and chemical parameters considered. How these factors satisfactorily explain some of the groupings obtained on the basis of the trophic structure at each sampling is shown. The trophic spectrum for the nematofauna of a specific site confirms and, in many cases, completes the results which can be obtained from a study of the water quality in a specific environment.