Functional attributes of Chironomidae for detecting anthropogenic impacts on reservoirs: A biomonitoring approach

Organisms display sets of functional attributes that reflect local environmental conditions and can be used in environmental quality assessments. We analyzed the functional attributes of Chironomidae in reservoirs in the Brazilian semiarid region with different levels of anthropic disturbances. We examined the relationships of functional feeding groups, feeding strategies, body size, and the morphological adaptations of chironomid larvae with the environmental quality of 94 sites. The sites were classified according to their levels of anthropic disturbance based on environmental characteristics. To observe the relationship between the functional attributes of Chironomidae and the different levels of anthropic disturbance, we performed an RLQ. To test differences between the functional categories of Chironomidae, we use an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The functional categories of Chironomidae that indicated anthropic disturbances were: collector group, reduced pseudopods, abdominal tubule, and gatherers. The least disturbed sites showed higher relative abundances of engulfers, predators, organisms with elongated heads, and small body size. The observed relationships between Chironomid functional attributes and the levels of anthropic impacts on reservoirs in the semiarid region of Brazil allow their use as a tool for assessing the environmental qualities of lentic aquatic ecosystems.