Resumen

GALDEAN, N.; CALLISTO, M.  y  BARBOSA, F. A. R.. Biodiversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates in altitudinal lotic ecosystems of Serra do Cipó (MG, Brazil). Rev. Bras. Biol. [online]. 2001, vol.61, n.2, pp. 239-248. ISSN 0034-7108.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-71082001000200006.

Five lotic systems of Serra do Cipó, south-east Brazil, were investigated in order to assess the existing diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates, habitats-microhabitats, and the available trophic resources. For each river it was analysed the communities of benthic macroinvertebrates and the composition of some taxonomic groups (Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Diptera Chironomidae): the community with Bivalvia Sphaeriidae, Oligochaeta and Ephemeroptera Baetidae (being supposed a closed relation Bivalvia-Oligochaeta based on the process of bioturbation and enrichment of sediment in organic matter) in Tanque River; the macrofauna associated to aquatic macrophytes from rivers Peixe and Preto do Itambé reflecting the reaction of the ecosystems versus the quantities of nutrients which originate from the farmlands; the lithoreophilic communities of Cipó River; the community depending on deposits of leaves and filamentous algae in Congonhas Stream; the very rich community of the moss clumps in the Indaiá Stream. A proposal for biological zonation of Cipó River and some comments about the importance of the analysed benthic macroinvertebrates in the biological production of the aquatic communities were done.

Palabras llave : macroinvertebrates; river ecology; Ephemeroptera; Trichoptera; Chironomidae.