Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 80 (2): 225-242, 2007
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Comparative analysis of biotic indexes used to evaluate water quality in a Mediterranean river
of Chile: Chillán River, VIII Region
Developed countries have traditionally used benthic macroinvertebrates as biological
indicators, incorporating them into the environmental quality evaluations of fluvial systems. These studies are less frequent in Latin
America, where the environmental protection standards for aquatic resources are just beginning to be elaborated. Thus, in Chile, the
use of biocriteria for such studies remains a possibility. This study of the Chillán River (Chile) adapts these biotic indexes (IBE, BMWP,
IBF, and SIGNAL) for their application and comparison in a Mediterranean basin. The results showed the same behavior pattern for all
indexes, defining some areas as having good conditions and others, which, from a biological perspective, have been strongly
impacted. Specifically, the IBF and SIGNAL indexes are more sensitive to disturbances than the IBE and BMWP. Application feasibility
and the advantages of the different indices are discussed, proposing a new methodology for central Chile.
Key words:
biotic indexes, benthic
macroinvertebrates, mediterranean Chile
