Belen Rocío Ostertag
aculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, National University of La Pampa (UNLPam), 151 Uruguay Avenue, CP 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz Street 2290, CP C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andrea Ximena González-Reyes
aculty of Natural Sciences, Institute for the Study of Invertebrate Biodiversity (IEBI), National University of Salta (UNSA), 5150 Bolivia Avenue, CP 4400, Salta, Argentina.
Alfonsina Grabosky
National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz Street 2290, CP C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute for the Study of Invertebrate Biodiversity (IEBI), National University of Salta (UNSA), 5150 Bolivia Avenue, CP 4400, Salta, Argentina.
Florencia Meier
National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz Street 2290, CP C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Institute of Biodiversity and Environment Research (INIBIOMA), National University of Comahue (UNComahue), 1250 Quintral Street, CP 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
Irene Luisa Doma
Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, National University of La Pampa (UNLPam), 151 Uruguay Avenue, CP 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.
José Corronca
National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz Street 2290, CP C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute for the Study of Invertebrate Biodiversity (IEBI), National University of Salta (UNSA), 5150 Bolivia Avenue, CP 4400, Salta, Argentina.
Alejandra Mariana Rocha
Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, National University of La Pampa (UNLPam), 151 Uruguay Avenue, CP 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina.
Communicated by Daniel Stec
Understanding and preserving biodiversity in natural habitats is crucial due to their rapid degradation and destruction. The meiofauna of natural areas is less well known than the macroscopic life. Tardigrades are common in limno-terrestrial meiofauna and can indicate environmental conditions. In this study, we expand our understanding of the taxonomy and ecology of tardigrade communities in two natural reserves in Argentina by examining the environmental factors that can affect them and the species that could be used as indicators. In 2018, sampling occurred in the Parque Luro Provincial Reserve (province of La Pampa) and the Poligono A Municipal Ecological Reserve (province of Salta). Samples were taken from epiphytic communities that grow on the bark of trees. Various environmental and microhabitat factors were taken into account. In the province of La Pampa, there were 1326 specimens of five species, and in the province of Salta, there were 212 specimens of nine species. The tardigrade communities in Salta exhibited statistically higher diversity than those in La Pampa. Temperature and moisture affected the tardigrade community of Parque Luro Provincial Reserve, while the microhabitat thickness affected those of Poligono A Municipal Ecological Reserve. The species turnover shaped the community of Salta, while nesting shaped the community of La Pampa.
