2025/05/21 by Alfonsina Grabosky, Andrea Ximena González-Reyes, Marcos Méndez +5 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Tardigrade Biology and Ecology #Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology #Lichen and fungal ecology
paper · doi:10.1111/icad.12838
openalex publication_date 2025/05/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract Urbanization negatively impacts biodiversity, particularly through habitat modification and pollution. While invertebrate diversity changes along urban gradients, the effects of vehicular pollutants remain understudied. This study investigated the influence of vehicular traffic and seasonality on tardigrade diversity in Salta, a rapidly expanding city in Argentina. We aimed to assess how different levels of traffic intensity and microhabitat conditions affected tardigrade species richness and composition across seasons. We conducted sampling in winter and summer at sites classified as having high, medium or low traffic levels. A total of 2254 tardigrades from 6 genera and 11 species were identified. No significant seasonal differences were found in species abundance, richness or composition. Notably, medium‐traffic sites exhibited lower species richness, suggesting instability due to fluctuating pollution levels. Species composition differed significantly between traffic levels, with Macrobiotus olgae Rocha et al., 2024 (Parachela: Macrobiotidae) and Milnesium quiranae Rocha et al., 2022 (Apochela: Milnesiidae) identified as ecological indicators of pollution tolerance and contamination thresholds, respectively. Beta diversity analysis showed that species turnover was the main factor that caused seasonal changes in the assemblage, while nestedness explained the loss of diversity across traffic levels. Our findings underscore the detrimental effects of vehicular pollution on urban tardigrade assemblages and highlight the need for biodiversity conservation strategies in urban environments, particularly in developing countries. This research contributes to understanding urban biodiversity dynamics and informs management practices aimed at mitigating pollution impacts on meiofauna.