Introduction:

Macroinvertebrate communities are affected by water quality and physical characteristics of the aquatic habitat, simultaneously, complicating their use as bioindicators.

Objective:

To determine which habitat variables regulate the macroinvertebrate community in mountain streams in Eastern of Antioquia (Colombia).

Methods:

Sampling was carried out in February 2021 (dry-rain transition period), to evaluate physical and chemical variables in three types of mesohabitat: ripples, pools, and rapids in streams with contrasting vegetation covers. The macroinvertebrates were collected from ten sampling sites with a net, screen and manual type net preserved with 70 % ethanol.

Results:

4 484 macroinvertebrates were collected (16 orders, 46 families and 75 genera). The ripples mesohabitat presented higher values of diversity and abundance, while the pools presented the lowest. There were differences for oxygen concentration, depth, speed, and macroinvertebrate abundance between mesohabitats. Pools differed from the other mesohabitats in depth, speed, as well as in composition, abundance, and richness in macroinvertebrates, and was the least preferred mesohabitat.

Conclusion:

Speed, depth, dissolved oxygen concentration played a very important role in the establishment of macroinvertebrates community in different mesohabitats. For the same type of mesohabitat, the quality of the plant cover determined both diversity and abundance of this community.