Abstract

The inland waters in the Andes Mountains in the extreme north of Chile are in a zone with a marked arid climate in the called Atacama Desert (23º S, Antofagasta region, Chile) that has sporadic rains mainly in January or February (summer rains/Altiplano winter), many of these water bodies have high mineral contents due high mineral contents, and low species diversity (mainly crustacea and insecta). The present study aims to do a comparative analysis of inland water crustaceans in different kinds of water bodies in the surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama and Salar de Atacama in the north of Chile using co-occurrence null model analysis. The results revealed a scarce species richness and random species associations due to the lack of a structured pattern and many recurring species in the studied sites. Species reported, and species associations agree with literature descriptions. Nevertheless, more ecological studies would be necessary to understand the community patterns in these water bodies. © 2023, Universidad de Tarapaca. All rights reserved.