Diversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates, yeasts, and microbiological indicators along a longitudinal gradient in Serra do Cipó, Brazil

The main goals of this study were: 1) to evaluate the structure, diversity, and functional trophic group composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities; 2) to characterize water quality in the headwaters of the Doce river watershed, based on physical, chemical, and biological parameters (benthic macroinvertebrates, fecal coliforms, heterotrophic bacteria, and yeasts); and 3) to contribute to the knowledge of the structure and function of longitudinal gradients in lotic ecosystems in Brazil. A total of 60 benthic macroinvertebrate taxa were identified, the dominant group being the aquatic insects, with 50 families distributed in 8 orders. The dry period presented higher values of taxonomic richness and total density of benthic macroinvertebrates. A decreasing gradient was observed in these variable values from the 3rd order stretch down to the 6th order stretch. The highest Shannon-Wiener diversity values were found in the rainy period in the 3rd order stretches, which presented well-developed riparian forest. Besides the 3rd order stretches, the Pielou evenness index values were also high in the 6th order stretch. The collectors, together with the scrapers, predominated in the benthic macroinvertebrate communities in all river stretches, except in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th order stretches in the rainy period, where communities were dominated by filterers. The shredders and predators presented low densities for all river stretches. All microbiological variables presented low levels. Due to the high counts of heterotrophic bacteria and coliforms, the studied river stretches presented inadequate potability but adequate balneability levels. The results suggest that the structure, diversity, and composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate communities are influenced by the trophic resource availability, seasonality, and sediment heterogeneity. The microbiological results of this study allow inferring that the waters from Serra do Cipó have excellent potential for recreational use and as future sources of water for human consumption.

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The effect of thermal effluent, before and after macrophyte harvesting, on standing crop and species composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Lake Wabamun, Alberta

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z82-405 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 60 (12) ◽

pp. 3196-3205 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Joseph B. Rasmussen

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Standing Crop ◽

Tubifex Tubifex ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Plant Detritus ◽

Chironomid Species ◽

Before And After ◽

Heated Area

The heated area of Lake Wabamun prior to macrophyte harvesting had higher submerged macrophyte production, greater amounts of plant detritus in the sediment, and a higher standing crop of benthic macroinvertebrates than the unheated area. Species composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was also much different in the heated area with the warmest areas supporting a community dominated by tubificid oligochaetes (Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Tubifex tubifex), and the moderately heated areas supporting a community dominated by large Chironomus species (Chironomus plumosus and Chironomus atroviridis). Benthos of the unheated parts of the lake consisted mainly of smaller chironomid species such as Chironomus maturus, C. (cf.) staegeri, Polypedilum nubeculosum, Cladotanytarsus spp., and Tanytarsus spp. The heated area was subjected to mechanical macrophyte harvesting which removed the majority of the submerged macrophytes. This reduced the amount of plant detritus within the sediment and also the standing crop of benthic macroinvertebrates in the heated area. Species composition of the oligochaete-dominated community was not affected by harvesting. Species composition of the Chironomus-dominated area was greatly affected by harvesting and became more similar to that of the unheated area; densities of the large Chironomus species were reduced to low levels, while the densities of smaller chironomid species increased.

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Biodiversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates along a reservoir cascade in the lower São Francisco river (northeastern Brazil)

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842005000200006 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 229-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

M. Callisto ◽

M. Goulart ◽

F. A. R. Barbosa ◽

O. Rocha

Keyword(s):

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Cascade System ◽

System Effect ◽

Rainy Period ◽

Sao Francisco River ◽

São Francisco River ◽

Significant Difference

In order to verify the cascade-system effect in benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and the implications for policy making and proposals for conservation and sustainable use of the lower portion of São Francisco river basin (Bahia State, Brazil), a three-reservoir cascade system including two stretches downstream were studied during dry (June, 1997) and rainy (March, 1998) periods. The dominant groups found were Mollusca (Melanoides tuberculata), Oligochaeta, and Chironomidae larvae. Low Shannon-Wiener and Pielou index values were found, but with no significant difference between the sampling periods. However, density and taxonomic richness were significantly different (t(0.05; 31) = -2.1945; p < 0.05; e t(0.05; 31) = -3.0600; p < 0.01) between the sampling periods, with a reduction in the number of taxaand macroinvertebrate abundance during the rainy period. An increasing gradient in benthic macroinvertebrate community structures was noted along the reservoir cascade from the first reservoir (Apolônio Sales), followed by a decrease downstream from the third reservoir of the system (Xingó). Despite the negative consequences of rapid proliferation of dams, which have caused widespread loss of freshwater habitats, the reservoir cascade system promoted an increase in benthic macroinvertebrate diversity, due to water-quality improvement along the system.

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Spatial and temporal variation of benthic macroinvertebrate communities along an urban river in Greater Manchester, UK

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-019-8019-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 192 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cecilia Medupin

Keyword(s):

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Urban River ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Urban Rivers ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Standard Requirement

AbstractUrban rivers face challenges of increased human activities which also affect river organisms. In order to enhance freshwater biodiversity in urban rivers, it is important to determine how the benthic macroinvertebrate communities are influenced by key abiotic factors. This was investigated in this paper through the study of the spatial and temporal variations of benthic macroinvertebrates and water quality variables at the urban River Medlock in Greater Manchester, UK. Samples were obtained from five sections of the catchment (S1 to S5) over a period of 14 months and the results were compared with the standard requirement of the European Union’s Water Framework Directives. Multivariate tests including SIMPER (similarity percentages), PCA (principal component analysis) and BIOENV (biological and environmental) were carried out on the data in order to determine the environmental variables which most influenced the benthic macroinvertebrates. PCA of environmental variables indicated that 34% of the overall variance was heavily weighted on nutrients and catchment area (negatively on altitude and slope), 17% represented river substrate and the 12% represented discharge. The BIOENV analysis also indicated altitude, slope, catchment area, discharge and conductivity as the variables which influenced the biological communities. SIMPER analysis showed a difference between the upper and lower sections of the river with some sensitive taxa at the upper sites and showed that more organisms are present during spring. Apart from the lowest section of the river, the EU Water Framework Directive classification showed that other sites achieved the ‘good ecological status’. While 32 taxa groups were identified, abundant Baetidae, Chironomidae and Oligochaeta were recorded at all sites and seasons. The scores for biotic indices Whalley Hawkes Paisley and Trigg (WHPT) and Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) were found to be similar. By the application of surrogate variables such as percentage urban cover, catchment area and total number of organism, the influence of urbanisation could be seen in the abundance of organisms over time and space.

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Fish stomach contents in benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage assessments

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.09913 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 75 (1) ◽

pp. 157-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

TH. Tupinambás ◽

PS. Pompeu ◽

CV. Gandini ◽

RM. Hughes ◽

M. Callisto

Keyword(s):

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Stomach Contents ◽

Taxonomic Composition ◽

The Other ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Species Accumulation Curves ◽

Sediment Samples

The choice of sampling gears to assess benthic macroinvertebrate communities depends on environmental characteristics, study objectives, and cost effectiveness. Because of the high foraging capacity and diverse habitats and behaviors of benthophagous fishes, their stomach contents may offer a useful sampling tool in studies of benthic macroinvertebrates, especially in large, deep, fast rivers that are difficult to sample with traditional sediment sampling gear. Our objective was to compare the benthic macroinvertebrate communities sampled from sediments with those sampled from fish stomachs. We collected benthic macroinvertebrates and fish from three different habitat types (backwater, beach, riffle) in the wet season, drying season, and dry season along a single reach of the Grande River (Paraná River Basin, southeast Brazil). We sampled sediments through use of a Petersen dredge (total of 216 grabs) and used gill nets to sample fish (total of 36 samples). We analyzed the stomach contents of three commonly occurring benthophagous fish species (Eigenmannia virescens, Iheringichthys labrosus, Leporinus amblyrhynchus). Chironomids dominated in both sampling methods. Macroinvertebrate taxonomic composition and abundances from fish stomachs differed from those from sediment samples, but less so from riffles than from backwater and beach habitats. Macroinvertebrate taxa from E. virescens stomachs were more strongly correlated with sediment samples from all three habitats than were those from the other two species. The species accumulation curves and higher mean dispersion values, compared with with sediment samples suggest that E. virescens is more efficient than sediment samples and the other fish studied at collecting benthic taxa. We conclude that by analyzing the stomach contents of benthophagous fishes it is possible to assess important characteristics of benthic communities (dispersion, taxonomic composition and diversity). This is especially true for studies that only sample fish assemblages to evaluate aquatic ecosystem impacts. Therefore, this approach can be useful to amplify assessments of human impacts, and to incorporate additional bioindicators.

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Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Rivers of Western Himalaya, Nepal

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences10040150 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 150

Author(s):

Ram Devi Tachamo Shah ◽

Subodh Sharma ◽

Deep Narayan Shah ◽

Deepak Rijal

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

River Basin ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Western Himalaya ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

River Systems ◽

River Continuum ◽

River Types

According to River Continuum Concept (RCC), channel morphology, including sediment loads and channel width, river habitat, flow regimes and water quality, differs from the tributary to the downstream river’s mainstem, allowing shifts in faunal composition from dominance of shredders to collectors downstream, respectively. Tributaries are responsible for contributing organic carbons, nutrients and water. However, such knowledge is still limited in the monsoon-dominated river systems of the Himalaya. The study was conducted in the river’s mainstem and tributaries of the Karnali River Basin, which are glacier and spring-fed river systems, respectively, in the western Himalaya, Nepal. A total of 38 river stretches in the river’s mainstem and tributaries were sampled during post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons in the years 2018 and 2019. Water quality parameters, such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity and hardness, and the benthic macroinvertebrates were studied. Ten subsamples of benthic macroinvertebrates were collected following the multi-habitat sampling approach at each site. High taxa richness was recorded in tributaries compared to the river’s mainstem while abundance was similar between river types. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) formed two distinct groups, reflecting high similarities in benthic macroinvertebrate composition within the tributaries and river’s mainstem rather than between river types. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated water temperature and pH as major environmental predictors for benthic macroinvertebrate variability between river types. Therefore, river type-based conservation efforts that account for upstream–downstream linkages of aquatic biota and resources in freshwater ecosystems can ensure the ecological integrity of the whole river basin.

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Evaluasi Rehabilitasi Riparian Sungai Ranggeh dengan Indikator Komunitas Makrozoobenthos

Oseanologi dan Limnologi di Indonesia ◽

10.14203/oldi.2020.v5i2.311 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Jojok Sudarso ◽

Imroatushshoolikhah ◽

Aiman Ibrahim ◽

Siti Aisyah ◽

Laela Sari

Keyword(s):

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Riparian Habitat ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Sampling Area ◽

Biological Metrics ◽

Habitat Rehabilitation ◽

Conductivity Parameter ◽

The Impact

Evaluation of Riparian Rehabilitation in River River Usingthe Macrozoobenthos Community Indicator. Macrozoobenthos organism is one of aquatic biota which is often used to assess the ecosystems health of river.The evaluation of riparian habitat rehabilitation using benthic macroinvertebrates has been commonly used in many countries. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the impact of Ranggeh river riparian rehabilitation and to determine environmental parameters that influenced benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Ranggeh River. This research was conductedfrom February to September 2019. Benthic macroinvertebrate Benthic macroinvertebrates, river, evaluation, EPT, rehabilitationsamples were collected using Hess Sampler in a sampling area of 0.2 m2. This evaluation was carried out after two months since the rehabilitation of riparian habitat completed. The results show that rehabilitation of the riparian habitat has changed the community, in the aspects of biological metrics of taxa number, abundance, and taxa numbersof Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). Furthermore, the taxa number and EPT metrics increased after habitat rehabilitation, however the abundance decreased slightly. In addition, the taxa number metric was positively correlated with conductivity parameter (r = 0.8), but negatively correlatedto turbidity (r = -0.91) and pH (r = -0.77). Meanwhile, the EPT metric was negatively correlated with turbidity parameters (r = -0.76) and %embeddedness (r = -0.94). The total abundance metric was not sensitive to the parameters measured in this study. Meanwhile, biological metrics for taxa number and EPT can be used to assess rehabilitation success of river ecosystem habitats

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Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in a subtropical reservoir and their effects over the benthic macroinvertebrate community

Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia ◽

10.1590/s2179-975x2014000300010 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 306-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Frederico Guilherme de Souza Beghelli ◽

André Cordeiro Alves dos Santos ◽

Maria Virgínia Urso-Guimarães ◽

Maria do Carmo Calijuri

Keyword(s):

Organic Pollution ◽

Taxonomic Composition ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Littoral Region ◽

Longitudinal Gradients ◽

Spatial And Temporal Heterogeneity ◽

Sources Of Variation ◽

Chemical Conditions ◽

Physical And Chemical

AIM: The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the influences of the environment spatial heterogeneity on benthic macroinvertebrates considering transverse and longitudinal gradients as also seasonality. METHODS: Four samplings were performed: two in the wet and two in the dry season in the riverine, transitional and lacustrine zones in the littoral and profundal regions of Itupararanga reservoir, SP, Brazil. Abiotic characterization of the water and of the sediment was performed. The biotic characterization was based on richness, dominance, diversity, and density of organisms, as well as on the relative abundance of predominant taxa. Two-way ANOSIM analyses were performed for both biotic and abiotic components, in order to test the significance of the differences in the longitudinal and transverse directions as well as of the differences between seasons. RESULTS: Compartmentalization was present in both directions, longitudinal and transverse. In a general way, the littoral region presented higher diversity values when compared with the profundal region, and the riverine zone presented high densities and high percentage of taxons, which usually indicate organic pollution. The differentiation between the transitional and lacustrine zones was determined mainly by taxonomic composition. Seasonality was also observed and the transportation of small particles, the entrance of nutrients, and the presence of macrophytes were considered as determinants for differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results demonstrate the responses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities considering distinct sources of variation: longitudinal heterogeneity, determined by the increasing distance from the forming rivers that leads to a gradient of physical and chemical conditions; transverse heterogeneity, determined by the proximity with the land environment and depth differences. Seasonal heterogeneity was recorded during the period of this research and it was determined by variations in water flow, in temperature, and in the carrying of matter, nutrients and organisms.

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Timiş River (Banat, Romania) Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Structure Spatial Dinamic

Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research ◽

10.2478/trser-2013-0038. ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 123-132

Author(s):

Angela Curtean-Bănăduc ◽

Adina Nicoleta Farcaş

Keyword(s):

Spatial Structure ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Substrate Type ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

River Danube ◽

Correlation With Environmental Parameters

ABSTRACT This study presents the description of the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the Timiș River (Danube Watershed) in correlation with environmental parameters. The results are based on quantitative benthic macroinvertebrates (105 samples) taken in 2011 (June-September) from 21 stations of the the Timiş River, situate between its sources and the Romanian-Serbian border (241 km). The assessed biotope variables were: altitude, slope, riverbed width, depth, substratum types, channel modification and water physico-chemical caracteristics. The results of the study reveal that the spatial structure of benthic macroinvertebrates is induced by the substrate type, by the minor riverbed modifications in comparison with the natural conditions and the quantities of oxidable matters in the water.

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Assessing Spatial Distribution of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Associated with Surrounding Land Cover and Water Quality

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9235162 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (23) ◽

pp. 5162 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dong-Kyun Kim ◽

Hyunbin Jo ◽

Kiyun Park ◽

Ihn-Sil Kwak

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Benthic Community ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrate ◽

Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽

Ambient Water ◽

Accessible Information ◽

The Impact

The study aims to assess the spatial distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in response to the surrounding environmental factors related to land use and water quality. A total of 124 sites were surveyed at the Seomjin River basin in May and September 2017, respectively. We evaluated the abundance and composition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities based on nine subwatersheds. Subsequently, we compared the benthic information with the corresponding land use and water quality. To comprehensively explore the spatiotemporal distinction of benthic macroinvertebrate communities associated with those ambient conditions, we applied canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The CCA results explicitly accounted for 61% of the explanatory variability; the first axis (45.5%) was related to land-use factors, and the second axis (15.5%) was related to water quality. As a result, the groups of benthic communities were distinctly characterized in relation to these two factors. It was found that land-use information is primarily an efficient proxy of ambient water quality conditions to determine benthic macroinvertebrates, such as Asellus spp., Gammarus spp., and Simulium spp. in a stream ecosystem. We also found that specific benthic families or genera within the same groups (Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera) are also differentiated from ambient water quality changes as a secondary component. In particular, the latter pattern appeared to be closely associated with the impact of summer rainfall on the benthic community changes. Our study sheds light upon projecting benthic community structure in response to changes of land use and water quality. Finally, we conclude that easily accessible information, such as land-use data, aids in effectively characterizing the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates, and thus enables us to rapidly assess stream health and integrity.

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