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Li M, Cai Y, Zhang Y, Carlson PE, Dong R, Gong Z, Zhang Y, Li K. Impacts of habitat alteration on macroinvertebrates in large shallow lakes: An application of a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024. [PMID: 38837538 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Habitat plays a crucial role in shaping the macroinvertebrate community structure in large shallow lakes. In the pursuit of improving the health of freshwater ecosystems, it is imperative to consider their habitat characteristics. To evaluate the impact of habitat variations on lake ecological health, we developed a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index (MMI) for both the pelagic and littoral zones of Lake Hongze. Additionally, we employed structural equation models to explore the influence of utilization or phytoplankton biomass on ecological health. Historical data served as reference conditions for the pelagic. Seven key attributes were selected for the pelagic MMI, that is, Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), the percentage of Mollusca taxa, the percentage of filter-collector taxa, the percentage of predator taxa, the percentage of gather-collector taxa, and the percentage of sensitive taxa and functional dispersion. The least minimally disturbed conditions and the best attainable conditions were used to develop the littoral. Four key metrics, that is, the percentage of scraper abundance, Mollusca taxa, Biological Pollution Index, and BMWP, were integrated into the littoral MMI. The assessment based on MMI revealed a "poor" health status for the pelagic zone and a "fair" health status for the littoral zone. These findings underscore the high applicability and efficacy of MMIs in assessing and monitoring ecological health in Lake Hongze. Notably, functional feeding groups exhibited heightened sensitivity to disturbance in both zones. Moreover, sediment organic matter strongly influenced the pelagic ecological health, while chlorophyll a and transparency emerged as primary factors influencing the littoral zone, attributable to varying littoral zone utilization. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-11. © 2024 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongjiu Cai
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Water Resources Planning Bureau of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
| | - Peter E Carlson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rui Dong
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhijun Gong
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - You Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kuanyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Assie AF, Arimoro FO, Ndatimana G, Keke UN, Ayanwale AV, Edia EO, Edegbene AO. Development of a macroinvertebrate-based biotic index to assess water quality of rivers in Niger State, North Central Ecoregion of Nigeria. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:230. [PMID: 38305996 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12368-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The increasing pollution of lotic ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, poses a threat to water quality, public health and biodiversity. It is therefore essential to develop appropriate tools and methods for monitoring these rivers, particularly in heavily affected areas, where these water resources are vital to the surrounding communities that are heavily dependent on them. To fill this gap, we propose to develop a multimetric index based on macroinvertebrates for the assessment of ecological quality of rivers in Niger State (NSRBI). Eighty-eight metrics were evaluated through a step-by-step statistical process (namely, range test and stability, redundancy test and relationship with abiotic variables), in which metrics that did not meet the conditions were excluded. At the end of this process, only four metrics (%Hemiptera, Diptera richness, Pielou equitability and % of very large individuals (size > 40 mm)) fulfilling all criteria were included in the index. These metrics were then scored on a continuous scale and divided into four water quality classes: "very poor", "poor", "fair" and "good". Evaluation of the performance of the index on test sites showed a correspondence of 90% between index result and environmental-based classification. Therefore, the NSRBI could be a valuable tool for monitoring and assessing the ecological conditions of rivers in Niger State and the North Central Nigeria ecoregion predominantly in urban and agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attobla Fulbert Assie
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria.
| | - Francis O Arimoro
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria
| | - Gilbert Ndatimana
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria
- Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management, University of Rwanda, P.O Box: 512, Butare, Huye, Rwanda
| | - Unique N Keke
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria
| | - Adesola V Ayanwale
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria
| | - Edia O Edia
- Laboratory of Environment and Aquatic Biology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Management, University Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Lagunes, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Augustine O Edegbene
- Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, 972261, Nigeria
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Fagbohun IR, Akindele EO, Adedapo AM, Aliu OO. Assessment of the biological water quality and response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to thermal stress in an Afrotropical warm spring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:47755-47768. [PMID: 36740614 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25670-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater macroinvertebrates have been widely used as environmental stress indicators. However, information on their response to natural thermal stress is relatively scarce, particularly in the tropics. Using the multimetric macroinvertebrate approach, the biological water quality of the warm and cold springs of the Ikogosi Warm Spring in Nigeria was evaluated, with a view to ascertaining the response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to natural thermal stress. Macroinvertebrates and water samples were collected from the warm (stressed) and cold (less-stressed) springs, as well as the confluence stream, within the renowned Ikogosi Warm Spring of Southwest Nigeria. The less-stressed cold spring had much more dissolved oxygen than the warm spring and other thermally stressed stations but less than the warm spring and other thermally stressed stations for water temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, Ca2+, Mg2+, and water hardness. Generally, the macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness (30 species) and EPT richness (3 species) of the Ikogosi Warm Spring indicated an impaired freshwater system. Using the multimetric macroinvertebrate index (MMI), the warm spring was of poor biological water quality while the cold spring was of good biological water quality. At the confluence of both springs, the MMI declined to poor and moderate water quality. Although the thermal stress of the Ikogosi Warm Spring is natural, the government should take the necessary steps to regulate tourist activities so that the site's naturalness is preserved and the water quality is not further degraded on account of human-induced stressors such as deforestation, waste dumping, and washing activities.
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