but it is better ,if i can use universal indices and indices that can be use to south Asian region as well.In addition indices should be included to cover species richness,species evenness,species heterogenity (3 aspects of Species diversity)
Dear Aravinda,
Sometimes appear the same question in RG about what to use and how to use in bioindication of water quality. it depends of how good are investigated the water beings in your country. And are some of them good bioindicators. What indices you are going to uset to use and your conclusions and forecasting what’s going on with water system want to be short term or long term. So, if you are using mollusks your prognoses will be for longer period, as when you are using non-biting midges, stoneflies or other water larvae of insects.
About systems. Every system is good if there are enough species-indicators. I can recommend Woodiwiss index, and Rotshine in different modifications (simplified by Ivan Toderash, f.i.). As well you can use some diversity indices, relations between amount of different groups (if you are not enough qualified in identification of water invertebrates.
Very good tasting of different methods was done by Shokri et al in Iran (look attached file). Good review of modern existing methods are given by Li-Li et al_2010. This articles are not in an open access, so I attaching both for you.
Normally, bioindication is used for perspective improving of water quality measures in ideal variant river restoration. So, I'm attaching for any case serious paper on this problem from Pander &Geist (2013). The very good book of Semenchenko from Belarus is in Russian but I'm attaching as well.
For practical use can see as well our new Book in English (2016) - Issues and Challenges... in my site
If need smthn more, please, do not hasitate to call.
Andrey
our results of the aquatic health assessment by Macroinvertebrates taxa richness, evenness, Shannon and Simpson diversity indices concurred with the results of the physico-chemical assessment in eastern India, you may refer the article attached below
I agree with the above mentioned, however is important to use indices of association between taxa (macroinvertebrates) with diferentes physico-chemical variables evaluated in field
Regards
Yeah,
sure Jorge, should compare, if possible, with chemical indices, especially biogens and forms of organic matter, because appearance of some species are seriously influences by biotcoenotic relations, sometimes more than of environmental factors of external of community origin. As for me, reaction of community on impacts is more interesting and demonstrative than individual. E.g., when to do with hydro-morphological changes, both human or natural origin...
Andrey
Hello Aravinda,
I concur with much of the information contributed by the other researchers. You might also include the metrics EPT richness and % abundance EPT. EPT standing for Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera. All three groups have the majority of individual taxa sensitive to disturbance, so the more you have the better. If Plecoptera abundance is low, then you can restrict this metric to only Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. Coupled with other metrics such as taxa richness and Simpsons/Shannon, and water quality measures, these should be useful for evaluating stream condition--at least as a general assessment and screening tool.
David
Universal Indices are good start, though I hate the word universal. What you have to do is to to run separate indices and compare them with each other and their correlation with environmental variables. Also, you need to find out what index(s) better explains the variation in your benthic communities and significantly correlates with your environmental data. Some sort of Ordination analysis is in order. However, your correlations must be sound, meaning that what you observe in your system is confirmed by your correlation. Assuming, by freshwater you mean both lentic and lotic, your task can be a bit hard. I would keep each freshwater type separate. This is because diversity and abundance of certain taxa is higher in streams and rivers compared to lakes and ponds. For instance Odonates and Hemiptera are more diverse and abundant in lentic habitats than in lotic, Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera are mainly lotic. Therefore, lower %EPT in your lentic environment does not necessary mean your environment is polluted. You can only assume this when you compare two or three physico-chemically comparable lentic habitats.
All of these depend on how much background information you have about the study region.
Hope these help.
Armin
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