Environmental Drivers for Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages and Distributional Patterns in a Plateau River of Bundelkhand Region, India
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Study was conducted to determine environmental drivers for benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and distribution patterns in a plateau river, the Dhasan. Four sampling stations (S1-S4) were selected from headwater to mouth. Lifting of stones and sieving of substratum methods were used to collect benthic macroinvertebrate fauna seasonally from December 2018 to November 2019. The collected samples were identified at the family level to determine assemblages and functional feeding groups. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to determine important environmental drivers for invertebrate distribution. The richness of benthic macroinvertebrate fauna varied among the stations. Total mean density increased from S1 to S2, declined at S3 and again increased at S4. Thiaridae was found to be the most abundant taxa at all stations. The assemblages forming taxa varied among the station. Functionally, scrappers were the most dominant functional feeding groups at all the stations. Water temperature, land use, current velocity and dissolved oxygen were the important environmental drivers for invertebrate distribution.
Institution: Nehru Gram Bharti University
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4401037606