Journal of Natural Environment

Investigation of seasonal composition, abundance and biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities in Khormarud river, Golestan province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Gonbad kavous, Gonbad kavos, Iran

2 Department of fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Gonbad kavous, Gonbad kavos, Iran

Abstract

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities are a biological indicator in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to investigate the abundance and biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities in Khormarud River, Golestan Province. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected seasonally from 5 stations with three replications in 2020 using a Vanveen grab with a cover area (225 cm2). A total of 819 specimens of macroinvertebrate belonging to 6 orders and 10 families were identified, with the highest diversity belonging to the order of insects with 7 families and the highest abundance belonging to Chironomidae (31.5%) and then Tubificidae (22.47%). Spring with 45% had the highest and winter with 22% had the lowest abundance. The highest distribution of macroinvertebrate was obtained in station 1 in upstream (40.66%) and the lowest in station 5 in downstream (5.86%). The results showed that the highest Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were obtained in station 1 in upstream of autumn season (1.96 ± 0.32) and (0.85 ± 0.11), respectively. Also, the highest values ​​of Margalf species richness index in station 3 in midstream of winter (2.06 ± 0.4) and Pielou's evenness index in station 3 (0.94 ± 0.19) were spring. According to the Multidimensional Scale Analysis (MDS), the distribution of macroinvertebrate among the stations showed three distinct groups. PCA results showed that organic matter and clay are the most important environmental factors in the changes of macroinvertebrate communities in Khormarud river, Golestan province. The results showed that this river due to increased organic matter from agricultural areas, adjacent urban and rural wastewater caused increased contamination of the benthos resistant to the pollution, including Tubificidae and Chironomidae, these indicators could be used as useful tools for evaluating water supplies quality.

Keywords

Alizadeh, M., Hosseini, S.A., Jafaryan, H.,  Ghorbani, R., Gholizadeh, M., 2019. Evaluation seasonal distribution patterns and biodiversity of macroinvertebrates communities in Aji-Su River (Golestan province). Journal of Animal Environment 2(11), 361-370. (In Persian)
Celi, J.E., Villamarín, F., 2020. Freshwater ecosystems of mainland Ecuador: Diversity, issues and perspectives. Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia 32, 1-8.
Clarke, K.R., Ainsworth, M., 1993. A method of linking multivariate community structure to environmental variables. Marine Ecology Progress Series 92, 205-219.
Eleftheriou, A., McIntyre, A.D., 2005. Methods for study of Marine Benthos. 3rd eds. Blackwell, Oxford. 440 p.
Foomani, A., Gholizadeh, M., Harsij, M., Salavatian, M., 2020. River health assessment using macroinvertebrates and water quality parameters: A case of the Shanbeh-Bazar River, Anzali Wetland, Iran. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences 19(5), 2274-2294.
Garie, H.L., McIntosh, A., 1986. Distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream exposed to urban runoff: Water Resources Bulletin 22(3), 447-451.
Gholizadeh, M., Toomaj, A., Hossiendost, S., 2017. Modeling habitat requirements of riverine stone loach, Paracobitis hircanica( Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) in the Zarin Gol River, Caspian Sea basin, Iran. Iranian Journal of Ichthyology 4(4), 340-351.
Gholizadeh, M., Alinejad, M., 2018. Assessment of spatial variability of some affecting parameters on water quality of Zarin Gol River in Golestan province. Journal Environmental Science 16(1): 111-126. (In Persian).
Gholizadeh, M., Heydarzadeh, M., 2019. Functional feeding groups of macroinvertebrates and their relationship with environmental parameters (case study: in Zarin-Gol River). Iranian Journal Fish Science 19(5): 2532-2543.
Gholizadeh, M., Pakravan, M., 2019. Investigation of benthic macroinvertebrate based on bio-indicator in Zarin-Gol River, Golestan Province. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 21(8): 221-232. (In Persian).
Gholizadeh, M., Porhamidi, F., 2020. Health assessment of water quality of Madarsoo River (Golestan province) using multimetric biological index. Journal of Environmental Studies 46(2): 307-319. (In Persian).
Gholizadeh., M., 2021. Effects of floods on macroinvertebrate communities in the Zarin Gol River of northern Iran: implications for water quality monitoring and biological assessment. Ecological Processes 10(1):1-11.
Jorgensen, S.E., Costanse, R., Xu, F., 2005. Handbook of ecological indicators for assessment of ecosystem health.Taylor and Francis Group Eddition, London.
Molaei, M., Patimar, R., Gholizadeh, M., Pourali, S.H., Jafarian, H. 2021. The effects of aquaculture effluents on macroinvertebrate community and their feeding responses performance in Zarringol Stream, Golestan Province. Journal of Aquaculture Development 15 (1) :87-106. (In Persian).
Needham, J.G., Paul, R., Needham, P.R., 1962. A guide to the study of freshwater biology, fifth edition. Holden- Day. San Francisco, USA.
Ongley, E., 2003. Control of water pollution from agriculture. FAO Irrigation and Drainage 55: 101.
Pinto, R., Patrico, J., Baeta, A., Fath, B.D., Neto, J.M., 2009. Review and evaluation of estuarine biotic indices to assess benthic condition. Ecology Indicators 9(1), 1-25.
Quinn, M. and Hickey, W., 1990. Magnitude of effects of substrate particle size, recent flooding, and catchment development on benthic invertebrates in 88 New Zealand rivers, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 24(3): 411-427.
Shahbazi Naserabad, S.,  Poorbagher, H.,   Eagderi, S.,  Danehkar, A., Rajaei, M. 2016. Comparison of BMWP, ASPT and biodiversity indexes in order to assessment of temporal rivers quality (case study: Kheiroud-kenar River). Journal of Natural Environment 69(2): 439-467. (In Persian).
Stark, J. D. 1998. SQMCI: a biotic index for freshwater macroinvertebrate codedabundance data. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 32: 55-66.
Taylor, B.R., 2000. Technical evaluation on methods for bentic invertebrate's data analysis and Interpretation. AETE Project 2. 1. 3. prepared for Canada Canter for Mineral and Energy Technology. Ottawa, Ontario. 93 P.
Thompson, B., Lowe, S., 2004. Assessment of macrobenthos response to sediment contamination in the San Francisco estuary, California, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 23: 2178- 2187.
Thorp, J.H., Covich, A.P. (eds.)., 1991. Ecology and classification of North American freshwater invertebrates. Academic Press, San Diego, USA.
Tyson, R.V., 1995. Sedimentary organic matter: Organic facies and palynofacies, (Chapman & Hall, London), pp. 615.
Walen, J.K., 2002. Assessment of stream habitat, fish, macroinvertebrates, sediment and water chemistry for eleven streams in Kentucky and Tennessee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, CATT. 71 p.
Wear, D.N., Turner, M.G., Naiman, R.J., 1998. Land cover along an urban–rural gradient-Implications for water quality: Ecological Applications 8(3): 619-630.
Whiting, E.R., Clifford, H.F., 1983. Invertebrates and urban runoff in a small northern stream, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Hydrobiologia 102: 73-80.
Winter, J.G., Duthie, H.C., 1998. Effects of urbanization on water quality, periphyton and invertebrate communities in a southern Ontario stream: Canadian Water Resources Journal 23(3): 245-257.
 
Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 75, Issue 1
June 2022
Pages 38-48