Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Water Quality Monitoring Using Aquatic Macroinvertebrates
Presented by;
Surendra Bam
Presentation Outline
Introduction Benthic Macroinvertebrates Macroinvertebrates as Indicators Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (I-IBI) Macroinvertebrates Sampling- The Basics Common Macroinvertebrates References
Introduction
Clean water is essential to life. Adverse changes to the water quality of one stream can impact all the bodies of water downstream rivers, lakes, or even the ocean. When water quality degrades, changes to plant, invertebrate, and fish communities may occur and affect the entire food chain.
Through water quality monitoring, communities can assess the health of their streams and rivers over time. Once baseline data on the health of a stream is collected, subsequent monitoring can help identify when and where pollution incidents occur. Water quality can be assessed using chemical sampling or biological sampling. Biological water quality monitoring involves collecting samples of aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates.
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
(bottom-dwelling) (animals w/o backbones visible to naked eye)
Heptageniidae sp. (Mayfly larva)
Hydropsyche sp. (Caddisfly larva)
Perlodidae sp. (Stonefly larva)
Macroinvertebrates are useful indicators of the health or condition of wetlands and other water bodies. They respond to many kinds of pollution, including chemical pollution and physical disturbance to the landscape around the site, wetland structure, and hydrology. There are several advantages of using macroinvertebrates.
Great candidates for biological monitoring
Aquatic macroinvertebrates live in water for at least part of their life cycle.
3 Categories of Stream Macroinvertebrates

Group 1 pollution sensitive (require higher DO, neutral pH, cold water) Tolerance Index : 1-3 Ex. mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies Group 2 somewhat pollution tolerant Tolerance Index : 4-7 Ex. scuds, dragonflies, damselflies Group 3 pollution tolerant (can tolerate low oxygen, lower/higher pH, warmer water) Tolerance Index : 8-10 Ex. leeches, aquatic worms, midge larva
The Tolerance Index (0 10)

Classifies macroinvertebrates according to their sensitivity to pollution. This is used world-wide as a means of assessing biological assemblages.
0
most pollution sensitive e.g. Stoneflies
10
most pollution tolerant e.g. Midges & Leeches
require high DO, clear water, rocky cobble substrate, not found in areas of high sedimentation or Eutrophication.
contain hemoglobin, tolerate lower DO, prefer soft substrate, less sensitive to toxins, found them in areas with high sedimentation, Eutrophication and poor water quality
Biological Integrity
the ability to support and maintain a balanced, integrated, and adaptive community of organisms having a species composition, diversity and functional organization comparable to those of natural habitats within a region" *
*(Karr,1981)
FFG Predators Shredders Grazers / Scrapers Gathering Collectors
Examples
Dragonflies, damselflies, stoneflies Stoneflies, beetles, caddisflies
Diet
Other insects
Characteristics
Toothy jaws, larger in size Streamlined, flat
leaves, woody debris
Mayflies, Periphyton, caddisflies, true diatoms flies, beetles Mayflies, settled worms, midges, particles, crayfish bacteria
Scraping mandibles
Filtering hairs, hemoglobin
Filtering Collectors
Black flies, netspinning caddisflies, mayflies
phytoplankton, Some build cases floating particles (caddisflies)
FFG Functional Feeding Group ( Characterizes functional Organization)
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity

(B-IBI)
Index based on macroinvertebrates samples that integrates several parameters to produce an overall health score for a given water body Result: dose-response curves to human impact
e.g. Taxa richness, relative abundance of certain taxa, feeding groups
Generalized Plot of B-IBI Scores vs. Human Impact

IBI Score
Human Impact
e.g. Pollution, habitat degradation, flow alteration
EPAs Suggestions for IBI Use*

Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Watershed Protection Total Maximum Daily Load (TMLD) Process Ecological Risk Assessment Development of Water Quality Criteria and Standards
* Barbour et al., 1999
Macroinvertebrate Sampling: The Basics

Identify the goal How will the data be used?
Regulatory purposes Detect trends Screening purposes Educational programs
The goal should guide your sample design and dictate your methods
A simple process flow chart for Biomonitoring of water quality

Sample collection
(Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques)
Sample processing and preservation
Sorting and Identification

(up to family level using key books)
Data analysis
(Determination of density, frequency, relative abundance of different taxa, Functional group, Diversity)
Develop IBI-score
Sample collection
1 . Qualitative: to find out different taxa, mesh size hand net are used 2. Quantitative: to find out number of organisms, abundance, density, frequency etc., Grab sampler and Multi-Habitat Sampler(MHS) are used.
Quantitative by Multi-Habitat Sampling (MHS) approach*, this includes 20 sampling units taken from all habitat types at the sampling site, each with a share of at least 5 % coverage. A total of 20 samples are taken and a single composite sample is prepare.
*A habitat assessment protocol for each site (ASSESS HKH project, 2006).
Sample processing and preservation
stirred the sample in water filled bucket and sieve floated animals with
net of mesh size 500 micrometer. transferred into plastic bottles.
label the bottle with site location and date. preserve at 4% formalin.
Sorting and Identification

After a week of preservation in formaldehyde. The sample is washed thoroughly by using mesh size of 0.5mm and kept in white enameled tray. Animals visible with necked eyes were picked and kept in various petridishes depending on various morphological forms. Finally the animals were identified up to the family level by using the key books.
Common Macroinvertebrates
Group 1: Pollution sensitive
Group 2: Somewhat sensitive
Group 3: Pollution tolerant
References
www.cpawscalgary.org/education/pdf/p ond-study-lesson-plan.pdf USDA CSREES New England Water Quality Program www.epa.gov/indicators/html/benthoscl ean.html
Lets get to work!

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Water Quality Monitoring Using Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Heptageniidae sp. (Mayfly larva)

Hydropsyche sp. (Caddisfly larva)

Perlodidae sp. (Stonefly larva)

Great candidates for biological monitoring

3 Categories of Stream Macroinvertebrates

The Tolerance Index (0 10)

FFG Predators Shredders Grazers / Scrapers Gathering Collectors

leaves, woody debris

Filtering hairs, hemoglobin

Black flies, netspinning caddisflies, mayflies

phytoplankton, Some build cases floating particles (caddisflies)

FFG Functional Feeding Group ( Characterizes functional Organization)

Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity

e.g. Taxa richness, relative abundance of certain taxa, feeding groups

Generalized Plot of B-IBI Scores vs. Human Impact

e.g. Pollution, habitat degradation, flow alteration

EPAs Suggestions for IBI Use*

* Barbour et al., 1999

Macroinvertebrate Sampling: The Basics

A simple process flow chart for Biomonitoring of water quality

Sample processing and preservation

Sorting and Identification

Sample processing and preservation

net of mesh size 500 micrometer. transferred into plastic bottles.

Sorting and Identification

Group 2: Somewhat sensitive

Group 3: Pollution tolerant

Lets get to work!

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