Assessment of macroinvertibrates as pollution indicators in selected river systems of the Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range (NSMMR)
2010
Romero, M.R., Nueva Vizcaya State Univ., Nueva Vizcaya (Philippines)
This research aims to determine the different benthic macroinvertibrates present in the Pinacanauan de Llaguen and Diden River Systems located at the Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range as well as their physicochemical properties. Results of the study showed that, among the major sampling stations in the Pinacanauan de Llaguen River, the upstream station has the highest number of individuals on the genera level with 246 individuals. The index of diversity in this station on the genus level is 2.57 while the genus evenness is 0.47, which means that the organisms are not equally distributed in the area and the value of genus dominance is 0.88. In this station, the most dominant macroinvertbrate in the genus level is Heptagenia (Mayfly) having a total of 62 (25.20%) individuals with Beetles (Chironomous), Mayfly (Ephemeralla), Miscellaneous (Hydropsyche), and water-bugs (Amphizoa) having the least number of individuals on the genus level, each with one individual. Some organisms were unidentified in terms of their common name and the genus where they belong. Based on the results of correlation analysis between the water quality parameters and diversity index and evenness measured and calculated in the Pinacanauan de Llaguen and Diden River Systems, there is a significant positive relationship between the diversity index and water conductivity. This is contradictory to the expected outcome because diversity of organisms in water is expected to increase with a decrease in the values of water conductivity since water conductivity indicates pollutant load in the water. However, this result may indicate that the pollutant load condition of the river systems have not yet reached their critical level that can markedly manifest in the levels of water conductivity.
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