Development of multimetric index based on aquatic macroinvertebrates

Development of multimetric index based on aquatic macroinvertebrates for running waters in Serbia Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” University of Belgrade, Serbia Institute of Biology and Ecology University of Kragujevac, Serbia BALWOIS 2010 Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia

Aquatic macroinvertebrates in the ecological status assessment l One of the Biological Quality Elements (BQE), according to WFD; Generally well known and omnipresent group; l Inhabit bottom substrate, during entire or part of life cycle; l Mainly restricted mobility and relative long life cycles; l effective analyses of feedback due to stress through time at limited area

Current monitoring program in the Republic Serbia does not include all quality parameters required by the WFD; l Bases for water monitoring system redesign provided; l l Methodological approach based on experience from different European investigation projects, international programs and several national projects; l Gathering information about sampling site: morphological and physico-chemical data and collection of biological material; l Collected data were used to test different biological descriptors of running water status;

Records gathered on 700 sites on running waters in the Republic Serbia; l Analyses of aquatic communities involved 39 parameters: l Total No. of individuals in the sample; Total No. of taxa; No. of sensitive taxa; Feeding type (group of parameters); No. of taxa (group of parameters); EPT taxa; Diversity index H’; l l Sites were preliminary classified according to evaluated status; Used for testing relation of selected parameters and habitat degradation; Abundance (group of parameters); Total No. of Families; Total No. of Genus; Saprobity index; BMWP index; ASPT index; Status code Status description 0 undetermined 1 reference site 2 "near natural" site 3 good status 4 temperately degraded site 5 devastated site

l Tolerance or sensitivity of aquatic invertebrates on pollution defines the response of community; l Stress induces changes in structure and composition of benthic community, leading to decrease of biodiversity and increase of abundance of tolerant taxa; l Degree of these changes can be determined using selected set of biological metrics; l Defining type specific multimetric index for evaluation of organic pollution level in aquatic ecosystems for teritory of Republic Serbia;

Analysis of biological indices Biological Monitoring Water Quality Party (BMWP); l Average score per Taxon (ASPT); l Saprobic index based on analysis of aquatic macroinvertebrates (SI); l Analysis of indices BMWP, ASPT and SI confirmed that they are suitable metrics for detection of environmental changes; l EPT index - effective metrics for evaluation of the level of degradation in hilly mountain streams; l

l Ecological status assessment based on SI was proposed for all water types, and tested for large lowland rivers in the Serbia; l SI available indicator lists for saprobic values are not appropriate for assessment of aquatic ecosystems in Serbia; l Need for type specific modification of BMWP/ASPT indices for the Serbian waters, further development of indicator list; l The major attention in further work should be given to definition of indicator lists for SI and BMWP/ASPT indices; l Balkan Biotic Index (Bn. BI) is planned to be tested;

l Analysis of selected biological metrics showed that combination of BMWP/ASPT, SI, taxa richness and relative abundance of selected groups, could provide a basis for confident type specific multimetric index for evaluation of the level of organic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

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