Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras
Assessing the water quality by using biological indicators is a reliable and economically feasible way to promote environmental conservation in developing tropical countries. Here, we report one of the few examples of river biomonitoring in Honduras. In June 2005, benthic macroinvertebrates were col...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Environments |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/8/4/27 |
| _version_ | 1797539379077447680 |
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| author | Stefano Fenoglio Alberto Doretto |
| author_facet | Stefano Fenoglio Alberto Doretto |
| author_sort | Stefano Fenoglio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Assessing the water quality by using biological indicators is a reliable and economically feasible way to promote environmental conservation in developing tropical countries. Here, we report one of the few examples of river biomonitoring in Honduras. In June 2005, benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from six sites in the Río Cangrejal basin. An adapted version of the Biological Monitoring Working Party index (BMWP) was used to assess the water quality because it is simple, consolidated, relatively easy to use, and needs a family-level identification. Moreover, two other community metrics were calculated, namely the total taxon richness and local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD). Differences in the biomonitoring and diversity metrics among sites and their correlations were statistically tested. Thirty-nine macroinvertebrate taxa were collected and, despite significant differences in the BMWP score, all sampling sites were classified in the high environmental quality class. A very strong and positive correlation between the BMPW and taxon richness was found, while LCBD did not vary significantly and did not correlate with the other metrics. Our results suggest that taxon richness could be used as a surrogate indicator to assess the water quality when consolidate biomonitoring methods are not available. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:45:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17f6f8295f194cecaa9b52c7b6613d47 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3298 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:45:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environments |
| spelling | doaj.art-17f6f8295f194cecaa9b52c7b6613d472023-11-21T13:31:21ZengMDPI AGEnvironments2076-32982021-03-01842710.3390/environments8040027Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from HondurasStefano Fenoglio0Alberto Doretto1Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, ItalyALPSTREAM-Alpine Stream Research Center, 12030 Ostana, ItalyAssessing the water quality by using biological indicators is a reliable and economically feasible way to promote environmental conservation in developing tropical countries. Here, we report one of the few examples of river biomonitoring in Honduras. In June 2005, benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from six sites in the Río Cangrejal basin. An adapted version of the Biological Monitoring Working Party index (BMWP) was used to assess the water quality because it is simple, consolidated, relatively easy to use, and needs a family-level identification. Moreover, two other community metrics were calculated, namely the total taxon richness and local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD). Differences in the biomonitoring and diversity metrics among sites and their correlations were statistically tested. Thirty-nine macroinvertebrate taxa were collected and, despite significant differences in the BMWP score, all sampling sites were classified in the high environmental quality class. A very strong and positive correlation between the BMPW and taxon richness was found, while LCBD did not vary significantly and did not correlate with the other metrics. Our results suggest that taxon richness could be used as a surrogate indicator to assess the water quality when consolidate biomonitoring methods are not available.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/8/4/27biological indicatorsBMWPrichnessLCBDRío Cangrejal |
| spellingShingle | Stefano Fenoglio Alberto Doretto Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras Environments biological indicators BMWP richness LCBD Río Cangrejal |
| title | Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras |
| title_full | Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras |
| title_fullStr | Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras |
| title_short | Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras |
| title_sort | monitoring of neotropical streams using macroinvertebrate communities evidence from honduras |
| topic | biological indicators BMWP richness LCBD Río Cangrejal |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/8/4/27 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefanofenoglio monitoringofneotropicalstreamsusingmacroinvertebratecommunitiesevidencefromhonduras AT albertodoretto monitoringofneotropicalstreamsusingmacroinvertebratecommunitiesevidencefromhonduras |