Use of the BEAST model for biomonitoring water quality in a neotropical basin (original) (raw)
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Aquatic Ecosystem Health …, 2001
The state of Minas Gerais still has some nearly pristine aquatic ecosystems, thus representing strategic aquatic resources for Brazil. Rivers and creeks of Serra do Cipó (19° -20° S, 43° -44° W) constitute an example of natural ecosystems in preserved conditions where a broad research project was initiated in 1996 aimed at the assessment of aquatic biodiversity and water quality characterisation. This area is the natural water division between the hydrographic basins of Doce and São Francisco rivers, two of the most important watersheds of Minas Gerais. The main goal of this study was to assess the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and use them as bioindicators of water quality. A secondary goal was to classify the benthic communities into three categories: 1) non-affected communities: those preserving a pristine structure, which are significant for fragile ecosystems, 2) median-affected communities: those receiving some degree of impacts, formed by a mixture of stenotopic and euritopic populations capable of adapting to new conditions thus reflecting the ecosystem's resilience, and 3) heavily-affected communities: those with very poor diversity, generally subject to severe human impact with destructive effects, but that are still important for the functioning of these degraded ecosystems.
Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, 2021
Rivers protection is fundamental for the socioecological systems, and the benthic macroinvertebrates communities can be used to assess the quality of river waters. This study aimed to assess the water quality at the "Cachoeira do Paraíso" waterfall, Peruíbe, SP, based on the benthic macrofauna. Sampling took place at 3 sampling sites, under different levels of anthropic influence. Water physical-chemical and sedimentological parameters were evaluated, as well as macrobenthic organisms. Samplings were done by kick sampling technique. The organisms were identified at the lowest possible taxonomic level and points were attributed to each group according to their respective sensitivity and tolerance to pollutants. Then, a biological index was calculated to indicate the water quality. Ecological indices were calculated and compared using ANOVA. The water physical-chemical parameters showed to be within the legal standards. 13 taxonomic groups of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified, with the Shannon diversity indices indicating similar taxonomic diversity. The score given to each taxa generated biological indices for each sample, ranging from regular to excellent. Diptera (with head) I was the most representative taxon, and sensitive taxonomic groups, were found in all the sampling sites, suggesting a good quality of the water body during the period of study.
A quick diagnosis of the ecological quality of five sections of the Macacu-Guapiaçu hydrographic complex was performed using visual assessment protocol (VAP), conventional analysis, composition and structure of ciliates and the occurrence of benthic macro invertebrates. Water samples were collected from five sampling stations (A-E) in July of 2010. Protists were sampled with aid of artificial substrates, and macro invertebrates were sampled using the multi-habitat method. A total of 22 taxa of protozoa and 51 taxa of macro invertebrates was registered at the five stations. Reference station (A) showed greater protist diversity and higher values of BMWP-CETEC and IBE-IOC indices relating to macro invertebrates. The impacted stations (B and E) presented lower diversity and higher abundance of protozoa, as well as the lowest values for the rates. The four methods used were convergent to diagnose reference station (A), the impacted stations (B and E) and those in intermediate conditions (C and D). Thus, the methods were complementary, as the conventional parameters and ciliate assembly were more sensitive to detecting the increase in organic pollution and VAP and macro invertebrate assembly detected changes in geomorphology and habitat degradation.
Hydrobiologia, 2007
This study describes the application of a protocol for biological assessment of water quality at first to third order streams at Serra dos Ó rgã os, an area covered by Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Major impacts in the region are domestic effluents and deforestation. Our main objective is to establish biocriteria for the establishment of the Serra dos Ó rgã os Multimetric Index (SOMI) based on benthic macroinvertebrates. We used data from previous studies, sampled by experienced biologists, from 1999 through 2002. The benthic macroinvertebrate community was sampled in 12 reference sites and seven impaired sites in three river basins: Guapimirim, Macaé and Grande, all from the same bioregion. From the 22 tested metrics, 6 were included in the SOMI (% Diptera, % Coleoptera, Family Taxa, EPT Taxa, BMWP-CETEC and % Shredders). Scores (5, 3 or 1) were developed for these metrics to allow for aggregation into the index. Seven intermediately impaired sites were used for evaluating the applicability of the multimetric index. We concluded that the SOMI is a robust easy-to-apply tool for biomonitoring programs in the Serra dos Ó rgã os region, south-east Brazil.
Development of a benthic multimetric index for biomonitoring of a neotropical watershed
Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia, 2011
Biotic indices are important tools for evaluating water quality in Biomonitoring Programmes of river basins. The objective of this study was to develop a Benthic Multimetric Index (BMI) to evaluate the water quality in a neotropical catchment in southeastern Brazil. Thirty metrics were evaluated and six were selected to calculate the BMI: family richness, % Oligochaeta, % Chironomidae + Oligochaeta (% CHOL), % EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera), % Collector-gatherers, and BMWP-CETEC biotic index. Sampling was carried in triplicate at 21 sampling sites (8 in the river channel and 13 in the tributaries) during 4 annual collecting trips from June 2004 to November 2007, making a total of 945 samples. Scores (5, 3 or 1) were attributed to each chosen metric and were added up to establish the water quality criteria (a score of 6-12 -poor; 13-18 -intermediate; 19-24 -good; and 25-30 -very good water quality). Our results indicated that 48% of the sampling sites analysed in the catchment basin presented very good water quality, 14% good quality, 19% regular, and 19% poor water quality. This methodology proved to be an efficient tool for evaluating water quality in the Biomonitoring Programme of the Velhas River basin, and that it may serve to evaluate water quality in other river basins in South America.
Hydrobiologia, 2002
Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, water chemistry variables and environmental degradation were investigated in an Atlantic Forest region in Brazil. Seven sites of the Guapimirim river basin were studied during three sampling periods based on the rain regime: end of wet season (May 1998), dry season (August 1998), and wet season (January 1999). Four substrates were collected at each site: sand, stony substrates, litter in pool areas and litter in riffle areas. Relationships between macroinvertebrate assemblages, water chemistry variables and environmental degradation were examined using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). According to CCA, concentrations of dissolved oxygen and chloride, and the environmental degradation, measured by the Riparian Channel Environment index, exhibited the strongest relationship to macroinvertebrate assemblages. Overall, the loss of community diversity measured by the Shannon Index along the degradation gradient was observed. Some taxa were shown to be sensitive to water pollution, especially among Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera and some Ephemeroptera, while others such as Simuliidae, Odonata and molluscs were tolerant to moderate levels of pollutants. The Chironomidae were the only group tolerant to a high level of pollutants and degradation.
2021
Rivers protection is fundamental for the socioecological systems, and the benthic macroinvertebrates communities can be used to assess the quality of river waters. This study aimed to assess the water quality at Cachoeira do Paraíso waterfall, Peruíbe, SP, based on the benthic macrofauna. Sampling took place at 3 sampling sites, under different levels of anthropic influence. Water physical-chemical and sedimentological parameters were evaluated, as well as macrobenthic organisms. Samplings were done by kick sampling technique. The organisms were identified at the lowest possible taxonomic level and points were attributed to each group according to their respective sensitivity and tolerance to pollutants. Then, a biological index was calculated to indicate the water quality. Ecological indices were calculated and compared using ANOVA. The water physical-chemical parameters showed to be within the legal standards. 13 taxonomic groups of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified, with the Shannon diversity indices indicating similar taxonomic diversity. The score given to each taxa generated biological indices for each sample, ranging from regular to excellent. Diptera (with head) I was the most representative taxon, and sensitive taxonomic groups, were found in all the sampling sites, suggesting a good quality of the water body during the period of study.
Ecological Indicators, 2011
We developed a multimetric index based on macroinvertebrates to assess ecological condition of wadeable streams in Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil. To do so we used a set of 12 reference and 12 severely impaired sites sampled in the summer wet season as calibration sites. Nine metrics were selected based on their abilities to distinguish between reference and impaired sites and their independence from other metrics. Metrics retained in the final index were: family richness; Trichoptera family richness; Shannon family diversity; % Plecoptera individuals; % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) individuals; % mollusk and Diptera individuals; % shredder individuals; proportion Chironomidae/Diptera individuals; and proportion Hydropsychidae/Trichoptera individuals. The final 9 metrics were standardized; then the Guapiaç u-Macau Multimetric Index (GMMI) was calculated, yielding a final index score ranging from 0 to 100. We validated the index through use of 19 sites subject to different levels of impairment, sampled both in summer and in winter. Our final multimetric index distinguished well between different levels of impairment and was strongly correlated with other disturbance measures. Temporal stability was also tested through use of 8 sites that were sampled in both seasons, and results showed no significant changes in the index final score among seasons. Our research represents one of the first initiatives in Brazil to develop a multimetric index for use in a spatially extensive bioassessment program extending across substantial natural and disturbance gradients. It can be a useful tool to help conserve streams in Atlantic forest conservation areas. We suggest that the methodology established here offers a foundation for similar index development and assessments in Brazil.
Environmental Management, 2019
We developed MMI models that combine responses of fish and benthic macroinvertebrates for the evaluation of the biotic integrity of streams. The MMI was developed using a dataset covering stream sampling sites in the South of Brazil. Reference streams were identified based on the physical and chemical conditions and riparian vegetation. Thirty-four metrics were calculated and evaluated for their range, redundancy, and responsiveness to the environmental perturbation. We applied a robust approach to select the most sensitive metrics and MMI models based on the complexity and ability of the index in distinguishing impacted and reference sites. The four best MMI models selected are composed of different combinations of the eight metrics: % fish herbivorous, fish evenness, fish abundance, % macroinvertebrate shredder; % macroinvertebrate predator; % macroinvertebrate tolerant, % macroinvertebrate swimmer, and % macroinvertebrate burrower. All of the MMI models selected presented good performance in distinguishing reference streams from those impacted by different forms of land use. This study is one of the few attempts to use more than one biological assemblage in a single-multimetric index. Accordingly, we believe that the unified MMI we developed could be a useful tool to assist in the conservation and management of water resources in Neotropical regions, specially, in the implementation of ecological integrity tools more cost-effectively. Keywords Aquatic environments • Biological monitoring • Biotic indices • Benthic and fish assemblages • Metric selection * Renata Ruaro