freshwater macroinvertebrates in biomonitorying and...

Freshwater MacroinvertebratesIn Biomonitorying and

Conservation

Dr.K.A.SubramanianCES, [email protected]

Photos:K.A.Subramanian

~70,000 inland wetlands (excluding rivers and streams) of >2ha size currently exist in India

(~7 million ha)

Photo:Tarique Sani

Biodiversity of Indian Wetlands730 species of flowering plants

803 species of fishes

120 species of amphibians

23 species of turtles.

2 species of crocodiles.

325 species of birds

Endangered mammals like Indian Rhinoceros,Pigmy hog, Barasingha, browantled deerand fishing cat are associated with inland wetlandsPhoto:Tarique Sani

Photo:K.A.Subramanian

Pookode Lake, WayanadPhoto:K.A.Subramanian

Photo:K.A.Subramanian Silent Valley NP

DIVERSITY OF FRESHWATER MACROINVERTEBRATES

DIVERSITY OF FRESHWATER MACROINVERTEBRATES

WORLD INDIA WESTERN GHATS

MOLLUSCS ~14,000 Family:21Genus:57

Species:~287

Family:13Genus:20

Species:~60

AQUATIC INSECTS ~ 45,000 Family:~148Genus:~1225

Species:~5000

Family:~120Genus:~400-500

Species:~1,500-2000

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata)

Stoneflies(Plecoptera)

Aquatic Bugs(Hemiptera)

Aquatic Beetles (Coleoptera)

Flies(Diptera)

Caddisflies(Trichoptera)

Aquatic Moths(Lepidoptera) Dobsonflies&Alderflies(Megaloptera)

Nemobines andPigmy Grasshoppers

(Orthoptera)

Video:K.A.Subramanian

Video: Gururaj

Stream insects in their habitats

CPOM System

FPOM System

CPOM & FPOM Systems interact with other physicaland biological systems to form lotic food web

Convergence in mouth parts

Stream insect guildsFunctional group/ Habits

Collector MacrophytePiercers

Predator Scraper Shredder

__

__

__

Burrower __

Climber __ __ __

Clinger __

Diver __ __ __

Skater __ __ __

Sprawler __ __

Swimmer __ __

__Present Absent

Distribution of families across habitats

Distribution of generaacross habitats

Subramanian and Sivaramakrishnan (2005)

Abundance of aquatic insects across habitat types

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Run Riffle Pool

Habitat Types

Log 1

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EphemeropteraHemipteraTrichopteraNon-EHT*

Cascades


Abundance of functional feeding groups across habitats

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Habitat Types

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CollectorsMacrophyte PiercersPredatorsScrapersShredders

Cascades


Microhabitat Distribution

Most of the genera were microhabitat specialists, occupying less than 6 microhabitats. Very fewgenera occupied more than 6 habitats.

Maximum generic richness was observed among cobbles for runs and riffles. Bedrock harbored maximum richness in pools.


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1015202530354045

AC LF BO BR RS SB DW ER MB SV EV

Microhabitats

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Number of Microhabitat

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eFrequency distribution ofgenera across microhabitats

Generic richness across microhabitats in cascades


Riparian Landuse and Aquatic Insects

Current Threats (Contd..)

DAMS MINES

MINES AGRICULTURE EXPANSION

Current Threats

RIPARIAN DEFORESTATION WASTE DISPOSAL

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

Study localities at KudremukhNational Park

Kudremukh Iron Ore Mining A case studyKudremukh 1979 Kudremukh 1985

Dr.Saldhana Dr.Saldhana

Kudremukh 1985 Kudremukh 2003

Dr.Saldhana Sanctuary Asia

Iron ore mining at Kudremukh

Alpha diversity of family and genera across streams draining different RLU types

Riparian Land Use Types

EVG SEVG HAB ARE GRS PAD SCR FOR MIN

Number of Individuals

1989 679 775 444 250 205 126 166 69

Family Rarefied richness

16 23 20 21 12 12 12 12 8

Shannon 1.566 2.641 2.52 2.481 1.984 1.876 1.814 1.892 1.558

Genera Rarefied richness

20 29 25 26 15 15 14 16 9

Shannon 1.703 3.028 2.854 2.875 2.166 2.024 1.906 2.152 1.772


Similarity in family composition across streams flowing throughdifferent RLU types.

Similarity in genera composition across streamsflowing through differentRLU types.


Proportional abundance of aquatic insect habits in the streams flowing across RLU types

Riparian Land Use TYPES

HABITS EVG SEVG SCR GRS FOR ARE PAD HAB MIN

Burrowers 0 0.05 0.2 0 0 0.04 0 0.08 0

Clingers 0.49 0.72 0.6 0.71 0.5 0.69 0.75 0.61 0.61

Skates 0.44 0.08 0.01 0 0 0.1 0 0.08 0

Sprawlers 0.04 0.11 0.14 0.2 0.45 0.1 0.13 0.13 0.28

Swimmers 0.03 0.05 0.06 0.09 0.05 0.07 0.11 0.1 0.11

Proportional abundance of aquatic insect functional groups in the streams flowing across RLU types

00.0100.030000.010.01Shredders

0.610.390.370.30.580.760.190.480.4Scrapers

0.040.190.060.220.120.040.060.190.47Predators

00.0500.02000.1200Macrophyte Piercers

0.350.360.560.430.30.210.630.320.12Collectors

MINHABPADAREFORGRSSCRSEVGEVGFUNCTIONAL GROUP

Riparian Land Use TYPES


Streams flowing through natural vegetation had higher family, generic and guild richness than human modified ones within the same catchment.

Community composition changes with riparian land use.Widespread families and genera with tolerance to pollution dominated the streams flowing through the human modified riparian zones.

Aquatic invertebrates in biomonitoring andConservation


Why indicators?

Measurable end points for ecosystem processes.

Ideal indicator:

1. Sufficiently sensitive for early warning.

2. Distributed over wide geographic area or widely applicable.

3. Capable of providing a continuous assessment over a wide range.

4. Relatively independent of sample size.

5. Easy and cost effective to measure, collect and assay.

6. Able to differentiate between natural cycles and anthropogenic stress.

7. Relevant to ecologically significant phenomena.

Widely used taxa in biomonitoring

Birds (Habitat and land use changes)

Butterflies (Changes in flora associated with land use and temperature regime changes)

Dragonflies (Changes in aquatic ecosystem and temperature regime)

Biological assessment methods using macroinvertebrates are based on the assumptions that with increasing pollution, change will occur in:

(1) the species present (e.g., appearance of tolerant species)

(2) the number of species and

(3) change in abundance of species.

•Current monitoring techniques detect one or more of these changes to identify water quality problems at a site.

•Traditionally, qualitative and quantitative approaches are employed for biomonitoring of streams.

•The analytical methods used for quantitative biomonitoringmethods require replicate sampling.

•The problem with this approach is only few sites can be sampled and most of the time will be expended on identification of the. In contrast the qualitative sampling require only few samples from a site and various measures (or metrics) are easily calculated.

• The level of impairment is estimated by comparing the deviation of the test site values from the reference site.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates in Biomonitoring

Biomonitoring Working Party (BMWP) Scores developed for families were used.

The scores were developed based on the current knowledge of distribution and pollution tolerance of the families.

The score values range from 1-10. Higher the score lower the pollution tolerance.

Delicate detectors of ecosystem health

Endemism and habitat preference of Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Western Ghats

010203040

50607080

Rivers Other wetlands

Endemics

Non-endemics

Total number of species: 180

Endemic Species:67

Breeding habitat known for:120

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Habitat

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esEndemism and habitat preference of freshwater molluscs of THE Western Ghats

Rivers and stream are species rich habitats.

Arsidopsis footi Pseudomulleria dalyiHabitat distribution of Freshwater molluscs

Data and Photos: Aravind, ATREE

Odonates of high conservation importance

Syrandri Club Tail (Davidioides martini Gomphidae)

Other monotypic species Myristica Reed Tail (Phylloneura westermanniProtoneuridae)

Myristrica Swamp

Calocypha laidlawi (Chlorocyphidae)Macromidia donaldi (Corduliidae)

Photos:K.A.Subramanian

Areas in the Western Ghats Important for conservation of freshwater biodiversity

Coorg-Wayanad

Nilgiris

Annamali

Aghastyamalai

Thank You……..

Vestalis gracilisPhoto:K.A.Subramanian

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