Seasonal Variations in Macroinvertebrate Diversity and Community Composition in Kamala River of Churia Range, Nepal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3126/jist.v29i1.52941Keywords:
Bio-assessment, Churia, discharge, macroinvertebrate community composition, river health, seasonal variabilityAbstract
Macroinvertebrates have long been utilized in the ecological assessment of streams and rivers as they respond to multiple stressors present in aquatic environments. However, the application of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators in the assessment of hydro-morphologically degraded rivers in Nepal is limited. Therefore, we studied the macroinvertebrate diversity and community composition in 10 sites along the Kamala River and its tributaries, one of the hydro-morphologically degraded rivers in the Churia range of central Nepal, during the winter and spring seasons of 2019. The elevation of the sites ranges from 60 m asl to 636 m asl. Twelve water quality parameters and three hydrological parameters were measured for each site in addition to macroinvertebrates data. Water temperature (winter- 19.3 ± 2.2 ⁰ C; spring- 31.3 ± 2.3 ⁰ C), pH (winter- 8.7 ± 0.5, spring- 7.4 ± 0.5), turbidity (winter-3.0 ± 3.8 NTU, spring- 22.9 ± 22.8 NTU), total alkalinity (winter-156 ± 70.7 mg/L, spring- 33.8 ± 6.0 mg/L), phosphate (winter-3.0 ± 1.8 mg/L, spring- 0.4 ± 0.3 mg/L) and river discharge (winter- 2.01 ± 0.75 m3/s, spring- 0.77 ± 0.28 m3/s) differed significantly between seasons (p<0.05). In total 62 taxa representing 42 families and 13 orders for winter season and 69 taxa representing 49 families and 18 orders of macroinvertebrates were recorded for spring season. NMDS revealed two distinct clusters based on macroinvertebrates abundance data for the river. Ephemeroptera, in particular Baetis spp., Torleya coheri and Caenis sp., and Trichoptera- Chuematopsyche spp. were the major taxa contributing to dissimilarity across sites between seasons.
Downloads
References
Allen, P.M., Arnold, J.G., & Skipwith, W. (2008). Prediction of channel degradation rates in urbanizing watersheds. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 53(5), 1013-1029. https://doi.org/10.1623/hysj.53.5.1013
Álvarez-Cabria, M., Barquín, J., & Antonio, J.J. (2010). Spatial and seasonal variability of macroinvertebrate metrics: Do macroinvertebrate communities track river health? Ecological Indicators, 10(2), 370-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.06.018
APHA. (2005). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 21st Edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, United Book Press.
Armonies, W., & Reise, K. (2003). Empty habitat in coastal sediments for populations of macrozoobenthos. Helgoland Marine Research, 56(4), 279-287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10152-002-0129-8
Beauger, A., Lair, N., Reyes-Marchant, P., & Peiry, J.L. (2006). The distribution of macroinvertebrate assemblages in a reach of the River Allier (France), in relation to riverbed characteristics. Hydrobiologia, 571, 63-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0217-x
Bhandari B., Tachamo-Shah R.D., & Sharma S. (2018). Status, distribution and habitat specificity of benthic macro-invertebrates: a case study in five tributaries of Buddhiganga river in western Nepal. Journal of Institute of Science and Technology 23(1), 69-75. https://doi.org/10.3126/jist.v23i1.22198
Bonada, N., Prat, N., Resh, V.H., & Statzner, B. (2006). Developments in aquatic insect biomonitoring: Comparative analysis of recent approaches. Annual review of entomology, 51(1), 495-523. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.151124
Chi, S., Li, S., Chen, S., Chen, M., Zheng, J., & Hu J. (2017). Temporal variations in macroinvertebrate communities from the tributaries in the Three Gorges Reservoir Catchment, China. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 90, 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40693-017-0069-y.
Clarke, K.R. (1993) Non-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure. Austral Ecology, 18, 117-143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1993.tb00438.x
Feld, C.K. (2004). Identification and measure of hydromorphological degradation in Central European lowland streams. Hydrobiologia, 516, 69-90. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000025259.01054.f2
Gao, A., Chen, Q., & Zeng, J. (2006). Ecological characteristics of the marine benthic organisms in the muddy intertidal zone of Cangnan. Marine Sciences-Qingdao-Chinese Edition, 30(5), 92-96.
Irvine, K. (2004). Classifying ecological status under the European Water Framework Directive: the need for monitoring to account for natural variability. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 14(2), 107-112. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.622
Jacobsen, D., & Encalada, A. (1998).The macroinvertebrate fauna of Ecuadorian highland streams in the wet and dry season. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie, 142, 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/142/1998/53
Joshi, N.M., & Shrestha, P.M. (2008). Regional co-operation for flood disaster mitigation in the Ganges and Brahmaputra River Basin in South Asia. Jalasrot Vikas Sasntha'/Nepal Water Partnership Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal [online]. Available From: https://jvs-nwp.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Number-46.pdf
Kaiser, M. J., Broad, G., & Hall, S. J. (2001). Disturbance of intertidals of-sediment benthic communities by cockle hand raking, Journal of Sea Research, 45(2),119-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1385-1101(01)00052-1
Kennen, J.G. (1999). Relation of macroinvertebrate com-munity impairment to catchment characteristics inNew Jersey streams. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 35(4), 939-954. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1999.tb04186.x
Leunda, P.M., Oscoz, J., Miranda, R., & Arino, A.H. (2009). Longitudinal and seasonal variation of the benthic macroinvertebrate community and biotic indices in an undisturbed Pyrenean River. Ecological Indicators, 9(1), 52-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.01.009
Longing, S.D., Voshell, J.R. Dollof, C.A. & Roghair, C.N. (2010). Relationships of sedimentation and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in headwater streams using systematic longitudinal sampling at the reach scale. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 161, 517-530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0765-4
Morse, J.C., Yang, L., & Tian, L. (1994). Aquatic insects of China useful for monitoring water quality. Hohai University Press, Nanjing, pp XII+570 ISBN 7-5630-0240-5.
NDRI, & CSIRO. (2016). Kamala Basin [online]. Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI) in collaboration with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Available From: http://www.ndri.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2_Kamala-Basin_Final-Report-19th-Feb.pdf
Nesemann, H., Shah, R.D.T., & Shah, D.N. (2011). Key to the larval stages of common Odonata of Hindu Kush Himalaya, with short notes on habitats and ecology. Journal of threatened Taxa , 3, 2045-2060. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2759.2045-60
Rantz, S.E. (1982). Measurement and Computation of Streamflow: Volume 1. Measurement of Stage and Discharge. United States Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2175. In Library of Congress Cataloging, Washington DC.
Regmi, T., Shah, D.N., Doody, T.M., Cuddy, S.M., & Shah, R.D.T. (2021). Hydrological alteration induced changes on macrophyte community composition in sub-tropical floodplain wetlands of Nepal. Aquatic Botany, 173, 103413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2021.103413
Rampel, L.L., Richardson, J.S. & Healey M.C. (2000). Macroinvertebrate community structure along gradients of hydraulic and sedimentary conditions in a large gravel bed river. Freshwater Biology 45(1), 57-73. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2427.2000.00617.x
Rosenberg, D.M., & Resh, V.H. (1993). Introduction to freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates; In: Freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates (eds) Rosenberg D M and Resh V H (New York: Chapman and Hall), 1-9.
Shrestha, M. (2016) cited in NDRI & CSIRO (2016) Kamala basin: Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal. (Unpublished Report).
Shrestha, S., Tachamo Shah, R.D., Doody, T.M., Cuddy, S., & Shah, D.N. (2021). Establishing the relationship between benthic macroinvertebrates and water level fluctuation in subtropical shallow wetlands. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193(8), 534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09225-5
Tachamo-Shah, R.D., Shah, D.N., & Sharma, S. (2020c). Rivers handbook- A guide to the health of rivers in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya. Aquatic Ecology Centre, School of Science, Katmandu University.
Tachamo-Shah, R.D., Sharma, S., Haase, P., Jähnig, S., & Pauls, S. (2015). The climate sensitive zone along an altitudinal gradient in central Himalayan rivers: a useful concept to monitor climate change impacts in mountain regions. Climatic Change, 132, 265-278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-015-1417-z
Tachamo-Shah, R.D., & Shah, D.N. (2013). Evaluation of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage for disturbance zonation in urban rivers using multivariate analysis: Implications for river management. Journal of Earth System Science, 122(4), 1125-1139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-013-0317-8
Tachamo-Shah, R.D., Sharma, S., & Bharati, L. (2020a). Water diversion induced changes in aquatic biodiversity in monsoon-dominated rivers of Western Himalayas in Nepal: Implications for environmental flows. Ecological Indicators, 108, 105735. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105735
Tachamo-Shah, R.D., Sharma, S., Shah, D.N., & Rijal, D. (2020b). Structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the rivers of western Himalaya, Nepal. Geosciences, 10 4), 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040150
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Institute of Science and Technology, T.U.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The views and interpretations in this journal are those of the author(s). They are not attributable to the Institute of Science and Technology, T.U. and do not imply the expression of any opinion concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers of boundaries.
The copyright of the articles is held by the Institute of Science and Technology, T.U.
