Assessing water quality in the Kelebek Stream branch (Gediz River Basin, West Anatolia of Turkey) using physicochemical and macroinvertebrate-based indices

Abstract

This study was carried out in Kelebek, which is the most important stream in Gediz River Basin, Turkey, to determine water quality by using macroinvertebrate-based metrics and physicochemial variables. In addition, we also aimed to investigate the effects of anthropogenic pressure and dam construction on stream macroinvertebrates during the study period. In this study, following biotic indices are used: Saprobi Index (SI), Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Belgian Biotic Index (BBI), as well as diversity indices: Shannon-Weaver index (SWDI), Simpsons index (SDI) and Margalef index (MDI). Collection of macroinvertebrate samples and the physicochemical measurements were carried out monthly for a year. As a result of the identification, the most dominant macroinverterate group was Insecta. Our results show the presence of 9 taxonomic group in the stream which belong to nine groups: Oligochaeta, Mollusca, Crustacea, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Odonata, Coleoptera, Diptera. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) indicates importance of physicochemial variables in the distribution of different macroinvertebrates groups (total variance 88%), species (total variance 86.2%) and biotic indices (total variance 88.2%). The water quality along the Kelebek Stream show variation from good class in station #1, #2 and #5, to moderate in station #3 and #4. We conclude that BMWP (Original), BMWP (Spanish), BMWP (Greek) and ASPT indices are suitable for assessing stream health by macroinvertebrates.