Assessing the benthic habitat quality in the Huanghe (Yellow River) Estuary and its adjacent areas using AMBI and M-AMBI

摘要: The protection of the biological diversity and maintenance regional ecological integrity for Huanghe (Yellow River) Estuary its adjacent areas are practically significant valuable. However, frequent human activities natural climate changes have caused vigorous disturbances on ecosystem in these sea areas. An objective assessment benthic habitat quality (BHQ) is conducted, using AZTI’s Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI) based data macrobenthos May August 2011. results show that both indices do not correlate significantly, their greatly different. All samples assessed were “high” or “good”, because group I (EGI) II (EGII) dominant macrobenthic groups research area. Owing to a low species’ richness high individual abundance some samples, BHQ levels M-AMBI worse than those AMBI. Significant correlations observed between M-AMBI, water depth, bottom salinity dissolved inorganic nitrogen, thus could sensitively respond environmental distinguish influences from uninfluenced stations, but not. consistent mainly appeared (undisturbed slightly disturbed) stations. Therefore, more effective assessing Using assess areas, 3% stations undisturbed BHQs “high”, 61% disturbed rest meanly “moderate”.