Assessing macroinvertebrate communities in relation to environmental variables: the case of Sambandou wetlands, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve

摘要: The Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa, contains many wetlands that serve as wildlife habitats and provide vital ecosystem services. Some of the are continuously being degraded or destroyed by anthropogenic activities causing them to disappear at an alarming rate. Benthic macroinvertebrates known good water quality bioindicators used assess aquatic health. current study investigated habitat using macroinvertebrate community structure other biotic variables (i.e. phytoplankton, macrophytes) in relation environmental Sambandou canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). A total fifteen families were identified over two seasons. CCA highlighted seven variables, i.e. pH, phosphate concentration, temperature, ammonium, macrophyte cover, conductivity depth, which significant structuring community. Picophytoplankton microphytoplankton concentrations decreased from winter summer, whereas nanophytoplankton concentration increased summer. Thus, dominance small-sized phytoplankton indicated nutrient limitation productivity, sites 2 3 dominated large-celled highlighting productivity. Winter mostly negatively associated with axis 1 characterised high ammonium concentrations, pH conductivity. Summer positively 1, depth levels. results obtained agricultural such cattle grazing crop farming sand mining/poaching had a negative effect on structure.