Assessment of the Ecological Health of Afrotropical Rivers Using Fish Assemblages: A Case Study of Selected Rivers in the Lake Victoria Basin, Kenya

摘要: Streams and rivers are globally threatened ecosystems due to increasing levels of exploitation, habitat degradation other anthropogenic pressures. In the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) in East Africa, these threats mostly caused by unsustainable land use, however monitoring ecological integrity river systems has been hampered a lack locally developed indices. This study assessed health four (Nzoia, Nyando, Sondu-Miriu Mara) on Kenyan side LVB using physico-chemical water quality parameters fish-based index biotic (IBI). Fish tolerance ranking was derived from principal component analysis parameters, concept niche breadth (NB). The relationship between fish species examined with canonical correspondence analysis, while community metrics stressors were evaluated through Pearson network correlation analysis. richness, trophic structures, taxonomic composition used generate for IBI. NB showed that most moderately tolerant poor water. Moderately intolerant negatively correlated high level organic loading Mara River. Fish-based IBI scores ranged 26 34, scoring lowest. Our results show cumulative effect can adequately rank according disturbance gradients, further develop regional assess health. Despite fact communities declining, continual management enforcement environmental regulations is important, conservation headwaters low-order streams being essential they still rich.