Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have put tremendous pressure on the natural condition of wetlands. However, few studies have used indices based on benthic invertebrates to assess the effect of these pressures on wetland ecosystems. Multi-metric indices (MMIs) have been used successfully to assess freshwater ecosystems worldwide and are an important management tool, but little is known about their applicability in the wetlands of Ethiopia. In this study, we developed MMIs for wetland invertebrates to assess wetlands in Ethiopia. The wetland invertebrate assemblages were sampled from 24 sampling stations in six wetlands in the Achefer flood plains. These sampling stations included those in least affected areas and those affected by adjacent, agricultural and urban activities. Forty-one candidate metrics were initially reviewed and screened before six core metrics were selected: Taxa richness, ET taxa richness, % EOT, % Diptera, % Collector/Filterer and % intolerant taxa. Mann–Whitney U tests, Box and Whisker plots, correlation analyses, and redundant metric tests were used to assess the ability of metrics to distinguish among reference and impaired wetlands. The MMIs were robust in discriminating reference wetlands from impaired wetlands and therefore have potential as a biomonitoring tool to assess the condition of, and to guide efforts to restore, freshwater wetlands.
Published Version
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