Abstract
In this study we compared water-quality results obtained by a modified version of the Biological Monitoring Working Party Score System (BMWP′, a multimetric method) with those from multivariate methods--TWINSPAN and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)--in a river basin in southern Spain affected by organic pollution. Main environmental variables correlated to macroinvertebrate distributions were identified by CCA. Biological quality of the water was assessed by the BMWP′ biotic index, which classified the sites according to the tolerance of taxa to organic pollution. TWINSPAN was used to classify the sites according to benthic communities, and CCA was performed to establish the relationships among groups of sites, taxa, and abiotic variables. The results showed a clear separation of river sites according to their water composition and degree of pollution; nutrient content and water hardness were the main factors influencing the faunal distribution. Most of the sites in the study area were polluted, an...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of the North American Benthological Society
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
