Abstract
Wetlands are important sites for biological conservation due to their rich biodiversity which possess high productivity. They also offer shelter to many organisms and offers services such as water purification and flood control. However, biodiversity in wetlands has been reduced due to human activities that cause pollution like, flower farm effluents which are discharged directly to wetlands or river systems. Four water quality parameters; DO, BOD, pH, TDS, TSS and macro-invertebrates composition were investigated at four different stations (S1, S2, S3, S4) adjacent to Equator Flower Farm along the Marura wetland. PAST program was used to calculate diversity indices and richness in the macroinvertebrates communities. Station S2 had the highest temperature (22.6°C), whereas S4 had the lowest temperature (19.6°C). The pH value did not vary along the stations (8.3-6.3). The DO level fluctuated along the river, station S1 had highest level of 3.6 m/l and lowest station S3 had 0.8mg/l. TSS and TDS did not show significant variations, while BOD levels varied with different stations. The highest value of TN was recorded at Station 3 (0.33±0.045mgl-1). There was no significant difference (p=0.055) in three stations (S1, S2, S4) except S3. In total 10 orders, 30 genera and 30 families of macroinvertebrates were identified. The orders; Odonata, Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Diptera were the main macroinvertebrates found in all station, while the members of orders; Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Oligochaeta Mollusca, Gnathobellidae and Isopoda were few in all sampling stations. Station S2 and S4 had the highest species diversity compared to station S1 and S3 which had the lowest diversity. DO, BOD and temperature were found to have a significant effect on abundance and composition of benthic organisms with S3 having less abundance due to its proximity to the flower farm.
Highlights
Wetlands, which covers about 2% of the land surface, are important sites for biological conservation because they support a rich biodiversity (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2000)
Water Quality Parameters The difference in physio-chemical parameters among the stations can be attributed to proximity of the flower farm and the land use practices along the wetland
S3 had the highest pH value and could be as a result of the chemicals used in the flower farm which are rich in basic compounds, when dissolved in water may cause raise in pH levels
Summary
Wetlands, which covers about 2% of the land surface, are important sites for biological conservation because they support a rich biodiversity (Mitsch and Gosselink, 2000). The ecological significance of wetlands is widely acknowledged globally. They are known to provide habitat to large number of aquatic organisms, offer ecosystem services such as water purification, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and flood control. Some are used as source of medicinal plants and cultural practices by the communities residing near the wetlands (Macharia et al, 2010). The rapid increase of human population growth around the globe, has led to high demand for; basic, economical and settlement needs. Mostly in developing countries depend heavily on exploitation of the natural resources for their livelihood
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