Abstract
Summary1. Macroinvertebrate biotope preferences and the influence of differences in the availability of biotopes on individual taxa, macroinvertebrate assemblages and a biotic index, the South African Scoring System (SASS), were investigated in two regions of South Africa.2. Among biotope differences in individual taxa and macroinvertebrate assemblages resulted in differences in SASS scores, with differences in assemblages being greater among biotopes than between sites.3. All three metrics studied (SASS score, number of taxa and average score per taxon, ASPT), differed significantly among biotopes, with highest scores consistently recorded in the stones biotope, while lowest SASS scores and fewest taxa were recorded in the sand biotope.4. SASS score and number of taxa were positively, while ASPT was negatively correlated with number of biotopes sampled.5. The observed biotope differences highlight the importance of sampling and comparing data from sites separately for each biotope.
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