Using odonates as markers of the environmental health of water and its land related ecotone

Abstract

The study of Odonata communities along wetlands requires the basic understanding of the abundance, distribution and number of species present. As habitat conditions change, they also exhibit changes in their diversity and distribution. Odonata assemblages were surveyed along the Densu River at Atewa Range Forest Reserve (ARFR) and Nsawam in the Eastern Region of Ghana and Weija in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Of the 177 species recorded for Ghana, 66 species (43 dragonfly and 23 damselfly species) were sampled along the Densu River. These belonged to eight families of which the Libellulidae dominated. The distribution of species was significantly different between the sites with the most diverse area being ARFR with 47 species. The various environmental variables along the river were recorded and their effects discussed. Key words: Atewa range