EVALUATION OF WATER QUALITY OF A MOUNTAINOUS STREAM (PELION, CENTRAL GREECE) USING BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES

Abstract

Biotic indices are commonly used in biomonitoring programs to assess the quality of surface waters. In the present study, a number of biotic indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates have been applied in assessing the water quality of a mountainous stream (Pelion, Central Greece). Samplings were done in summer and autumn 2012 in two sampling sites (Karamani, Servanates) using two sampling methods: (a) a standard pond net and (b) the Surber method. Invertebrate identification was performed to the family level. The Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) score, the Average Score Per Taxa (ASPT), the Lincoln Quality Index, as well as the Iberian BMWP, and the Iberian ASPT were applied to the benthic macroinvertebrate samples to assess the water quality of each site. According to ASPT, IASPT and LQI, the biological water quality of both sampling sites was very good, regardless of the season and the sampling method used, with the exceptions of the summer samplings in Servanates with both sampling methods, and in Karamani with Surber, for which a good water quality was assessed with LQI and IASPT, respectively. In contrast, the BMWP and IBMWP scores for the sampling site Servanates were low, corresponding to fair water quality, but this effect was attributed to the particular hydrological conditions of this site. The sampling method did not significantly affect the sampling efficiency and, consequently, the results of the water quality evaluation.