Macroinvertebrates diversity of a municipal River Landzun, Bida, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluates the anthropogenic impacts of the River Landzun in Nigeria by analyzing macroinvertebrate data collected over a 6-month period. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected using the Kick Seine method at four stations along the river, with station 1 serving as the reference point and stations 2, 3, and 4 experiencing varying levels of human activity. A total of 694 macroinvertebrates individuals representing 40 taxa were collected, with coleopterans being the most common across all stations, followed by odonates and dipterans at stations 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed strong relationships between species abundance and environmental parameters, indicating a significant impact on the ecosystem. The low abundance of Ephemeropteran – Plecoptera – Trichoptera (EPT) taxa suggests environmental disturbance across all sampling stations. Despite this, pollution-tolerant species, particularly in the odonate and coleopteran groups, were well-represented, likely due to the availability of diverse habitats and nutrients in the River Landzun.