Abstract
The assumption that water pollution causes a depression in the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates as measured by the Shannon index and similar diversity indices is questioned. An interpretation of the community response of benthic macroinvertebrates to pollution in the Millers River, Massachusetts is developed from species presence-absence and abundance data in conjunction with published information on the species' environmental tolerances as compared to chemical water quality data. This interpretation is compared with one derived solely from diversity index values. The interpretations are quite different; the differences may be attributed to other environmental factors such as impoundments and flow reductions which influence the fauna and thus the diversity index value, but which are not related to pollution. In addition, several intrinsic features of the diversity indices increase their bias.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bartsch, A. F. & Ingram, W. M. 1959. Stream life and the pollution environment, p. 65–80. In: W. M. Ingram, K. M. Mackenthun, and A. F. Bartsch (ed). Biological field investigative data for water pollution surveys. U.S.D.H. Fed. Water Pollut. Control Admin. Pub. No. WP-13.
Benson-Evans, K., Williams, P. F., McLean, R. O. & Prance, N. 1975. Algal communities in polluted rivers of South Wales. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 19: 2010–2019.
Brillouin, L. 1956. Science and information theory. Academic Press, New York. 320 p.
Burks, B. D. 1953. The Mayflies or Ephemeroptera of Illinois. Bull. Illinois Nat. Hist. Survey 26 (1): 1–216.
Cairns, J., Jr. & Dickson, K. L. 1971. A simple method for the biological assessment of the effects of waste discharges on aquatic bottom-dwelling organisms. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 43: 755–772
Collings, M. R., Wiesnet, D. R. & Fleck, W. B. 1969. Water resources of the Millers River basin, north-central Massachusetts and southwestern New Hampshire. U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Invest. Atlas HA-293.
Cushing, C. E. 1963. Filter-feeding insect distribution and planktonic food in the Montreal River. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 92: 216–219.
Dambach, C. A. & Olive, J. H. 1969. Development of biological indices to pollution levels in streams affected by acid mine drainage and oil field brine wastes. Nat. Res. Inst. and the Water Res. Center Res. Proj. Completion Report, Proj. No. A-003-OHIO. 89 p.
Devaux, J. 1975. Succession écologique, diversité spécifique et production primaire dans un lac oligotrophe d'Auvergne (France). Verh, Internat. Verein. Limnol. 19: 1165–1171.
Eberhardt, L. L. 1969. Some aspects of species diversity models. Ecology 50: 503–505.
Glasgow, J. P. 1936. The bionomics of Hydropsyche colonica McL. and H. philpotti Till. Proc. Roy. Ent. Soc., London II: 122–128.
Hurlbert, S. H. I. 71. The nonconcept of species diversity: A critique and alternative parameters. Ecology 52: 577–586.
Hynes, H. B. N. 1960. The biology of polluted waters. Liverpool Univ. Press, Liverpool. 202 p.
Hynes, H. B. N. 1970. The ecology of running waters. Univ. Toronto Press, Toronto. 555 p.
Ingram, W. M., Mackenthun, K. M. & Bartsch, A. F. 1966. Biological field investigative data for water pollution surveys. Fed. Water Pollut. Control Adm. Report No. WP-13, Cincinnati, Ohio. 139 p.
Leonard, J. W. 1965. Environmental requirements of Ephemeroptera, p. 110–117. In: C. M. Tarzwell (ed.). Biological problems in water pollution, third seminar, 1962. P.H.S. Div. Water Supply and Pollut. Control, Report No. 999-WP-25. 424 p.
Mathis, B, J. & Dorris, T. C. 1968. Community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in an intermittent stream receiving oil field brines. Amer. Midl. Nat. 80: 428–439.
Mawson, J. C. & Godfrey, P. J. 1971. Diverse: A Fortran I V program to calculate diversity indices of stream bottom organisms. Water Resources Res. Center Pub., Univ. Massachusetts, Amherst. 23 p.
Mullan, J. W. 1954. A fisheries investigation of the Millers and Squannacook River drainages. 1953 D-J Completion Report (F-1-R-2). 287 p.
Patten, B. C. 1962. Species diversity in net phytoplankton of Raritan Bay. J. Mar. Res. 20: 57–75.
Pennak, R. W. 1953. Freshwater invertebrates of the United States. Ronald Press, New York. 769 p.
Pielou, E. C. 1969. An introduction to mathematical ecology. Wiley, New York. 286 p.
Radford, D. S. & Hartland-Rowe, R. 1971. A preliminary investigation of bottom fauna and invertebrate drift in an unregulated and a regulated stream in Alberta. J. Appl. Ecol. 8: 883–903.
Roback, S. S. 1965. Environmental requirements of Trichoptera, p. 118–126. In: C. M. Tarzwell (ed.). Biological problems in water pollution, third seminar, 1962. P.H.S. Div. Water Supply and Pollut. Control, Report No. 999-WP-25. 424 p.
Shannon, C. E. 1948. A mathematical theory of communication. Bell System Tech. J. 27: 379–423, 623–656.
United States Geological Survey. 1969. Water resources for Massachusetts. Part 1. Surface water records. U.S.D.I. Geological Survey. p. 169–176.
Usinger, R. L. (ed.). 1956. Aquatic insects of California. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 508 p.
Whittaker, R. H. 1965. Dominance and diversity in land plant communities. Science 147: 250–260.
Wilhm, J. 1967. Comparison of some diversity indices applied to populations of benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream receiving organic wastes. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 39: 1674–1683.
Wilhm, J. 1968. Biomass units versus numbers of individuals in species diversity indices. Ecology 49: 153–156.
Wilhm, J. 1969. Community diversity, p. 8–14. In: Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci. The stream ecosystem. Michigan State Univ. Water Res. Tech. Rep. No. 7.42 p.
Wilhm, J. 1970. Range of diversity index in benthic macroinvertebrate populations. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 42: R221-R224.
Wilhm, J. 1972. Graphic and mathematical analyses of biotic communities in polluted streams. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 17: 223–252.
Wilhm, J. & Dorris, T. C. 1966. Species diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream receiving domestic and oil refinery effluents. Amer. Midl. Nat. 76: 427–449.
Wilhm, J. & Dorris, T. C. 1968. Biological parameters for water quality criteria. BioScience 18: 477–481.
Winner, R. W., Van Dyke, J. S., Caris, N. & Farrel, M. P. 1975. Response of the macroinvertebrate fauna to a copper gradient in an experimentally-polluted stream. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 19: 2121–2127.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution No. 47 of the Massachusetts Cooperative Fishery Unit jointly supported by the U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and the University of Massachusetts.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Godfrey, P.J. Diversity as a measure of benthic macroinvertebrate community response to water pollution. Hydrobiologia 57, 111–122 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016454
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016454