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Development of a macroinvertebrate-based biotic index to assess water quality of rivers in Niger State, North Central Ecoregion of Nigeria

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Abstract

The increasing pollution of lotic ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, poses a threat to water quality, public health and biodiversity. It is therefore essential to develop appropriate tools and methods for monitoring these rivers, particularly in heavily affected areas, where these water resources are vital to the surrounding communities that are heavily dependent on them. To fill this gap, we propose to develop a multimetric index based on macroinvertebrates for the assessment of ecological quality of rivers in Niger State (NSRBI). Eighty-eight metrics were evaluated through a step-by-step statistical process (namely, range test and stability, redundancy test and relationship with abiotic variables), in which metrics that did not meet the conditions were excluded. At the end of this process, only four metrics (%Hemiptera, Diptera richness, Pielou equitability and % of very large individuals (size > 40 mm)) fulfilling all criteria were included in the index. These metrics were then scored on a continuous scale and divided into four water quality classes: “very poor”, “poor”, “fair” and “good”. Evaluation of the performance of the index on test sites showed a correspondence of 90% between index result and environmental-based classification. Therefore, the NSRBI could be a valuable tool for monitoring and assessing the ecological conditions of rivers in Niger State and the North Central Nigeria ecoregion predominantly in urban and agricultural landscapes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank those who provided help during sample collection. The authors thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that improved this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the African Water Resources Mobility Network (AWaRMN) Grants No. 2019 – 1973/ 004 - 001, which has received funding from the Intra-African Academic Mobility Scheme of the European Union for financial support and PhD scholarship to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Niger State, Minna, PMB 65, 920101, Nigeria

    Attobla Fulbert Assie, Francis O. Arimoro, Gilbert Ndatimana, Unique N. Keke & Adesola V. Ayanwale

  2. Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management, University of Rwanda, P.O Box: 512, Butare, Huye, Rwanda

    Gilbert Ndatimana

  3. Laboratory of Environment and Aquatic Biology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Management, University Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Lagunes, Côte d’Ivoire

    Edia O. Edia

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, 972261, Nigeria

    Augustine O. Edegbene

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  1. Attobla Fulbert Assie
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Contributions

Attobla Fulbert Assie wrote the original manuscript, did field investigation and analysed data; Gilbert Ndatimana did field investigation; Unique Keke, Francis Oforum Arimoro, Adesola Victoria Ayanwale, Augustine Ovie Edegbene and Edia Oi Edia helped in conceptualization, resources and supervised the work; All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Table 7 Process of selection of metrics for redundancy test. Response to disturbance, Mann-Whitney test p value, (CV) coefficient of variation. IQR score, (DE) discrimination efficiency
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Assie, A.F., Arimoro, F.O., Ndatimana, G. et al. Development of a macroinvertebrate-based biotic index to assess water quality of rivers in Niger State, North Central Ecoregion of Nigeria. Environ Monit Assess 196, 230 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12368-w

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