Bio-monitoring of Western Ghats Stream using Aquatic insects

In this study health of the Kallar stream and its tributaries originating from Western Ghats in Kerala using aquatic insects as indicators was assessed. Two-year sampling of aquatic insects was done on a monthly basis from five different sites. Insects were collected and identified using the methodology of Rapid Bio-assessment Protocol. A total of 29372 individuals belonging to 9 orders and 61 families of aquatic insects were collected and identified from the selected study sites. Highest number of aquatic insect was obtained in the site 5 (7531) and the lowest number was observed in site 3 (4571). All richness measures were maximum in site 5 and the minimum in site 3. In addition to that the biotic indices like Family Biotic Index (FBI), Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) Score and Average Score per Taxon (ASPT) also show that water quality of site 5 is free from organic pollution compared to the other sites.