HR: 1330h
AN: NB33B-17    [Abstracts]
TI: Preliminary study on rapid bioassessment with benthic macroinvertebrates in the headwater streams of the Loei River and adjacent catchments, Thailand.
AU: * Boonsoong, B
EM: bboonsoong@yahoo.com
AF: Applied Taxonomic Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 THAILAND,
AU: Sangpradub, N
EM: narumon@kku.ac.th
AF: Applied Taxonomic Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 THAILAND,
AU: Barbour, M T
EM: Michael.Barbour@tetratech.com
AF: Center for Ecological Sciences, Tetra Tech, Inc. 400 Red Brook, Suite 200, Owings Mills, Baltimore, MD 21117 United States
AB: Thailand currently lacks formal bioassessment approaches and protocols to assist management decisions for water quality. This study aims to develop recommendations for (1) a professional level of rapid bioassessment by using benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages for streams in Thailand and (2) an appropriate technique for the volunteer monitoring groups. Eleven physico-chemical parameters were measured at each of seven reference sites and eight test sites in the Loei River and adjacent areas. The biological research methods were designed around the USEPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocols using the multi-habitat approach. Four fixed count subsamplings (100, 200, 300 and 500) were randomly removed using a standardized gridded pan to evaluate an appropriate level for bioassessment in Thailand streams. The preliminary results revealed that the test sites had BOD5 and Chorophyll a significantly higher than those reference sites. Two hundred organisms counted are adequate for bioassessment purposes. The differences between multimetric and multivariate analyses were examined.
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly