Assessment of water quality based on diatom indices in a small temperate river system, Kowie River, South Africa

Dalu, Tatenda; Bere, Taurai; Froneman, P William

Title: Assessment of water quality based on diatom indices in a small temperate river system, Kowie River, South Africa
Creator: Dalu, Tatenda
Creator: Bere, Taurai
Creator: Froneman, P William
Date Issued: 2016
Date: 2016
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/123896
Identifier: vital:35514
Identifier: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v42i2.02
Description: This study aimed to assess the impact of land use patterns on water quality and benthic diatom community structure and to test the applicability of diatom indices developed in other regions of the world to a small temperate southern African river system. Sampling was conducted at eight study sites along the length of the river on four separate occasions. Multivariate data analyses were performed on the diatom community dataset to specify the main gradients of floristic variation and to detect and visualize similarities in diatom samples in relation to land-use patterns within the catchment. One hundred and twelve (112) diatom species belonging to 36 genera were recorded during the study. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that variations in the benthic diatom community structure were best explained by ammonium, nitrate, conductivity, pH, temperature, resistivity and water flow. OMNIDIA was used for calculation of selected diatom water quality indices. A number of the indices, e.g., the trophic diatom index (TDI), eutrophication/pollution index and biological index of water quality (BIWQ), either under- or over-estimated the water quality of the system. With few exceptions, there were no significant correlations (p> 0.05) between the diatom indices’ values and the nutrient variables. The absence of any significant correlations between the diatom indices’ values and selected physico-chemical variables suggests that indices developed in other regions of the world may not be suitable for temperate southern African rivers.
Format: 11 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Water SA
Relation: Dalu, T., Bere, T. and Froneman, P.W., 2016. Assessment of water quality based on diatom indices in a small temperate river system, Kowie River, South Africa. Water SA, 42(2), pp.183-193
Relation: Water SA volume 42 number 2 183 193 2016 0378-4738
Rights: Water SA
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License

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