Evaluating the Ecological Conditions of a Semi-Arid River Basin: A Multimetric Index Incorporating Fish and Macroinvertebrate assemblages.

ABSTRACT: The health and integrity of freshwater ecosystems are significantly affected by anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the ecological conditions of freshwater ecosystems is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies. In this study, we developed a new multimetric index, the Karun Fish-Macroinvertebrate Index (KFMI), that incorporates data on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages to assess the ecological conditions of the Karun River basin, in Iran. We sampled 53 sites and collected data on fish and macroinvertebrate communities, physicochemical parameters, and habitat characteristics. We used physicochemical and physical habitat characteristics data to identify reference conditions using the concept of least-disturbed condition and based on Principal Component Analysis (P

SUBMITTER: Zare Shahraki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12662918 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature