Taxonomic and functional structure of macrobenthic invertebrate communities and their response to environmental variables along the subbranches of the Nile River (rayahs), Egypt.

ABSTRACT: Macrobenthic invertebrate communities serve as markers of anthropogenic stress in freshwater ecosystems. In this study, 17 sampling sites were selected from two Nile river subbranches (El-Rayah El-Behery and El-Rayah El-Nassery) and subjected to different anthropogenic influences to explore the ecological environment and characteristics of macrobenthos communities. Macrobenthos were studied using taxonomic diversity and biological trait analysis to investigate how human activity and variation in water quality affect their structure and function. A total of 37 taxa represented by 43,389 individuals were recognized. The communities are composed chiefly of Oligochaeta and aquatic insects. Multivariate statistical analyses found that the most influential environmental variables in the structur

SUBMITTER: Bendary RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9995531 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature