Weed-bed Macro-invertebrate Composition and Abundance in Relation to Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms) in the North-Eastern Lake Tana, Ethiopia

  • Wondie Zelalem College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
  • Demeke Kifle College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Seyoum Mengistu College of Natural Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Ayalew Wondie College of Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20372/jaes.v2i1.186
Keywords: Biotic index, niche diversity, organic pollution, tolerance level, weed

Abstract

The composition and abundance of weed-bed macro-invertebrates were assessed using data from Lake Tana from September, 2012 to May, 2013. Higher weed-bed macro-invertebrates density (6395ind/m2 inaverage) was recorded in the weed-infested sites. Ephemeroptera was the dominant taxa in weed-infested sites while Hemiptera in the non-infested sites. Statistically there were no significant spatial variations in the density of weed-bed macro-invertebrates in the weed infested and non-infested sites except coleopteran. Seasonally, however, Ephemeroptera, Diptera and Coleoptera showed highest peak density during the dry season in the weed-infested site. While, Hemiptera and Basommatophora, during the rainy reason and Diptera during post rainy season showed peak density in the non-infested sites. The results obtained from Hilsenhoff-Family Level Biotic Index H-FBI categorized site Ribas the highest organic and nutrient polluted site while site Debre-Sinaas the least perturbed site. Though, the results of H-FBI did not show clear difference between the weed-infested and non-infested sites, the observed spatial disparity in taxa may be explained by the variation in the density of prey items, interstitial space for refuge, and presence of predators coupled with small variations in physicochemical factors. Presence of higher density of beetle species of the families Dytiscidae and Hydrophylidae at the leaf and root interface of water hyacinth seemed to have association between them. Therefore, further investigation is recommended to see their effect and interactions with the weed so as to use those beetles as biological agent to control the weed.

References

Arti, S., Sharma, K.K. and Meenu, S. (2015). Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) as a habitat of macro invertebrate fauna in a freshwater pond of Jammu district, (J&K). International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies; 3(1): 81-85.Ayalew, W., Seyoum, M., Jacobus V. and Eshete, D. (2007). Seasonal variation in primary production of a large high altitude tropical lake (Lake Tana, Ethiopia): Effects of nutrient availability and water transparency. Journal ofAquatic Ecology 41:195–207.

Barker, J.E. (2011). .Invertebrate assemblages associated with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) roots in the waccamaw river, South Carolina. M.Sc. thesis, Coastal Carolina University, Conway

Brendonck L., Maes J., Rommens W., Dekeza N., Nhiwatiwa T., Barson M., Callebaut V., Phiri C., Moreau K., Gratwicke B., Stevens M., Alyn N., Holsters E., Ollevier F. and Marshall, B. (2003). The impact of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in a eutrophic subtropical impoundment Lake Chivero, Zimbabwe. II. Species diversity. Archiv Fur Hydrobiologie 158: 389-405.

Dereje, T. (2009). Distribution and abundance of Macro-benthic and weed-bed faunas in the Northern part of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Proceedings of the First Annual Conference of EFASA. pp: 99 - 116.

Eshete, D.(2003). Ecology and potential for fishery of the Small Barbs (Cyprinidae, Teleostei) of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Ph.D. Thesis, Agricultural University. Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Eshete, D. ,Rutjesa, H.A., de Graafa, M., Nagelkerkeb, L.A.J. Ossea J.W.M. and Sibbinga, F.A. (2002). The ‘small barbs’ Barbus humilis and B. trispilopleura of Lake Tana (Ethiopia): Are they ecotypes of the same species? Environmental Biology of Fishes 65: 373–386

Eshete, D., Vijverberg, J., Sibbing, F.A. (2004). Temporal and spatial distribution of micro-crustacean zooplankton in relation to turbidity and other environmental factors in a large tropical lake (Lake Tana, Ethiopia). Hydrobiologia 513: 39–49.

Hilsenhoff, W.L. (1988). Rapid field assessment of organic pollution with a family level biotic index. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 7:65-68.

Jonathan, C.M. (2001). Factors influencing the composition of faunal assemblages in rainforest stream pools. Ph.D. Thesis, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Levine, J.M. (2000). Species diversity and biological invasions: Relating local process to community pattern. Science 288: 852-854.

Luken, J.O. and Thieret, J.W. (1997). Assessment and management of plant invasions. Springer, New York, 324p.

Mandaville, S.M. (2002). Benthic macro-invertebrates in freshwaters-Taxa tolerance values, metrics, and protocols. Soil and Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax. http://chebucto.ca/Science/SWCS/SWCS.html.

Margareta, S. (2015). Accumulation of poly- and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) and mercury in fish tissue from Lake Tana, Ethiopia – Evaluation of human exposure due to increased fish consumption. Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 50p.

Rocha-Ramirez, A., Ramirez-Rojas, A., Chavez-Lopez, R. and Alcocer, J. (2007). Invertebrate assemblages associated with root masses of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach in the Alvarado Lagoonal System, Veracruz. Journal of Mexico Aquatic Ecology 41: 319-333.

Shuvra, S. (2013). The culture of exotic fish species with its ecological impacts in mymensingh. M.Sc. Thesis, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh,79 p.

Tenalem, A.(2009). Natural Lakes of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University press, Addis Ababa, 206p

Toft, J.D., Simenstad, C.A., Cordell, J.R. and Grimaldo, L.F. (2003). The effects of introduced water hyacinth on habitat structure, invertebrate assemblages, and fish diets. Estuaries 26: 746–758.

Villamagna, A. (2009). The ecological effects of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) on Lake Chapala, Mexico. Ph.D. Thesis. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 194p.

Wondie, Z. (2013). Assessment of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms) in relation to water quality, composition and abundance of plankton and macro-invertebrates in the north-eastern part of Lake Tana, Ethiopia. M.Sc. Thesis, Addis Ababa University, Adiss ababa, 119 p.

Published
2019-09-24
How to Cite
Zelalem, W., Kifle, D., Mengistu, S., & Wondie, A. (2019). Weed-bed Macro-invertebrate Composition and Abundance in Relation to Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms) in the North-Eastern Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.20372/jaes.v2i1.186
Issue
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2017)
Section
Articles

Copyright (c) 2019 Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).