Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(6): 558-572 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 6 (2017) pp. 558-572 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.606.066 Baetidae (Ephemeroptera: Insecta) as Biological Indicators of Environmental Degradation in Tamiraparani and Vaigai River Basins of Southern Western Ghats, India T. Kubendran1*, C. Selvakumar2, Avtar Kaur Sidhu, Akhil Nair1 and S. Murali Krishnan3 1High Altitude Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Saproon, Solan - 721232, Himachal Pradesh, India 2Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore - 700 053, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 3National Centre of Excellence on Statistical and Mathematical Modeling on Bioresources Management- MHRD, Thiagarajar College, Madurai-625 009, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Biomonitoring of the Ephemeroptera (Family: Baetidae) was undertaken at species K e yw or ds level in the Tamiraparani (Tirunelveli) and Vaigai (Theni) river basins of southern India. A total of 1,359 baetids were collected from three times from ten sampling Ephemeroptera, sites, representing an environmental gradient. The mesohabitats of sixteen Baetidae, Baetidae species was described and their responses to environmental degradation Bioassessment, Bioindicator, and water chemistry were evaluated by means of species richness and abundance Western Ghats, and the data was subjected to multivariate analysis (Canonical Correspondence India. Analysis), in order to assess their potential capacity as indicators of these impacts. Article Info Most species were found predominantly associated with stony substrates, but some were associated with grasses, and two species were found predominantly in lentic Accepted: 04 May 2017 water bodies. Species distributions were influenced by the environmental gradient. Available Online: Based on the CCA ordination, pristine and the most impaired areas were identified 10 June 2017 for each spices so as were found in therefore enabling us to establish the sensitivity of each species. Introduction Freshwater habitats are being subjected to 1999). The systematic development and increased levels of human disturbance testing of rapid bioassessment tools on river throughout the world (Saunders et al., 2002). basins using benthic aquatic insects in Brazil A recent assessment of the status of inland is recent (Buss et al., 2002; Buss, 2001; water ecosystems shows that globally most Callisto et al., 1998; Silveira et al., 2005) and threatened river catchments are to be found in due to limited knowledge of the taxonomy the Indian subcontinent. Biological and distribution of mayflies in India, these monitoring is a central component of water studies have generally used supraspecific resource management throughout the world taxonomic levels. (Rosenberg and Resh, 1993; Barbour et al., 558 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(6): 558-572 Aquatic insects are ideal indicators of Materials and Methods pollution (Dudgeon, 1999) aquatic insects also inhabit vital position in the food chain of Study area aquatic systems and therefore can be used to make estimates of ecosystem health. Analysis This study was carried out at the of aquatic insect assemblages is also lot of Tamiraparani and Vaigai rivers, which is the time and cost efficient compared to chemical two major river basins of the southern and physical assessments of water quality Western Ghats. Tamiraparani, a major east (Bode et al., 1995; EEA, 2007). flowing river with catchment area of 5482 km2 is a medium sized river basin in India. It In temperate streams it is very well originates from the Pothigai hills of Kalakad- documented that the changes in catchment Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) of the land use results in the loss or a change in Western Ghats (8° 42’ N and 77.15° 24’ E) at diversity of invertebrates and fishes (Corkum, an altitude of 2074 m. Tamiaraparani river 1989; Allan, 1995; Vinson and Hawkins, basin benefits from both the north-east and 1998). Similarly, in tropical Asia, though it is south-west monsoons (Martin et al., 2000). known that deforestation of the catchment The Vaigai river is one of the major river affects fish populations (Dudgeon, 1992; system in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state of 1999) the impact of catchment land use on the southern India. It originates in the Periyar stream insect communities is poorly Plateau of the Western Ghats range, and flows understood. northeast through the Cambam Valley, which lies between the Palni hills to the north and In freshwater biodiversity hotspots like the the Varushanad hills to the south (Martin et Western Ghats, no information is available on al., 2000). this topic. Such information is very important to understand the impact of ongoing Larval forms of Baetidae species were landscape transformations on the biodiversity sampled along with data on physical, of rivers in general and insect communities in chemical and other environmental variables at particular. This information will also aid in ten sites on Tamiraparani and Vaigai river developing conservation strategies for the basins. Two sites are third order streams and riverine ecosystems of tropical biodiversity three sites are fourth order river, and all sites hotspots such as the Western Ghats were at the altitudes between 60 and 150 (Subramanian et al., 2005). m.a.s.l. Sites were chosen to represent an environmental gradient from a pristine area The purpose of this study was to determine such as diversity of species (site A, B, F and the specific requirements of species of family G) to most impaired (site E and I). The four Baetidae and evaluate their potential use as classes are: site A and B (Class 1), sites C, D indicator species for assessing environmental and E (class 2), sites F and G (class 3), and degradation in the Western Ghats river sites H, I and J (class 4). Class 1 and 3 are systems and to describe the mesohabitat and located at upstream and class 2 and 4 are to assess their responses to environmental located in downstream from the Tamiraparani degradation and hydro-chemistry by means of and Vaigai river basins. Class 1 and 3 are biological measures (richness and abundance) chosen as a reference sites because of its and multivariate analysis (Canonical dense riparian vegetation (80% stream cover). Correspondence Analysis), in order to Class 2 and 4 sites have disturbances caused evaluate their potential capacity as indicators by the tourists and pilgrims thronging them of these impacts. during festivals and ceremonies. 559 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(6): 558-572 Field and laboratory procedures x % cobble) + (0.05 x % gravel) + (0.04 x % sand) + (0.03 x % mud/silt) (Jowett et al., Species collection and identification 1991). The larvae of Baetidae species were collected Data analysis by kick net (mesh size: 0.5 to 1.0 mm) sampling (Balasubramanian et al., 1992). The The structure of the Baetidae assemblage was duration of each kick net operation was 2 evaluated by species richness and abundance. minutes. The substratum viz., bed rocks, CCA was performed to determine boulders and cobbles was vigorously relationships between environmental variables disturbed strictly restricted to one m2 area. All and the respective biotic components. specimens from the net surface were carefully Diversity indices and CCA were performed collected without any morphological damage carried out by the PAST software (Hammer et using fine forceps or brush and preserved in al., 2001). 80% Ethyl alcohol immediately. Sampling was performed on for two years 2010–2011. Results and Discussion The collected samples were brought to laboratory and identified upto genus and Total of 1,359 individuals corresponding species level was carried out by done using belonging to nine genera belonging to sixteen published taxonomical literature pertaining to species belonging to nine genera were of the Western Ghats, India recorded in this study (Tables 1 and 2). (Sivaramakrishnan et al., 2009; Selvakumar et al., 2012; Kubendran et al., 2014; 2015). The representation of physico-chemical variables of study sites are listed in table 5. Analysis of physico-chemical factors The tropical structure of the baetid assemblage was varying among the sampling Recording of selected river characteristics like periods. The total number of individuals was order of the stream, nature of the eco-region, appreciably more at the post-monsoon, substrate composition and a few physico- intermediate at the end of the pre-monsoon chemical parameters like wet width, depth, and minimum at the dry season. The most water current as well as water temperature abundant species are LabioBaetis soldani and were done at the sampling sites during NigroBaetis paramakalyani collected in the sampling (Table 5). River characteristics were sites are 161 and 160 individuals respectively. evaluated qualitatively by following visual L. verum and L. pulchellum represented with observation and description. the least abundance during investigation period. Substrate index Substrate preference of Baetidae species Substrates were classified by using (Jowett et al., 1991). The following criteria: <0.5 mm Most Species such as Baetis acceptus, B. for mud/silt, 0.5–2 mm for sand, 2–64 mm for conservatus, B. frequentus, I. gravel, 65–256 mm for cobbles, and >256 mm michaelohubbardi, LabioBaetis geminatus, L. for boulders. For statistical analysis, substrate pulchellum, L. soldani, L. jacobusi, and L. composition was converted to a substrate vera were found predominantly associated index (Suren, 1996) as explained below: with pebbles substrates, but L. geminatus, L. Substrate Index = (0.07 x % boulder) + (0.06 pulchellum, L. soldani and N. paramakalyani 560 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(6): 558-572 some were predominantly associated with represented by two species LabioBaetis sp. grasses, (90), two species C. ceylonensis and and NigroBaetis sp. The third and fourth C. similis were primarily attached with rocks reaches had minimal baetid representation and two species namely C. bimaculatum and which clearly indicated the gradual increase P.