Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments
Mayfly nymphs are reliable indicators of aquatic habitat quality, and whilst their presence and relative abundance are often used in bioassessment schemes, it is important to recognise that these attributes are affected by the sampling method employed. To test these effects, we sampled stream habita...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| author | Zohar Yanai Netta Dorchin |
| author_facet | Zohar Yanai Netta Dorchin |
| author_sort | Zohar Yanai |
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| description | Mayfly nymphs are reliable indicators of aquatic habitat quality, and whilst their presence and relative abundance are often used in bioassessment schemes, it is important to recognise that these attributes are affected by the sampling method employed. To test these effects, we sampled stream habitats for mayflies using two commonly used techniques in a standardised setup: aquatic sweep nets and manual collection from stones. These methods resulted in different success rates in detecting certain taxa depending on their biological traits (preferred microhabitat and locomotion type). Whilst species lists generally overlapped between the two methods, they yielded different values of total abundance, taxon richness, Shannon–Wiener’s diversity index, assemblage saprobic index, and general community structure. These results suggest that reliance on a single collection method is prone to yield only partial information for ecological assessments and emphasises the importance of employing a sampling technique that is appropriate for the study question and goals or combining more than one method. Based on these findings, we outline the scientific justifications for using each sampling method. |
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| id | doaj-art-764c4e275a3d40a49828f913a3cae83c |
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| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-764c4e275a3d40a49828f913a3cae83c2025-07-25T13:25:44ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-07-0116772310.3390/insects16070723Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias BioassessmentsZohar Yanai0Netta Dorchin1The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, IsraelThe Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, IsraelMayfly nymphs are reliable indicators of aquatic habitat quality, and whilst their presence and relative abundance are often used in bioassessment schemes, it is important to recognise that these attributes are affected by the sampling method employed. To test these effects, we sampled stream habitats for mayflies using two commonly used techniques in a standardised setup: aquatic sweep nets and manual collection from stones. These methods resulted in different success rates in detecting certain taxa depending on their biological traits (preferred microhabitat and locomotion type). Whilst species lists generally overlapped between the two methods, they yielded different values of total abundance, taxon richness, Shannon–Wiener’s diversity index, assemblage saprobic index, and general community structure. These results suggest that reliance on a single collection method is prone to yield only partial information for ecological assessments and emphasises the importance of employing a sampling technique that is appropriate for the study question and goals or combining more than one method. Based on these findings, we outline the scientific justifications for using each sampling method.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/723biomonitoringEphemeropterafield surveyhand netmethodologystream |
| spellingShingle | Zohar Yanai Netta Dorchin Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments Insects biomonitoring Ephemeroptera field survey hand net methodology stream |
| title | Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments |
| title_full | Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments |
| title_fullStr | Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments |
| title_short | Sampling Techniques Affect Mayfly Nymph Community Indices and May Bias Bioassessments |
| title_sort | sampling techniques affect mayfly nymph community indices and may bias bioassessments |
| topic | biomonitoring Ephemeroptera field survey hand net methodology stream |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/7/723 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zoharyanai samplingtechniquesaffectmayflynymphcommunityindicesandmaybiasbioassessments AT nettadorchin samplingtechniquesaffectmayflynymphcommunityindicesandmaybiasbioassessments |