Meeting Abstract

P2-28   -   Macroinvertebrates as benthic bioindicators of the Kalamazoo River and Zizania aquatica Garcia-Lopez, J*; Cahill , A.E; Albion College ; Albion College jag16@albion.edu

Macroinvertebrates are studied to determine the health of many freshwater rivers and marshes, but they are also used to understand those aquatic environments, such as water quality and the overall health of the habitat. The main goal of our research was to collect macroinvertebrates from the Kalamazoo River (Michigan) to understand how macroinvertebrate communities found in wild rice (Zizania aquatica)change during the year. During the fall of 2020, we deployed collectors into the Kalamazoo River. Collectors with leaves and wood were placed inside and outside of wild rice beds, and were placed in sets of three with sampling points spaced 10-20 m apart. The collectors were left for two weeks in the river, and were colonized by invertebrates during that time. We then gathered the collectors and then preserved the collected material in ethanol. We used a taxonomic key to identify each sample. We used Shannon's Index to determine the diversity of each site, and Margalef’s richness index to determine the biodiversity of the ecosystem observed. We used the same data to calculate the biotic index to determine the health and quality of the water. The same process was repeated in May 2021. The data collected from fall of 2020 and summer of 2021 demonstrated a high diversity and richness index of macroinvertebrates in the wild rice sites compared to adjacent sites. This may indicate that the wild rice provides a stable environment for the macroinvertebrates and a fair quality of water throughout the two seasons. Most importantly, macroinvertebrates may be helping provide the essential nutrients that wild rice needs. Our data allows us to explore the relationship between the rice and the invertebrates, including an overall understanding of the environment surrounding the wild rice. Our work can contribute to helping conserve this important agricultural plant of the Anishinaabek.