What does a high Aspt score mean?
A high ASPT score is considered indicative of a clean site containing large numbers of high scoring taxa (Armitage et al. 1983). According to the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which is obligatory for examining water quality in EU countries, macroinvertebrates are a group commonly used for assessing water quality.
What does a low BMWP score mean?
In the case of BMWP/Organic pollution rankings, the presence of mayflies or stoneflies for instance indicate the cleanest waterways and are given a tolerance score of 10. The lowest scoring invertebrates are worms (Oligochaeta) which score 1.
How is BMWP score calculated?
The BMWP index is calculated by adding up the individual tolerance scores of aquatic macroinvertebrates at family taxonomic level present at a sample site.
What is a good BMWP score?
71-100
| BMWP score | Category | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 11-40 | Poor | Polluted or impacted |
| 41-70 | Moderate | Moderately impacted |
| 71-100 | Good | Clean but slightly impacted |
| >100 | Very good | Unpolluted, unimpacted |
How is BMWP and Aspt calculated?
The ASPT is calculated by dividing the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) score (Table 2) calculated by adding the individual scores of all indicator organisms present by the number of families present.
What is kick sampling?
The typical sampling method for streams and rivers is called kick sampling and involves disturbing the material on the bed of the river or stream and collecting the freed organisms in a net.
What is Aspt and BMWP?
Presently, two of the more prominent indices used in the United Kingdom are the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) Score System and the Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) (Hallawell, 1978; Armitage et al., 1983).
How do you survey invertebrates?
Methods for surveying and sampling terrestrial invertebrates include:
- Direct observation.
- Suction sampling where ground material including invertebrates are ‘hoovered’ into a collecting bag for later identification.
- Hand searching.
- Sweep-netting of flying insects and herbaceous vegetation.
- Beating of woody vegetation.
What is a Hess sampler?
As referenced in Standard Methods, Hess-type stream samplers are intended for sampling macroben- thos in shallow, flowing waters. They are cylindrical with enclosed sides and an open top. They function similarly to the surber-type samplers but are capable of sampling gravel and small cobble bottoms.
How do you survey insects?
Survey methods include direct searching, sweep netting, beating, sieving, suction sampling, pitfall trapping, deadwood searching and light trapping for moths. Laboratory identification follows on from the fieldwork and is required for some critical invertebrate groups.
How can insects be identified?
Insects can also be distinguished as having three pairs of legs attached to the thorax, and a pair of antennae on the head with some rare exceptions. Most insects have wings in the adult stage but again there are some exceptions.
What is the study of insect ecology?
Insect Ecology and Conservation is the study of the most abundant creatures on Earth—insects—and their interactions with other wildlife, humans, and the environment. Our students wonder how and why insects do what they do.