Abstract

This study was conducted to ecologically evaluate the seasonal variation in water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in Akçay Stream, an important tributary of the Büyük Menderes River. Sampling was carried out at eight stations along the stream during four seasonal periods throughout 2023. Physicochemical water quality parameters were measured both in situ and in the laboratory and evaluated using the Oregon Water Quality Index (OWQI). Benthic macroinvertebrates, consisting of aquatic insects, were collected using an Ekman-Birge grab, passed through a 500 µm mesh sieve, and identified at the family level under a stereomicroscope. OWQI results indicated that water quality remained at the “good” level during all sampling periods. A total of 14 families belonging to the orders Trichoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Coleoptera, and Odonata were recorded. The most dominant families were Heptageniidae (72 individuals), Ephydridae (69 individuals), Gomphidae (57 individuals), and Chironomidae (54 individuals), whereas Philopotamidae (14 individuals) and Glossosomatidae (13 individuals) were represented at low abundance. The highest number of individuals was observed in spring (214 individuals) and the lowest in winter (97 individuals). Biological assessment based on benthic macroinvertebrates using the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) indices indicated that the study area generally ranged between moderate and good biological quality classes. Overall, the results show that Akçay Stream maintains generally good ecological conditions, and that the combined use of biological indices (BMWP, ASPT) and physicochemical indices such as OWQI provides a reliable approach for the integrated assessment of river ecosystems.

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