Diversity of macroinvertebrates along River Sambiye, Buliisa District

Abstract

River Sambiye flows from Murchison National Park and drains into Lake Albert through Buliisa district. The river is currently faced with increased anthropogenic disturbances such as agriculture and settlement in the catchment areas. The study assessed the habitat quality along the river in relation to anthropogenic activities using macroinvertebrates diversity and physical characteristics (DO, temperature, depth and width) to guide the management of the river. Sediment samples were collected from three points: area with low disturbances (S1), area with human settlement (S2) and area with agricultural activities (S3). Temperature and DO were recorded in-situ using a multi-meter probe, Handy Polaris 2 (OxyGuard, Denmark), the river width and depth were measured using a tape measure. Sampling was done twice in the month of September, 2022. The occurrence of the benthos in the present study was consistent with the River Continuum Concept (RCC), the increase in human settlement and agricultural activities appeared to exacerbate the decline of the abundance of the benthos. Increase in temperature and width and decrease in DO significantly influenced the occurrence of benthic organisms downstream. Therefore, the riparian communities should be sensitized on potential effects of human activities within the catchment on the river integrity.