Presented by:
Hayley King, Four Rivers & Gord Parker, FOur Rivers
A common tool for measuring water health is a study of resident insects living in the water (Benthic Invertebrates). It is a simple, standardised, and cost-effective method of monitoring system health. Water is one of the fastest routes for potential pollutants to travel, changes in the resident invertebrates can be monitored to observe changes in water chemistry. This session will focus on the use of Benthic invertebrates as indicator species of ecosystem health, the different tolerances for pollutants between different species, and what the presence of different species mean for stream health. Different methods of collection and monitoring will be discussed, and there will be a practical session during which collection and identification will be practised.