Biodiversity of Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Water Quality of the Boufekrane River, Meknes Morocco: Practical Guide to Water Biomonitoring

A study of the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the distribution and biodiversity of benthic
macroinvertebrates and water quality of the Boufekrane River (Meknes) was conducted. Four pristine
stations from the upstream and two stations at the downstream receiving anthropogenic impacts were
selected along the River. For 12 consecutive months (from January to December 2010), Based on the
SEQ-V.2 scoring system, water quality index classes, the upstream stations recorded significantly
higher biological monitoring scores and better water quality indices than those of the downstream.
Four variables are involved actively in the individualization of the physico-chemical environment:
COD, dissolved oxygen, TSS and temperature. The total number of macrobenthic taxa and their
overall richness indices and diversity indices were significantly higher at the upstream stations than at
the downstream stations. The biotypology analysis (PCA and FCA) and Pearson correlation analysis
showed that the richness and diversity indices were generally influenced by the total suspended
solids, chemical oxygen demand and the electric conductivity of the river water. This study also
highlighted the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the distribution and species diversity of
macrobenthic invertebrate. Some sensitive (Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera) and resistant species
(Oligochaeta such as Tubifex sp.) are identified as potential bioindicators of clean and polluted river
ecosystems, respectively, in Morocco rivers.The data obtained in this study supported the use of the
bioindicator concept (Innovative Biotechniques for controlling water quality) for North Africa rivers
because it is more efficient than conventional methods.