Effect of Deforestation on the Ecological Quality of Some Rivers in Western Ivory Coast | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 23, Volume 29, Issue 4, July and August 2025, Page 427-452 PDF (1.24 MB) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.440925 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Gertrude et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Western Ivory Coast is experiencing deforestation aligned with its effects on rivers. This study aimed to assess the impact of deforestation on the ecological quality of six rivers by analyzing the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. A total of 126 macroinvertebrate samples were collected at 18 stations between January 2021 and February 2022 using a hand net and a Van Veen grab, after measuring abiotic parameters. Land use data from 2022 were processed using QGIS software, employing the $area function to determine the area of each land use class in km². Ecological status was assessed using indices such as rarefied richness, Shannon diversity, equitability, EPT, and Chironomidae indices. The relationship between forest cover and macroinvertebrate communities was analyzed using the correlation coefficient r, where values close to 0 indicate no correlation and values close to 1 indicate a strong correlation. Land use analysis revealed a predominance of bare ground/habitat classes at seven stations (BA2, BA3, DO3, GN1, GN2, NZ1, and NZ2), crops/fallow land at four stations (DO1, DO2, GN3, and NO1), and dense forest at five stations (BA1, NO2, NO3, TI1, and TI3). Based on land use, the sampling sites were grouped into three categories: GI, GII, and GIII. Abiotic parameter variations among the three groups showed high temperature (34.01°C) and turbidity (60 NTU) values in GI stations, which were characterized by extensive bare soil. GIII stations, located in forested areas, showed greater diversity, with Shannon (3.1) and equitability (0.93) indices significantly higher than those in the other groups. The EPT index was significantly lower (1.04%) in GI compared to GII and GIII, while the Chironomidae index was the highest in GI. The correlation coefficient r showed a significant positive correlation between the EPT index and forest cover (r = 0.47, P = 0.019) and a significant negative correlation with non-forest areas (r = -0.69, P = 0.008). This study highlighted the critical importance of preserving riparian forests to sustain aquatic biodiversity and maintain water quality. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Deforestation; Aquatic macroinvertebrates; Abiotic parameters; Ecological quality; Western Ivory Coast | ||||
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