Ecological Modeling of Aquatic Insect Contributions to Buffering Capacity in a Tropical Tidal River, Nigeria | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||
| Volume 29, Issue 5, September and October 2025, Pages 1483-1499 PDF (577.6 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.414743.6419 | ||
| Author | ||
| Odum et al. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The buffering capacity of tropical tidal rivers is critical for sustaining aquatic life by maintaining chemical balance, yet the role of aquatic insects in this process remains underexplored. This study aimed to model and quantify the effect of aquatic insect communities on the buffering capacity of the Calabar River, Nigeria. Seasonal field sampling captured aquatic insect abundance, diversity, and water quality parameters at upstream, midstream, and downstream stations. Laboratory incubation experiments compared buffering capacity changes over 72 hours in microcosms with and without aquatic insects. A dynamic model simulated the influence of insect density on buffering dynamics. Results revealed that insect abundance peaked in the wet season, reaching 915 ± 42 individuals/m² downstream, with Shannon diversity indices up to 3.00. Buffering capacity ranged from 108 ± 6 mg/L CaCO₃ in the dry season midstream to 130 ± 7 mg/L CaCO₃ downstream in the wet season. Incubations showed an 18.2% increase in buffering capacity with insects present, significantly higher than the 4.5% change in controls (P< 0.001). The model confirmed that higher insect densities corresponded to greater buffering enhancements. Field data demonstrated a strong positive correlation (r= 0.72, P= 0.001) between insect abundance and buffering capacity. These findings indicate that aquatic insects play a crucial role in regulating chemical stability in tropical tidal rivers. Protecting insect habitats should be a key component of river management to maintain ecosystem resilience. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Aquatic insects; Buffering capacity; Tropical tidal river; Calabar River; Ecosystem resilience | ||
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