Status and the Diversity of Macrobenthos of Udu - Ghievwen Wetlands in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

A survey on the status and diversity of benthic fauna community of Udu – Ughievwen wetlands was carried out for a period of six months. Benthic samples were collected using the Ekman Grab made by Hydrobios. Water Hyancinth (Eichornia crassipes) was also sampled for benthic organisms. A total of twelve taxonomic groups were recorded in this study and they include; Ephemeroptera (37.63%), Diptera (20.45%), Decapoda (14.39%), Odonata (6.48%), Annelida (5.97%), Coleopterans (4.21%) and Trichoptera (3.87%). Others were; Mollusca (3.45%), Amphibian (2.85%), Hemiptera (2.27%) and Arachnida (0.42%). The highest number of individuals was collected from Ohwawha (171) and least at Ofri (60). Shannon – Weiner diversity (H) was highest at Ujevwu and least at Ofri sampling stations respectively. The suitability and diversity of the macrohabitats in the various study sites have favoured the abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates particularly the Decapoda, Ephemeroptera, and Diptera in these water bodies. The dominance of Ephemeroptera in most of the sites indicates a healthy nature or sound environmental quality of the entire Udu – Ughievwen wetlands. The study revealed that wetlands are populated by a rather different assortment of macroinvertebrates.

Keywords: Dominant, Wetlands, Macrobenthos, Niger Delta, Biodiversity.