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. 2022 Feb 7;10:e79275. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e79275

Benthic macroinvertebrates assemblages of glacial-fed (Bheri) and rain-fed (Babai) rivers in western Nepal in the wake of proposedinter-basin water transfer

Kumar Khatri 1,2, Smriti Gurung 2,✉, Bibhuti Ranjan Jha 2, Udhab Raj Khadka 3
PMCID: PMC8843947  PMID: 35210919

Abstract

Background

Benthic macroinvertebrates, encompassing large taxonomic groups of invertebrate organisms, are important components of aquatic ecosystems and play crucial roles in aquatic food webs. These organisms are also extensively used in water quality assessments as bioindicators for a range of stressors. Inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) is the transfer of water from a donor basin to a recipient basin and such transfers have both beneficial as well as adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts. This study attempts to generate baseline information on macroinvertebrates assemblages in glacial-fed (Bheri) and rain-fed (Babai) rivers of west Nepal, where Nepal’s first ever inter-basin transfer is in progress and the data can be used to assess the impact of inter-basin water transfer on water quality and aquatic biodiversity after completion.

New information

The dataset includes the records on the taxonomic diversity of macroinvertebrate in the Bheri and the Babai River systems. A total of 56 families of macroinvertebrates belonging to eight classes and four phyla were observed. A significant variation between the glacial-fed and rain-fed and seasons were observed reflecting different ecological zones and abiotic variables in the rivers and their catchments. Hydropsychidae and Baetidae were reported to be the most abundant taxa in the Bheri River system, whereas Gyrinidae, Physidae, Chironomidae and Hydropsychidae were most abundant taxa in the Babai River system.

Keywords: macroinvertebrates, glacial-fed river, rain-fed river, inter-basin water transfer, inventory, Nepal

Introduction

Benthic macroinvertebrates encompass a rich taxonomy and are widely distributed and found abundantly in water bodies (Benetti et al. 2012). They play crucial roles in aquatic food webs and maintain ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems. Macroinvertebrates are primary consumers as they are the primary processors of organic materials and thus, play a key role in nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems (Covich et al. 1999). In addition to their role as primary consumers, they also serve as detritivores consuming decomposing organic matter and also act as predators (Carter et al. 2017). These groups of organisms are sensitive to even small changes in physico-chemical parameters in water bodies and their catchments (Ganguly et al. 2018). They respond to different stream conditions and levels of stressors and their presence or absence can be used to indicate the impact of such stressors (Labajo-Villantes and Nuñeza 2015). Accordingly, they are one of the most commonly-used bioindicators of water bodies (Rosenberg 1993).

Freshwater resources are one of the most impacted ecosystems (Pereira et al. 2009) as humans have explored and developed several ways to minimise the issue of water scarcity, such as recycling wastewater, seawater desalination, virtual water trade, inter-basin water transfer, rain water harvesting technology and restoration of wetlands (Zhuang 2016). One of the effective ways to minimise water scarcity problems and to balance the water in deficit and surplus areas is the concept of inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) which involves transfer of water from water-surplus basins to water-deficient basins (Tien Bui et al. 2020). Although such projects have significant benefits, they also tend to have adverse upstream and downstream impacts and may affect river morphology, river flow, hydrologic systems, water quality, vegetation and biota in both donor and the recipient basins (Tien Bui et al. 2020). Such alterations and modifications have potential implications on biotic communities, such as changes in alteration of aquatic habitats, introduction of non-indigenous organisms and impacts on migratory species (Cole Sr and Carver 2011). Apart from this, such transfers are also known to have socio-economic implications (Rangachari 2005, White 2014). The Eastern National Water Carrier, the Tugela-Vaal Water Transfer Scheme in southern Africa, Snowy Mountains Scheme in south-east Australia etc. provide examples of the adverse impacts of inter-basin transfers on aquatic biota, such as the macroinvertebrates, algae and fishes (Davies et al. 1992, Snaddon et al. 1999, Bunn and Arthington 2002). Therefore, impact assessment of IBWT projects becomes crucial. In order to assess the impacts of IBWT, baseline information on physical, chemical and biological parameters are required which can act as reference for future impact assessment studies.

Sampling methods

Sampling description

Macroinvertebrate sampling followed the microhabitat approach (Barbour et al. 1999). Different microhabitats like riffles, pools and runs were considered during sampling. A standard 250 micrometer (μm) mesh net was used to sample the macroinvertebrates. The net was placed against the flow of the river and the substrates were disturbed with the heels of the feet. The dislodged macroinvertebrates, carried downstream by the water current, were trapped in the net. At each site, 50–100 m stretch was considered and 10 subsamples were collected to form a composite sample. Larger substrates were picked up and rubbed by hand to remove attached organisms. Each composite sample was transferred into a collecting jar, preserved in 70% ethanol and all samples were brought to the laboratory of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering (DESE), Kathmandu University for identification.

Step description

Macroinvertebrates were sorted and identified to family level by following standard literature (Merritt and Cummins 1996, Dudgeon 1999) and regional keys.

Geographic coverage

Description

The study was conducted in the Bheri and the Babai Rivers and some of their tributaries in the wake of proposedfirst inter-basin water transfer in western Nepal. The project aims to divert 40 m3/s of water from Bheri River to Babai River through a 12.2 km long tunnel to achieve yearround irrigation for 51000 ha of agricultural land in Banke and Bardiya districts and to generate 46 MW electricity (GoN/DoWRI 2018). The Bheri River is a major tributary of the Karnali River, located in western Nepal and originates in the glacier of the Himalayas (Negi 1991). The average discharge of the Bheri River at Samaijighat (Station No. 269.5 located at 500 m a.s.l.), upstream of the proposed water diversion, during summer is 805 ± 635.20 m3/s; 346.70 ± 369.40 m3/s in autumn; 86.82 ± 6.22 m3/s in winter and 82.67 ± 7.59 m3/s in spring (GoN/DoHD 2019). The Babai is a perennial river, which originates in the Mahabharat Range, is fed by springs, precipitation and groundwater, but the volume of water is low during the dry season (Sharma 1977). The average discharge of the Babai River at Chepang (Station No. 289.95 located at 325 m a.s.l.), near the proposed release, during summer is 75.84 ± 94.17 m3/s; 42.06 ± 38.68 m3/s in autumn; 1.45 ± 1.01 m3/s in winter and 8.91 ± 6.27 m3/s in spring (GoN/DoHD 2019). Upstream and downstream of the water diversion at Bheri and upstream and downstream of the water release at Babai, three upstream tributaries of Bheri and three upstream sites (two tributaries and one mainstream) of Babai were sampled. Therefore, a total of 10 sites were sampled for this study (Figs 1, 2, 3, Table 1). Since one of the sampling sites - Mulghat - is located in Bardiya National Park, a mandatory permit for sampling was taken from the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).

Photos of sampling sites of the glacial-fed river system (Bheri river system)

Figure 1a.

Figure 1a.

Bheri River (BH1)

Figure 1b.

Figure 1b.

Bheri River (BH2)

Figure 1c.

Figure 1c.

Goche (BHT1)

Figure 1d.

Figure 1d.

Chingad (BHT2)

Figure 1e.

Figure 1e.

Jhupra (BHT3)

Figure 1f.

Figure 1f.

Macroinvertebrate sampling.

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Photos of sampling sites of the rain-fed river system (Babai River system)

Figure 2a.

Figure 2a.

Babai River (BB1)

Figure 2b.

Figure 2b.

Babai River (BB2)

Figure 2c.

Figure 2c.

Babai River (BB3)

Figure 2d.

Figure 2d.

Patre (BBT1)

Figure 2e.

Figure 2e.

Katuwa (BBT2)

Figure 2f.

Figure 2f.

Macroinvertebrate sampling.

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Figure 3.

Figure 3.

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The map showing the sampling locations.

Table 1.

Sampling sites in the Bheri and the Babai River systems with geographical coordinates and elevation.

Site Code River Places Elevation
(m a.s.l.)		 Latitude Longitude Remarks
BH1 Bheri Surkhet 436 28.45742°N 081.78235°E Upstream of water diversion at Bheri
BH2 Bheri Surkhet 403 28.51468°N 081.67520°E Downstream of water diversion at Bheri
BHT1 Goche Mehelkuna, Surkhet 475 28.43677°N 081.83489°E Tributary of Bheri
BHT2 Chingad Gangate, Surkhet 466 28.55361°N 081.70715°E Tributary of Bheri
BHT3 Jhupra Surkhet 497 28.57791°N 081.67207°E Tributary of Bheri
BB1 Babai Chepangghat, Surkhet 293 28.35160°N 081.72109°E Upstream of water release at Babai
BB2 Babai Mulghat, Bardiya 287 28.36127°N 081.68044°E Downstream of water release at Babai
BB3 Babai Bel Takura, Dang 561 28.03095°N 082.26972°E Upstream of Babai
BBT1 Patre Majhgaun, Dang 594 28.07607°N 082.37733°E Tributary of Babai
BBT2 Katuwa Ghorahi, Dang 625 28.01966°N 082.48380°E Tributary of Babai
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Taxonomic coverage

Description

The dataset includes the records on the taxonomic diversity of macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems. A total of 56 families of macroinvertebrates belonging to eight classes and four phyla were observed. Hydropsychidae (during winter and summer) and Baetidae (during spring and autumn) were reported to be the most abundant taxa in the Bheri River system, whereas Gyrinidae (during winter), Physidae (during summer), Chironomidae (during autumn) and Hydropsychidae (during spring) were the most abundant taxa in the Babai River system (Fig. 4).

Most abundant species during sampling

Figure 4a.

Figure 4a.

Hydropsychidae

Figure 4b.

Figure 4b.

Baetidae

Figure 4c.

Figure 4c.

Chironomidae

Figure 4d.

Figure 4d.

Gyrinidae

Figure 4e.

Figure 4e.

Physidae.

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Taxa included

Rank Scientific Name
phylum Arthropoda
phylum Platyhelminthes
phylum Mollusca
phylum Annelida
class Insecta
class Bivalvia
class Gastropoda
class Malacostraca
class Turbellaria
class Arachnida
class Clitellata
class Polychaeta
order Ephemeroptera
order Odonata
order Plecoptera
order Hemiptera
order Megaloptera
order Coleoptera
order Trichoptera
order Lepidoptera
order Diptera
order Sphaeriida
order Basommatophora
order Neotaenioglossa
order Decapoda
order Tricladida
order Acarina
order Oligochaeta
order Haplotaxida
order Opisthopora
order Phyllodocida
family Ameletidae
family Baetidae
family Heptageniidae
family Arthropleidae
family Ephemerellidae
family Caenidae
family Leptophlebiidae
family Potamanthidae
family Ephemeridae
family Gomphidae
family Macromiidae
family Libellulidae
family Calopterygidae
family Euphaeidae
family Synlestidae
family Perlidae
family Veliidae
family Gerridae
family Nepidae
family Aphelocheiridae
family Micronectidae
family Corydalidae
family Gyrinidae
family Dytiscidae
family Hydrophilidae
family Psephenidae
family Elmidae
family Hydropsychidae
family Philopotamidae
family Polycentropodidae
family Psychomyiidae
family Glossosomatidae
family Hydroptilidae
family Rhyacophilidae
family Brachycentridae
family Stenopsychidae
family Pyralidae
family Ceratopogonidae
family Athericidae
family Empididae
family Tabanidae
family Limoniidae
family Culicidae
family Simuliidae
family Chironomidae
family Sphaeriidae
family Physidae
family Planorbidae
family Thiaridae
family Palaemonidae
family Planariidae
family Acaridae
family Oligochaeta indet.
family Naididae
family Megascolecidae
family Nereididae
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Temporal coverage

Notes

In order to generate baseline information on macroinvertebrates in the wake of proposedinter-basin transfer from glacial-fed Bheri to rain-fed Babai River systems, a macro-invertebrate inventory was generated. In this paper, we provide the family level dataset of macroinvertebrates covering a period of one year (2018) encompassing four seasons, namely winter (January), spring (March-April), summer (June) and autumn (October).

Collection data

Collection name

Benthic macroinvertebrates of the Bheri and the Babai River systems.

Specimen preservation method

70% Ethanol

Usage licence

Usage licence

Creative Commons Public Domain Waiver (CC-Zero)

Data resources

Data package title

Benthic macroinvertebrates data of the Bheri and the Babai River systems.

Number of data sets

1

Data set 1.

Data set name

Benthic macroinvertebrates data of the Bheri and the Babai River systems

Number of columns

14

Data format version

CSV (comma delimited)

Description

The presented data (Suppl. material 1) contains information on the distribution and species composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems in western Nepal.

Data set 1.
Column label Column description
River Name of River
Site Code Code assigned to sampling sites
Place Place of sampling
Elevation Metres above sea level (m a.s.l.)
Longitude Longitude (ºN)
Latitude Latitude (ºE)
District Name of District
Date Date of sampling
Seasons Name of seasons
Phylum Macroinvertebrate Phylum
Class Macroinvertebrate Class
Order Macroinvertebrate Order
Family Macroinvertebrate Family
Total Catch Total number of Macroinvertebrates trapped
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Additional information

Macroinvertebrate assemblages:

A total of 21,866 macroinvertebrates belonging to 56 families, 8 classes and 19 orders were captured during the sampling periods. A total of 11,473 macroinvertebrates contributing 52.47% belonging to 42 families and 13 orders were observed in the Bheri River system, whereas a total of 10,393 macroinvertebrates contributing 47.53% belonging to 49 families and 18 orders were observed in the Babai River system. Insect fauna represented the bulk of macroinvertebrate communities in both river systems.

In the Bheri River system, 38 families of insects were observed contributing 99.41%, whereas in the Babai River system, 39 families of insects were observed contributing 79.77% of total macroinvertebrate fauna. The non-insect fauna in the Babai system were represented by 10 families with four Mollusca taxa; one each of Malacostraca and Arachnida taxa and; four Annelida taxa. A number of studies in Nepal have reported insects as dominant macroinvertebrates in streams and rivers (Matangulu et al. 2017, Rai et al. 2019, Shah et al. 2020, Gurung et al. 2021). Non-insect fauna, particularly Mollusca, have been reported in lowland water bodies (Nesemann and Sharma 2005) as opposed to mid-hill rivers and streams. Insects are the most speciose species (Samways 1993) and most of the insects spend their larval or nymphal stages in aquatic ecosystems (Merritt et al. 2019). The %EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) was also higher in the Bheri River system (74.15%) than in the Babai River system (34.11%) and this finding is in accordance with previous studies in eastern (Gurung et al. 2021), mid-western (Sharma et al. 2015) and far-west (Suren 1994) Nepal and elsewhere (Mishra and Nautiyal 2013). Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera are considered as major benthic communities of freshwaters (Malicky et al. 2008, Nautiyal et al. 2013).

In the Bheri River system the highest number of macroinvertebrates were found in site BH2 (1642 individuals during the spring season), while the lowest number of macroinvertebrates was also observed in BH2 (only 123 individuals during the autumn season). In the Babai River system, the highest number of macroinvertebrates were found in BB3 (1266 individuals during the autumn season), while the lowest number of macroinvertebrates were observed in BB1 (186 individuals during the winter season). The most dominant taxa and the taxa with the lowest number of individuals (only 2) in different seasons in both the river systems are listed in Table 2. The Mann Whitney U test revealed significant variation (p < 0.05) in the abundance of Baetidae, Heptageniidae, Ephemerellidae, Ephemeridae, Psephenidae, Stenopsychidae, Chironomidae and Physidae between the Bheri and the Babai River systems.

Table 2.

Status of seasonal macroinvertebrate dominant taxa from the Bheri and the Babai River systems.

River Season Dominant taxa Highest number recorded Taxa with lowest number
Bheri Winter Hydropsychidae 818 Ephemeridae, Veliidae, Elmidae and Glossosomatidae
Bheri Spring Baetidae 920 Ephemeridae, Macromiidae, Gyrinidae and Ceratopogonidae
Bheri Summer Hydropsychidae 491 Gerridae, Micronectidae and Gyrinidae
Bheri Autumn Baetidae 1645 Pyralidae, Ceratopogonidae and Acaridae
Babai Winter Gyrinidae 708 Ephemerellidae and Limoniidae
Babai Spring Hydropsychidae 580 Calopterygidae, Psephenidae, Philopotamidae and Psychomyiidae
Babai Summer Physidae 697 Macromiidae
Babai Autumn Chironomidae 679 Heptageniidae, Ephemeridae and Sphaeriidae
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Baetidae is a common taxon and occurs in almost all freshwater habitats including fast flowing riffles, runs, pools and wetlands, but they are most diverse in cool flowing water (Dean and Suter 1996). Baetidae, Simuliidae and Chironomidae are quite common taxa in freshwater and are known to be present even in disturbance zones (Mackay 1992). Baetidae and Hydropsychidae have also been reported to be common taxa from many Nepalese rivers (Ormerod et al. 1994, Suren 1994, Gurung et al. 2013, Bhandari et al. 2018). Hydropsychidae are filter feeders (Cushing Jr 1963) and their abundance in most of the lotic systems in Nepal indicates presence of sediment in rivers. Babai with its low flow compared to Bheri, warmer water temperature and its catchment more prone to soil erosion and landslides after intense rainfall (Bhandari and Dhakal 2018) might have favoured food availability and habitat for Hydropsychidae. Physidae is an air breather (Koopman et al. 2016), so they can even survive in low dissolved oxygen (DO). Physidae prefer slow moving shallow water and they feed on algae, diatoms, other organic wastes and macrophytes and their abundance is higher in warm waters. At the time of sampling, the tributaries of Babai were characterised by low flow compared to others and were filled with algae. The warm water, algal growth and relatively lower DO (5.53 mg/l) might explain the abundance of Physidae in the tributaries of the Babai River system.

The Jaccard distance value was 0.37 indicating that 37% of the macroinvertebrate taxa were dissimilar between these two river systems. Taxa such as Baetidae, Ephemerellidae, Caenidae, Leptophlebiidae, Gomphidae, Perlidae, Philopotamidae, Tabanidae, Limoniidae and Chironomidae were observed in both the river systems and during all four seasons. Families like Arthropleidae, Potamanthidae, Polycentropodidae, Glossosomatidae, Rhyacophilidae, Empididae and Planariidae were found exclusively in the Bheri River system, whereas Families like Libellulidae, Calopterygidae, Synlestidae, Nepidae, Dytiscidae, Hydroptilidae, Ceratopogonidae, Culicidae, Sphaeriidae, Planorbidae, Thiaridae, Naididae, Megascolecidae and Nereididae were exclusively found in the Babai River system. However, it should be noted that the taxa reported in this study only reflects those from selected sites. Oligochaetes, such as Naididae, are known to be associated with macrophytes and abundant in fine sediments (Cortelezzi et al. 2011) and the presence of macrophytes and fine sediment beds in the tributaries of the Babai supports these taxa in those streams. Similarly, Physidae and Planorbidae, which show preference to slow moving shallow water (Voigts 1976), were abundant in Babai’s tributaries. Leptophlebiidae are known to prefer warmer waters (Savage 1987) and were present in the Babai River system. In contrast, Rhyacophilidae are typical cold-water taxa requiring high dissolved oxygen concentrations (Corkum 1989) and this taxon was observed only in glacial-fed Bheri, characterised by higher flow and dissolved oxygen (11.6 mg/l).

Despite rich water resources (GoN/WECS 2011), aquatic biodiversity assessments, including those of macroinvertebrates, are still scant in the Nepalese context. A recent study in Karnali River Basin in western Nepal has reported 84 families of freshwater macroinvertebrates (Shah et al. 2020). Other studies have reported 51 families from the Bagmati River (Rai et al. 2019); 53 families from western Nepal (Suren 1994) and 49 families from eastern Nepal (Gurung et al. 2021).

Diversity Indices

Different diversity indices, such as Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’), Pielou’s evenness (J), Simpson’s Diversity index (1-D) and species richness of sampling sites in different seasons, were calculated (Table 3). The mean Shannon-Weiner diversity was higher in the Babai River system (1.76 ± 0.49) than that of the Bheri River system (1.68 ± 0.48). The Kruskal Wallis test revealed significant variation in Shannon-Weiner diversity in seasons only in the Babai River system (H = 4.35, df = 3, p = 0.23). Taxa richness in the Bheri River system ranged from 5-23, while in the Babai River system, it ranged from 4 to 24. Taxa diversity and richness are affected by a range of environmental variables, such as hydrology, dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentrations, temperature, pH etc. (Zhuang 2016, Custodio et al. 2018). In general, diversity tends to be higher in stable environments than disturbed conditions (Odum and Barrett 1971). Family-based Shannon-Weiner diversity (H’) values of < 1 indicate poor water quality, values of 1 < H’ < 3 indicate moderate water quality and > 3 indicates good water quality (Welch and Naczk 1992). Most of the sampled sites showed H’ values of 1 < H’ < 3 indicating moderate water quality. The results of the GRSBIOS (The Ganga River System Biotic Score) also supported this finding. The majority of streams and rivers, particularly in the mid-hills and lowlands in Nepal, are impacted by agricultural runoffs (Dahal 2010). The presence of agricultural runoff and low flow, particularly during spring seasons, explains the low taxa richness in BBT2 and BHT1.

Table 3.

Spatial and temporal variation in species richness and diversity indices.

River Site Seasons Total Number of Orders Total Number of Families Shannon-Weiner Diversity (H') Evenness (J) Simpson's diversity index (1-D)
Bheri BH1 Winter 7 17 1.826 0.644 0.745
Bheri BH2 Winter 5 13 1.451 0.566 0.604
Bheri BHT1 Winter 10 19 1.020 0.341 0.398
Bheri BHT2 Winter 5 8 1.874 0.853 0.799
Bheri BHT3 Winter 4 8 0.641 0.308 0.260
Bheri BH1 Spring 9 20 2.194 0.721 0.844
Bheri BH2 Spring 7 22 2.012 0.642 0.800
Bheri BHT1 Spring 5 8 1.523 0.733 0.738
Bheri BHT2 Spring 7 14 2.063 0.782 0.840
Bheri BHT3 Spring 6 13 2.050 0.799 0.839
Bheri BH1 Summer 5 11 1.892 0.789 0.781
Bheri BH2 Summer 5 13 1.529 0.596 0.598
Bheri BHT1 Summer 4 5 0.774 0.481 0.387
Bheri BHT2 Summer 8 18 1.715 0.593 0.745
Bheri BHT3 Summer 8 16 2.116 0.763 0.826
Bheri BH1 Autumn 6 15 2.103 0.776 0.831
Bheri BH2 Autumn 4 10 1.847 0.802 0.785
Bheri BHT1 Autumn 6 15 2.241 0.828 0.864
Bheri BHT2 Autumn 7 16 1.055 0.381 0.398
Bheri BHT3 Autumn 9 20 1.887 0.620 0.769
Average 1.691 0.651 0.692
Babai BB1 Winter 7 13 1.878 0.732 0.780
Babai BB2 Winter 7 13 1.625 0.633 0.708
Babai BB3 Winter 6 8 0.243 0.117 0.079
Babai BBT1 Winter 8 15 1.334 0.481 0.556
Babai BBT2 Winter 8 15 1.891 0.698 0.792
Babai BB1 Spring 6 15 2.209 0.816 0.842
Babai BB2 Spring 8 19 2.217 0.753 0.832
Babai BB3 Spring 8 18 1.530 0.529 0.626
Babai BBT1 Spring 5 10 1.420 0.617 0.644
Babai BBT2 Spring 2 4 1.134 0.818 0.642
Babai BB1 Summer 8 13 2.165 0.844 0.837
Babai BB2 Summer 7 15 1.546 0.571 0.670
Babai BB3 Summer 10 18 2.447 0.847 0.894
Babai BBT1 Summer 11 20 2.136 0.713 0.803
Babai BBT2 Summer 6 11 1.814 0.757 0.774
Babai BB1 Autumn 7 14 2.162 0.819 0.863
Babai BB2 Autumn 9 18 1.947 0.674 0.772
Babai BB3 Autumn 10 24 1.925 0.606 0.809
Babai BBT1 Autumn 6 10 1.773 0.770 0.796
Babai BBT2 Autumn 7 14 1.900 0.720 0.764
Average 1.765 0.676 0.724
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Water Quality Class, based on GRSBIOS/ASPT

The macroinvertebrate-based ecological assessment tool, GRSBIOS (Nesemann et al. 2007) was used to assess water quality of the sampling sites. In this method, around 110 insect and non-insect taxa are given scores ranging from 1 to 10. Lower scores have been assigned to tolerant taxa, whereas higher scores have been assigned to sensitive taxa. The GRSBIOS/ASPT (GRSBIOS/ Average Score Per Taxon) was calculated by dividing the total scores assigned to macroinvertebrate taxa by the total number of the taxa present at the particular site. From the obtained GRSBIOS/ASPT value, the Water Quality Class (WQC) was calculated using the transformation table (Table 4) adapted from NEPBIOS/ASPT (Nepalese Biotic Score/Average Score Per Taxon).

Table 4.

Transformation table for water quality classification.

NEPBIOS/ASPT Original Scale NEPBIOS/ASPT for Mid-land NEPBIOS/ASPT for Lowland Water quality class
8.00-10.00 7.50-10.00 6.50-10.00 I
7.00-7.99 6.51-7.49 6.00-6.49 I-II
5.50-6.99 5.51-6.50 5.00-5.99 II
4.00-5.49 4.51-5.50 4.00-4.99 II-III
2.50-3.99 3.51-4.50 2.50-3.99 III
1.01-2.49 2.01-3.50 1.01-2.49 III-IV
1 1.00-2.00 1 IV
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Table 5 shows the Water Quality Class (WQC) at different sampling sites in different seasons. The result indicates that the water quality of most of the sites was moderate to heavily polluted. Sites BBT1 during winter and spring and BBT2 during spring and autumn were found to be more polluted than other sites. These sites were characterised by low flow, algal growth and lower DO values with large numbers of Naididae and Chironomidae. These taxa are typical of organic pollution (Küçük 2008).

Table 5.

Spatial and temporal variation water quality, based on the GRSBIOS/ASPT index.

Season Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Site GRSBIOS/ASPT WQC GRSBIOS/ASPT WQC GRSBIOS/ASPT WQC GRSBIOS/ASPT WQC
BH1 6.06 II 6.06 II 5.44 II 6.31 II
BH2 6.91 I-II 5.95 II 6.45 II 6.44 II
BHT1 5.89 II 4.57 II-III 4.75 II-III 5.85 II
BHT2 6.25 II 5.92 II 6.13 II 5.80 II
BHT3 6.50 II 5.83 II 6.07 II 6.32 II
BB1 6.25 II 5.54 II 6.15 II 6.15 II
BB2 5.92 II 6.12 II 6.08 II 5.69 II
BB3 6.00 II 5.13 II-III 5.41 II-III 5.52 II
BBT1 4.31 III 4.40 III 5.40 II-III 5.11 II-III
BBT2 4.86 II-III 3.00 III 4.70 II-III 4.58 III
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Conclusion

A total of 56 macroinvertebrate families were observed indicating a rich macroinvertebrate biodiversity in these river systems. A significant variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages between the glacial-fed and rain-fed river systems and seasons were observed reflecting different ecological zones and abiotic variables in the rivers and their catchments. The ongoing inter-basin water transfer is likely to affect different environmental variables and biota including macroinvertebrate assemblages. Therefore, baseline data of macroinvertebrates, generated from this study, would be useful as future references for impact assessment of inter-basin transfer of water from glacial-fed (Bheri) to rain-fed (Babai) rivers in western Nepal.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary material 1

Benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems in western Nepal.

Kumar Khatri, Smriti Gurung, Bibhuti Ranjan Jha, Udhab Raj Khadka

Data type

CSV (comma delimited)

Brief description

The presented data contain information on the distribution and species composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems in western Nepal.

File: oo_633749.csv

bdj-10-e79275-s001.csv (65.6KB, csv)

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the University Grants Commission (UGC) (Faculty Collaborative Research Grant for F.Y. 2072/73), Nepal for funding this research. We would also like to acknowledge the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Nepal for giving us permission to sample at Mulghat, Bardiya National Park; and staff from Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project for their cooperation during the field visits.

Author contributions

Kumar Khatri - fieldwork, sorting and cleaning of the samples, taxa identification, dataset preparation, data analysis and manuscript preparation.

Smriti Gurung – site selection, fieldwork, taxa identification, data analysis and manuscript preparation and review.

Bibhuti Ranjan Jha - fieldwork, logistic arrangement, dataset compilation and manuscript preparation.

Udhab Raj Khadka- fieldwork, dataset compilation and manuscript preparation.

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary material 1

Benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems in western Nepal.

Kumar Khatri, Smriti Gurung, Bibhuti Ranjan Jha, Udhab Raj Khadka

Data type

CSV (comma delimited)

Brief description

The presented data contain information on the distribution and species composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bheri and the Babai River systems in western Nepal.

File: oo_633749.csv

bdj-10-e79275-s001.csv (65.6KB, csv)

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