KiEco Freshwater Ecology: River Macroinvertebrates
Citation
Natural Resources Wales (2024). KiEco Freshwater Ecology: River Macroinvertebrates. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/qggn2f accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-09.Description
Freshwater marcoinvertebrates are used as an indicator of water quality and river flow requirements due to the relative immobility and abundance. This dataset is made up of the species abundance values from the freshwater river macroinvertebrates surveys conducted across Wales by Natural Resources Wales and former Environment Agency Wales. These surveys are conducted as part of on-going monitoring of river water quality for legislative requirements and to meet business drivers.
Purpose
Sampling Description
Method steps
- A strict methodology is applied when sampling for freshwater river macroinvertebrates. There is a core network of sites which are monitored on a three-yearly rolling programme. These sites are located where risk assessment has shown significant risk of failure of WFD ecological quality standards. In addition sites may be sampled for investigative work, or on an ad hoc basis. Sampling areas are located with a larger survey area and must be representative of the overall survey area. A three-minute kick-sample is the most commonly used sampling method, although where necessary alternative methods are used, for example in deeper water or for investigative work. Once samples are collected they are sent NRW ecology laboratories for identification using standard methodologies, employing a strict Analytical Quality Control (AQC) procedure. Once the data is collated in the central database, it has then been extracted and QA'd before going onto the NBN Atlas. It is important to note that this dataset will include some sampling events from recent months where sampling has been undertaken but laboratory analysis has not been completed, therefore the full complement of taxa for that sampling event will not yet be uploaded. These records will be completed in future data uploads from NRW to the NBN Atlas. This dataset also includes records for some non-macroinvertebrate species, such as birds and fish, that were either observed or collected during sampling. Any non-target organisms collected during sampling were immediately returned to the river.
Taxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
originatorNatural Resources Wales
metadata author
Natural Resources Wales
distributor
NBN Atlas
27 Old Gloucester St, Holborn
London
WC1N 3AX
London
GB
email: admin@nbnatlas.org
NRW NBN Administrator
administrative point of contact
position: editor
email: nbnadmin@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk