The inshore benthic macroinvertebrates of Lake Nabugabo, Uganda: seasonal and spatial patterns
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Date
2001
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
African Zoology
Abstract
Lake Nabugabo, Uganda, is a lake of particular interest because of the unusual nature of its
benthic macroinvertebrate community. In this study we quantified the spatial and temporal
distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates within the lake with a focus on habitat associations
in inshore areas. We focused on four inshore habitats: Nymphaea lotus/Nymphaea caerulea
(water lily), Miscanthidium violaceum, Vossia cuspidata (hippo grass) and forest edge. The
most notable characteristic of the Nabugabo fauna was the absence of bivalves and crustaceans
and the scarcity of gastropods that made up only 1.8 % of the numerical abundance of
the benthos. The numerically dominant taxa were ephemeropterans (77.7 %) and dipterans
(11.1 %). Annelids (5.4 %), odonates (2.8 %) and trichopterans (1.3 %) comprised a much
smaller component of the benthic assemblage. Total invertebrate abundance and the
abundance of major taxa did not vary significantly across months, but habitat effects were
evident. The water-lily habitat was very depauperate, which may reflect the low levels of
dissolved oxygen near the sediments in this habitat. Lake Nabugabo is extremely poor in salts,
mean conductivity in inshore sites ranging from 22.3 to 26.4 μS/cm and 22.6 to 37.9 μS/cm
(K25) for surface and bottom waters, respectively. The low conductivity (low concentrations of
ions) in Lake Nabugabo may limit colonization by molluscs and crustaceans that, with their
calcareous shells or exoskeletons, may require water with a higher mineral content.
Description
Keywords
Aquatic invertebrates, East Africa, Ephemeroptera, Macrophytes
Citation
J. Efitre, L.J. Chapman & B. Makanga (2001) The inshore benthic macroinvertebrates of Lake Nabugabo, Uganda: seasonal and spatial patterns, African Zoology, 36:2, 205-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2001.11657139