Abundance, occurrence, seasonal changes and species composition of macroinvertebrates in the restored Iraqi Southern Marshes

الملخص EN

78 species of macroinvertebrate were recorded in all monitored marshes comprised 17 snails, 40 insects, 4 of each shrimp and Annelid, 3 of each mussel, spider and crab, 2 Isopods, and 1 of amphipod and 1 Cirriped.

Density of macro invertebrates was higher on aquatic plants in all groups except stations Saddah, Burkah (both in East Hammar).

The bottom substratum organisms were higher.

Maximum species were recorded in Suq Shuyukh 52species while minimum values were recorded in East Hammar 39 species.

Maximum density was recorded in East Hammar for snail 11.32-15.6 ind.

/ m2 on plant and 29.3-27ind /m2 on bottom substrate, while minimum density recorded in Um Alnaaj (Huwayzah) 2.2 ind.

/m2.

Maximum value for insect in Burkah bottom 6.3ind/m2 and minimum value in Suq Shuyukh bottom 0.33 ind.

/ m2.

Maximum value for shrimp was recorded on plant of Um Alnaaj 15.17 ind.

/ m2 and minimum value on plant in Amia 6.9 ind.

/ m2.

Seasonal changes in macro invertebrates numbers were recognized that maximum numbers were, recorded for all groups in spring, while minimum values were recorded in summer. Snail had higher values of diversity in all marshes; moreover East Hammar was higher than that in other marshes in biological indices.

Evenness was found to be 0.71 for shrimp in Huwayzah in comparison to Suq Shuyukh 0.45 and East Hammar 0.13.

Higher diversity of shrimp in Suq Shuyukh 0.73, while insect had a comparable in seasonal values and low in all ecological indices between Huwayzah and Suq Shuyukh..