Use of phytoplankton index of biological integrity (P-IBI)‎ as a tool to evaluate Tigris River health

Abstract EN

A multimetric Phytoplankton Index of Biological Integrity (P-IBI) was composed to assess the biotic integrity of water of Tigris River seasonally.

The IBI was applied throughout Baghdad city on 3 locations in Tigris River during 2010.

The P-IBI had 8 metrics: Species Richness Index, Phytoplankton Density and Relative Abundance for Blue Green Algae, Green Algae, Centrales, Pennales, Yellow Green Algae and Pyrrophyte Algae.The P-IBI scores were calculated by comparing it against historical data on phytoplankton assemblage composition.

They P-IBI result ranged between good- acceptable, where the values ranged (60.5-63.3) in station 1, (60-75.5) in station 2 and (57.7-70.7) in station 3.

The highest value recorded in station 2 through spring, and the lowest value observed in station 3 through summer.

The P-IBI is a valuable, easily and complementary tool to assessing river ecosystem health and evaluating restoration efforts, this index appears to be an effective measure of levels of anthropogenic disturbance.