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The Dynamics of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Response to Environmental Change in Four Basins of the Etueffont Landfill Leachate (Belfort, France)

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Abstract

We investigated the relationships between the composition and structure of macroinvertebrate communities and some environmental variables over a year in four basins of the Etueffont landfill leachate (Belfort, France) using co-inertia analysis. Culicidae larvae were the dominant macroinvertebrate group in the studied basins, contributing to 87% of the total zoobenthos density, followed by Corixidae (8.8%), Chironomids (2.5%) and other larvae (each <1%). The lowest density of chironomid larvae was recorded in the first basin which is used as a discharge system for the leachate produced by the landfill. In basin 4, however, the Baetidae, Orthocladiinae (Orthocladius spp., Chaetocladius spp. and Isocladius spp.) and Tanypodinae (Psectrotanypus spp.) developed favoured by low levels in ammonia, COD, BOD, EC, metals and high oxygen concentrations. The co-inertia analysis illustrated both temporal and spatial variabilities in the basins and revealed a strong relationship between environmental conditions and benthic macroinvertebrates assemblages. This ordination technique showed that the chironomid community structure might be used successfully to differentiate between sites with different levels and types of pollution.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the SICTOM (Syndicat Intercommunal de Traitement des Ordures Ménagères) of Etueffont (Territoire de Belfort, France) for financial support. We also thank Dr Vernaux Valérie for help and good advices. We devote our special thanks to Dr B. Rossaro for his good comments and corrections of our contribution.

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  1. Bat. Forel (403), UMR CNRS 5023—Ecologie des hydrosystèmes fluviaux, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43, Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Khattabi Hicham

  2. Laboratoire de Biologie Environnementale, INRA 3184, Université de Franche-Comté, 1, Place Leclerc, 25030, Besançon Cedex, France

    Aleya Lotfi

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Hicham, K., Lotfi, A. The Dynamics of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Response to Environmental Change in Four Basins of the Etueffont Landfill Leachate (Belfort, France). Water Air Soil Pollut 185, 63–77 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9426-9

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