Using Macroinvertebrates as Water Quality Indicators

Group Members Names:

1. Sammy Quiroz
2. Nick Fields

Part A - Understanding Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Their Indications of Water Quality

1. Go to ​https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/waterquality/​ and complete the model activity.
a. Explain how scientists use indicator species to determine water quality.
i. Scientists use indicator species to determine the water quality and relative health of an aquatic
ecosystem. If a species from Bioassessment Group 1, which cannot tolerate pollution, is present
in an aquatic ecosystem, the scientists can infer that there is little or no pollution in the water. If
there is an abundance of species from Bioassessment Group 3, which are extremely tolerant of
pollution, and no species from Bioassessment 1, the scientists can infer that the water quality is
poor.
b. How are the organisms categorized? List the examples given for each category.
i. Bioassessment Group 1: species that can not tolerate pollution.
1. Examples: Dobsonfly larva, adult riffle beetle, water penny beetle larva, stonefly nymph,
mayfly larvae, snails (except pouch snails), caddisfly larva.
ii. Bioassessment Group 2: can exist in a wide range of water quality conditions
1. Examples: Damselfly larvae, crayfish, dragonfly larva, cranefly larva, clams, scud,
aquatic sowbug, beetle larva
iii. Bioassessment Group 3: composed of “tolerant” species who can live and survive in polluted
waters,
1. Examples: leeches, pouch snails, aquatic worms, black fly larva, midge larva
2. What was the Cumulative Index Value for your scenario?
a. The Cumulative Index Value found in the scenario was 18. The index value indicates good water quality.

Part B -​ ​Virtual Lab Investigation of pH and Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Populations.

Follow the link ​http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_09/BL_09.html
1. Read the description of the lab on the left side (use the scroll bar to continue reading)
a. What is the question you are trying to answer in this lab?
i. The question we are answering in this lab is: how do population changes of aquatic invertebrates
indicate water quality?
b. What are the objectives?
i. The objective of the lab are to investigate the effects of acid rain on different species of aquatic
invertebrates, and to describe how to presence of or absence of populations of aquatic
invertebrates indicate water quality.
2. Click on the information button at the bottom of the screen (use the scroll bar to continue reading)
a. Explain where acid rain comes from. What are the sources?
i. Acid rain comes from the burning of fossil fuels.
b. How does the acid enter the water cycle?
i. Pollutants can combine with water and other chemicals to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the
atmosphere.
c. What chemical is being used in this lab as model for acid rain?
i. Carbonic acid is being used in the lab as a model for acid rain.
d. Explain the pH scale.
i. The pH scale is used to measure how acidic or basic a substance is. It goes from 0 to 14. 0 to 6 is
acidic, 7 is neutral, and 8 to 14 is basic.
e. Find an image of a pH scale and insert it here.
 Using Macroinvertebrates as Water Quality Indicators

f. What is normal pH range for rain water?

i. Normal rain water typically has pH values ranging from 5.0 - 5.5, which is slightly acidic.
g. Some areas have extremely acidic rain. Give examples of the acidity level and the environmental impact.
i. When acid rain occurs, the pH value typically is around 4, which is significantly more acidic than
regular rain water. Acid rain affects both land and aquatic species, as it robs soil of essential
nutrients, inhibiting plant growth and subsequently harming species in the rest of the food chain.
h. Describe an indicator species and some ecological variables that influence their population size
i. An indicator species can show how healthy an environment is. The presence and population size
of an indicator species is affected by a number of different factors including food availability,
water temperature, amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, pH levels, and other factors.
3. Hypothesis​: If more carbonic acid is present in the controlled aquatic habitat, there will be fewer species from
Bioassessment Group 1, because the water will become more acidic and will not be suitable for intolerant species.
4. Methods​: Summarize the methods that will be used in this lab report. (Instruction on the left side of screen).
Note, you will repeat the trial until you have 6 species times by using the reset button.
a. Experimenters will begin with an aquatic habitat, where the water is at a pH of 7. Carbonic acid will be
added in increments, and the change in population size of three different species from Bioassessment
groups 1, 2 and 3 will be measured. More Carbonic acid will be added to the habitat, and the effects on
the populations of the three species will again be recorded.
5. Data​:
a. Create a Google Sheet to collect your data.
b. Create a graph of your collected data. When complete, copy and paste your graph here.
 Using Macroinvertebrates as Water Quality Indicators

6. Analysis
a. What are the names of the species used in this experiment?
i. Species 1 in this experiment was a sideswimmer, species 2 was a leech, and species 3 was a
stonefly nymph.
b. Which of these species was the most tolerant of increased acidity in the aquarium?
i. The leech, a representative of Bioassessment group 3, was the most tolerant of the three species
used in the experiment.
c. Which species was the least tolerant?
i. Species 3, or the Stonefly Nymph, was the least tolerant to acidity of the three species tested in
the experiment.
d. Describe how acid precipitation affects ecosystems.
i. The negative effects of acid rain are visible in both land and aquatic habitats. As acid rain flows
through rivers and streams, it can leach aluminum from soil clay particles and cause negative
effects on the existing aquatic wildlife. When aluminum is leached from the soil by acid rain,
plants are also negatively affected. It may also remove minerals and nutrients from the soil
needed to grow.
e. What is an indicator species? How are indicator species used to assess pollution levels in the
environment?
i. An indicator species can be used to determine the water quality and relative health of an aquatic
ecosystem. If a species from Bioassessment Group 1, which cannot tolerate pollution, is present
in an aquatic ecosystem, the scientists can infer that there is little or no pollution in the water. If
there is an abundance of species from Bioassessment Group 3, which are extremely tolerant of
pollution, and no species from Bioassessment 1, the scientists can infer that the water quality is
poor.
f. Suppose you are an ecologist studying the effects of acid precipitation on plant life. Describe an
experiment you would perform in order to determine which plant species would be a useful indicator
species for acid rain pollution.
i. If I was an ecologist studying the effects of acid rain precipitation I would go to a pond where no
pollution is present and use a frog from it as a constant. This would be the indicator species
because a frog's skin is moist and permeable allowing pollutants inside. After that is collected a
frog from a pond that has experienced acid rain will be collected. This will be compared to the
constant and the overall health of both frogs will be evaluated,