A test of aquatic macroinvertebrate sub-sampling using a gridded screen
The Biological Resource Evaluations Team of Los Alamos National Laboratories assessed the reliability of a gridded screen sub-sampling technique to estimate aquatic macroinvertebrates in total samples. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected by kick sampling three riffles areas in Guaje Canyon, Los Alamos County, New Mexico during July and August, 1994. The study included 4,144 macroinvertebrates from samples consisting of 442 to 1005 individuals. The entire samples were spread onto a gridded screen, and 100 macroinvertebrates were randomly selected for identification. To simplify the results, identified macroinvertebrates were assigned to one of six categories: plecoptera, ephemeroptera, trichoptera, coleoptera, diptera, and non-insects. Three sub-samples were taken from each of six full samples. These counts were used as predicted values, while the total sample counts were used as actual values. Single-factor ANOVA tests showed no significant differences between predicted to actual (PTA) values. However, PTA differences indicated that lab-sorting was a more reliable method than live-sorting without a narcotizing agent. Large samples and large numbers in macroinvertebrate categories were tentatively linked with greater PTA differences. PTA differences were less than 5% in 80% of our trials and less than 10% in 95% of our trials. Despite the relatively small size of sub-samples, sub-samples included 60% of taxa found in the total samples. This sub-sampling technique provides accurate estimates of total sample composition in stream reaches rich enough to easily yield the required 100 individuals.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10116766
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-94-4225; CONF-9505161-1; ON: DE95005159
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: North American Benthological Society conference,Keystone, CO (United States),30 May - 2 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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