Determination of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Fauna and Some Physicochemical Properties of Balaban Lake (Menderes- Izmir)

In this study, we aimed to identify the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna and some physicochemical characteristics of Balaban Lake located in Menderes, Izmir. For this, benthic macroinvertebrate and water samples were taken from 5 stations of the lake from October 2019 to August 2020. As a result, a total of 25 taxa were identified and were classified as Annelida (Oligochaeta and Hirudinea), Mollusca (Bivalvia and Gastropoda), Crustacea and other Insecta (Trichoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera). The sampling stations were clustered by using the Bray-Curtis UPGMA analysis in terms of the distribution of the benthic macroinvertebrates. As a result of the UPGMA analysis, the 2nd and 3rd stations (88%) were the most similar to each other. The second most similar stations to each other were determined as the 1st and 4th stations (75%). This situation can be explained by the bottom structure (rich vegetation) of these stations. According to Pearson Correlation, there is a strong positive correlation (p<0.01) of TU, EC, TDS and TP with Nais communis, while there is strong positive correlation (p<0.05) of TU, EC and TDS with Nais elinguis. On the other hand, there is a strong negative correlation (p<0.01) of TU, pH, EC, TDS and TP with Gammarus sp. This study is the first study for determining Balaban Lake benthic fauna. That's why all the taxa diagnosed in the stream has been recorded for the first time.

Automated summary

The study aimed to identify the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna and physicochemical characteristics of Balaban Lake in Menderes, Izmir. A total of 25 taxa were classified, with the 2nd and 3rd stations being the most similar, followed by the 1st and 4th stations. Strong positive correlations were found between certain physicochemical factors and specific taxa, while a strong negative correlation was observed with another taxon. This is the first study on the benthic fauna of Balaban Lake, with all taxa recorded for the first time.