文档介绍：Impacts of Agricultural Land Use on Ecosystem Health in the Lower Komati River, Swaziland
Vuyisile Dlamini a* Corresponding author email; ******@ Telephone+2686418895
, Zvikomborero Hokoa, Amon Murwirab, Ceb’sile Magagulac
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Zimbabwe Box MP167 Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. a
Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Zimbabwe Box MP167 Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe b.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Swaziland Private Bag 4 Kwaluseni, Swaziland c
ABSTRACT
At present, sugar cane production requires more land than any anthropogenic activity in the lower Komati catchment. Despite its threat to water quality, not much is known about the impact of the increased agricultural land for sugar cane production on ecosystem health within the sub-catchment The main objective of this research was to assess macro-invertebrates diversity as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health in the lower Komati River as well as determine whether this diversity is a function of physico-chemical water quality parameters along an agricultural area. Bioassessment of aquatic macro-invertebrates available in the Lower Komati River was carried out at selected sites to determine ecological health of the river. Richness and Simpson’s diversity index were used to analyse and determine aquatic macro-invertebrates diversity. Water samples were also collected and analysed for pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, turbidity, nitrates, ammonia and ortho-phosphates according to standard methods. Results revealed that the diversity along agricultural fields showed a marked decrease along sugar fields and an increase at certain stretches after the fields. However, the difference was not significant (p>) between sites. It was also found that nitrate and turbidity levels indicated a significant variation (p<) between the control and experimental sites. However, no significant relationship