Biodiversity of macrobenthic fauna at Lake Taoura (Souk-Ahras, North East Algeria)

Multiple pressures are exerted on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, leading to the degradation of species' conservation status. To address the factors driving biodiversity loss and implement an appropriate response, it is crucial to identify the different taxa to have a maximum amount of data on macrobenthic biodiversity. This research work contributes to the realization of an inventory and the updating of the biodiversity of Lake Burgas in Taoura (Souk Ahras Province) located in the extreme northeast of Algeria. A total of 124,899 macroinvertebrate fauna individuals were collected, during a year (September 2015 - August 2016). 37 species were determined, belonging to 8 orders and 15 families (Noteridae, Hydrophilidae, Dytiscidae, Corexidae, Naucoridae, Nepidae, Notonectidae, Pleidae, Culicidae, Cyclopidae, Baetidae, Coenagrionidae, Chironomidae, Calanidae, Daphnidae). The richest diversity was recorded in spring. In this context, ecological indices showed a variability in the spatial distribution of species.