Abundance and Distribution of MacroInvertebrates in Relation to Physicochemical Properties of Pindiga Lake, Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State

The distribution and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates, along with physicochemical parameters, were meticulously examined in Pindiga Lake. The primary objectives were to identify the families of aquatic macroinvertebrates, to assess their abundance across selected sampling locales, and to investigate the influence of physicochemical parameters—namely air and water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, turbidity, nitrate, and phosphate—on their distribution and abundance. The lake was stratified into four sampling stations designated as A, B, C, and D. Samples were meticulously collected using aquatic nets from each sampling station biweekly over a span of six months. Physical and chemical parameters were measured in situ and duly recorded. The total count of individual macroinvertebrates was classified into various orders and families. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to ascertain any significant variations among the four sampling stations within the lake. All measured physicochemical parameters were observed to be within tolerable limits conducive to aquatic productivity. The collected aquatic macroinvertebrates were identified utilizing taxonomic keys, and their distribution and abundance were estimated using Simpson's and Margalef's richness indices. The results revealed a total of 200 individual species of aquatic macroinvertebrates belonging to 9 genera across five taxa: Odonata, Decapoda, Diptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. The Order Diptera constituted 74%, Decapoda 3.5%, Trichoptera 0.5%, while Plecoptera and Odonata each comprised 11% of the total identified macroinvertebrates. The Simpson’s species diversity index for the five taxa were as follows: Odonata (0.01), Decapoda (0.001), Plecoptera (0.01), Diptera (0.5), and Trichoptera (0). The Margalef index of genera richness yielded the following results: Odonata (0.434), Decapoda (0), Plecoptera (0), Diptera (1.3), and Trichoptera (0). The findings of this study indicate that Pindiga Lake is a highly productive ecosystem capable of supporting extensive ecological studies; therefore, the imperative to maintain its integrity is of paramount importance.