Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PHYTOMACROFAUNA ARTHROPOD ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROOTS OF WATER HYACINTH (EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES) IN EPE LAGOON SOUTHERN NIGERIA

CA. Edokpayi, R.E. Uwadiae, A.O. Asoro and A.E_ Badru

Abstract

The fluctuations in the abundance, distribution and diversity of arthropod phytomacrofauna associated with the roots of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes in Epe lagoon, Nigeria was investigated between Sept. 2004 and Feb. 2005. Water and invertebrate fauna samples were collected monthly from five study sites. A range of 4.0 - 5.4mg/L for dissolve oxygen, 9.6 - 29.6mg/ L for biochemical oxygen demand, 214 - 432mg/L for chemical oxygen demand, 6.9 -7.3 for pH, and 185 -555mg/L for conductivity was recorded for subsurface water. Nutrient (PO4-p and NO,-N) value ranged between 0.25 -1 2.0mg/L and 0.6 - 5.0mg/1 respectively. There was however no significant difference in the values of the measured parameters between the study stations. The species abundance and diversity of arthropod associated with the roots of water hyacinth were low and dominated by amphipods accounting for more than 70% of the total number of arthropods recorded. The low overall diversity of phytophillous arthropods observed maybe attributed to poor water quality occasioned by anthropogenic activities, as well as factors related to the architectural and morphological characteristics of water hyacinth.