Fish and macroinvertebrate community composition of a floodplain wetland associated with the Harts River, South Africa, in relation to water quality and habitat parameters

Abstract

The Harts River and its associated floodplain, Northern Cape province, South Africa, are closely associated with the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme. This floodplain has been poorly studied in the past, with no published aquatic information available. A fish and macroinvertebrate diversity study was undertaken in April 2009 to compare the faunal diversity of the floodplain to that of the Harts River. Numerous taxa found on the floodplain were not present at the river sites. The smaller fish species that prefer lotic habitats were especially abundant in the floodplain compared to the Harts River. Overall, biodiversity of the region in terms of macroinvertebrates increased if the floodplain was taken into account, and therefore the protection of the floodplain through flow regulation and monitoring is essential.