Abstract: | The diatoms (Bacillariophyta) are well known water quality bioindicators use in the biomonitoring of lothic ecosystems.
Diatom Biological Index (DBI) (Prygiel & Coste, 2000) permits to estimate river water quality in monitoring programs. Based on their sensitivity to pollution and computing the DBI makes possible to obtain an evaluation of the degree of both organic pollution and eutrophication, the value of which is relatively independent from the degree of the physical alteration. The system is based on 209 taxa and seven water quality classes (F) defined from fourteen common physical and chemical parameters. River waters may be included in five quality categories: excellent water, good water, mediocre water, acceptable, inferior water respectively.
Especially in the European Union, DBI is successfully applied for qualitative assessment of running waters (Gomà et al., 2004; Rollin et al., 2002; Tudesque & Ector, 2002). In Romania it has also been employed for the assessment of water quality in the Someºu Cald and Someºu Mare rivers (Battes et al., 2004; Voicinco et al., 2004).
In this paper there are included the DBI values computed for the Arieºu Mare river (2004), Someºu Mare river and his tributaries (Þibleº, Rebra and Meleº) in years 2004-2005. |
