Procedures for biological water quality assessment using macroinvertebrates

The purpose of this study is the implementation of two computer programs capable of assessing the quality of river water using biological data, with reference to the presence or absence of certain taxonomic groups of macroinvertebrates. The following are examined: quantitative indices based on the number of taxonomic groups and the uniformity of distribution of individuals within the same, biotic indices correlated to qualitative considerations of the groups, and weighted indices that combine the quantitative aspect with the qualitative. Finally a method of multivariate analysis is described for the assessment of relations between taxonomic groups and environmental characteristics.