The aim of this study is to examine the trophic state of three reservoirs located in the northwest of Algeria based on the physicochemistry of water and the community of rotifers. The measurements of the physicochemical variables were carried out monthly over a 2-year period from December 2015 to November 2017. The rotifers were sampled simultaneously. Abiotic and biotic indices such as the Carlson index, QB/T, and TSIROT were determined in order to classify the three reservoirs according to their trophic state. Thus, the diversity indices of Shannon-Wiener (H'), Margalef richness index (D), Pielou evenness (J'), and the density were calculated in order to study the structure of the rotifers. The Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed the heterogeneity of the physicochemical quality (P value < 0.05) among the three reservoirs. A total of 71 species were identified during this study. The result of the various indices affirms this heterogeneity and indicates a trophic state hypereutrophic for the Hammam Boughrara reservoir, eutrophic for the Bakhadda reservoir and meso-oligotrophic for Sidi Yacoub. The use of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) has shown that the structure of rotifers is influenced by local environmental factors. Some species such as the genus Brachionus species have shown their preference for extreme conditions. The use of biotic indices is highly recommended for the trophic state evaluation of reservoirs for a better water resources management.
Keywords: Biotic index; Physicochemistry; Reservoirs; Rotifers; Trophic state; Water quality.
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