MACROINVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE IN UDUS STREAM (KANDOLLA SHALA) FOUND IN WAMAKKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, SOKOTO STATE

The Kandola Shella stream supports vital fishing and irrigation activities for the local community. This study evaluated the stream’s physicochemical properties and the diversity and relative abundance of macroinvertebrates in September. Key parameters, including pH, temperature, turbidity, depth, velocity, nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and conductivity, were measured using standard methods. Temperature ranged from 34°C to 35°C, pH from 6.57 to 6.63, turbidity from 8.9 to 12.8 NTU, and conductivity from 490 to 498 mg/l. DO levels were 8.7 and 10 mg/l, while BOD5 ranged between 28.7 and 25 mg/l. Nitrate and phosphate concentrations were low, at 0.6–0.9 mg/l and 0.039–0.04 mg/l, respectively. Depth varied from 32 to 46 cm, with velocities between 39 and 46 seconds over a 10-meter distance. A total of 445 macroinvertebrate species from 6 families were identified. Sampling Point A recorded the highest abundance, with 282 individuals (62.9%), while Point B had 163 species (36.1%). Family Thiaridae was dominant with 280 species, followed by Flea (Siphonaptera) with 1 species, and Belostoma with 1 species. The least abundant species included Phyllocrania, Spiders, and Fresh water snail, each represented by one individual. The findings highlight the stream’s biodiversity and environmental conditions.