Research Article
Distribution of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Some Rivers of the Ntem Basin in Southern Cameroon
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
1-11
Received:
14 November 2025
Accepted:
20 January 2026
Published:
11 February 2026
Abstract: Water is an essential yet scarce commodity for human life due to its many uses. Depending on their condition, bodies of water can improve or degrade living conditions. The Mvila watershed in southern Cameroon, which experienced archaic urbanization coupled with incivism and urban disorder, was the site of a study examining the relationship between the ecology of benthic macroinvertebrates and abiotic parameters. This study was conducted monthly from December 2018 to December 2019. It involved sampling benthic macroinvertebrates and collecting water samples using standard methods. For the most part, the physicochemical parameters remained within the standards prescribed by the water quality grid. Throughout the study, the Sounou stream had the highest abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates, followed by the Lo'o and Bengo streams. For the trophic groups, predators were the most abundant, while filter feeders were the least abundant. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that certain physicochemical parameters had a negative influence on benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, while others had a positive impact on them. The parameters that negatively influenced them were temperature, pH, and conductivity, while the parameters that positively influenced them were suspended solids, colour, and turbidity. Finally, Shannon and Weaver's diversity indices and Pielou's evenness indicate a rich and diverse living environment with an equal distribution of organisms among the studied rivers. In conclusion, some environmental factors, such as temperature, pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen, influence the diversity and distribution of macroinvertebrates.
Abstract: Water is an essential yet scarce commodity for human life due to its many uses. Depending on their condition, bodies of water can improve or degrade living conditions. The Mvila watershed in southern Cameroon, which experienced archaic urbanization coupled with incivism and urban disorder, was the site of a study examining the relationship between ...
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Research Article
Changes in the Diversity of Herbaceous Layer Under Typical Artificial Forests Along an Altitude Gradient in Mount Taishan
Yifu Yuan,
Yu Liu,
Yawen Fan,
Huayuan Zhao,
Jin Dong,
Yujie Luo*
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 1, March 2026
Pages:
12-18
Received:
20 April 2026
Accepted:
2 May 2026
Published:
14 May 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.eeb.20261101.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: The distribution pattern of biodiversity along an elevation gradient in mountain ecosystems has always been a focal point in biodiversity research. As an important component of forest ecosystems, the understory herb layer occupies a significant position in forest succession and plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of forest ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and enhancing ecosystem functions. This study comprehensively analyzes the diversity characteristics of plant communities in the understory herb layer of different forest stands and their variation along an elevation gradient through research on typical artificial forest communities in Mount Taishan, elucidating the relationship between plant diversity and community productivity. The results indicate that there are significant differences in the impact of elevation gradient on the diversity of the herb layer under Robinia pseudoacacia forests and Quercus acutissima forests. In Robinia pseudoacacia forests, the richness and other diversity indices of the herb layer are significantly higher at low elevations than at medium and high elevations, exhibiting a "low-elevation advantage" pattern. The richness and other diversity indices of the herb layer in Quercus acutissima forests are lower at medium and low elevations but significantly increase at high elevations. In different forest types, there is a significant correlation between herb layer richness and biomass, but in opposite directions: a negative correlation in Robinia pseudoacacia forests and a positive correlation in Quercus acutissima forests. The differences between Robinia pseudoacacia and Quercus acutissima forests may stem from the different nature of species interactions under these two types of forest stands: competitive interactions dominate in Robinia pseudoacacia forests, while complementary interactions are more prominent in Quercus acutissima forests. This study suggests that tree species composition plays a key role in regulating the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions.
Abstract: The distribution pattern of biodiversity along an elevation gradient in mountain ecosystems has always been a focal point in biodiversity research. As an important component of forest ecosystems, the understory herb layer occupies a significant position in forest succession and plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of forest ecosystems,...
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,
Eric Belmond Biram a Ngon
