The application of artificial substrates for quantitative and qualitative study of macrozoobenthos.

Macrozoobenthos are aquatic invertebrates, usually bigger than approximately 2 mm, living on the bottom. The larvae of aquatic insects (mayflies, midges, caddisflies, etc.), worms, molluscs and crustaceans belong among its most important representatives. The study was performed on a pond channel of the experimental pond system of the FFPW Vodnany. The artificial substrates, made of plastic blocks from biological filters, were installed in five rows of five blocks (replications) to monitor the process of their colonization in order to evaluate their suitability for the monitoring of macrozoobenthos. At weekly intervals, one series of five artificial substrates was sampled to collect colonizing macroinvertebrates for further elaboration (determination, numbers). It was confirmed that under the conditions of a pond canal, the colonization of artificial substrates by benthic animals begins immediately during the first week of their deployment. Species diversity of macrozoobenthos, expressed in number of taxa in successive weeks afterwards was not significantly different. The results proved that artificial substrates are suitable for quantitative and qualitative monitoring of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage