Benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in Batušinac ponds (Serbia) relative to the distance from a river

Batušinac ponds are situated in south-eastern Serbia, near the Južna Morava River. In this study we compared benthic macroinvertebrate community structures of the river and three ponds located at contrasting distances from the river in order to assess the impact of the river proximity on benthic macroinvertebrate community structures in Batušinac ponds. Only 7 out of 43 taxa were common for the river and the study ponds. Based on the NMDS analysis, the community structures of the river and the study pond situated closest to the river were the most similar. The results of an ANOSIM analysis showed that community structures of the river and all study ponds were significantly different (R = 0.901; p = 0.003). Given the observed differences between the river and pond macroinvertebrate communities, it can be concluded that Batušinac ponds contribute significantly to freshwater diversity of the study area