Thesis (BS Biology) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2003

This study surveyed and identified benthic macroinvertebrates as potential indicators of the state of health of the Lipadas River, one of the two rivers of the Talomo-Lipadas watershed of Davao City. The macroinvertebrates were used for scoring the health of the river employing the Benthic Index of Biological Integrity (B-IBI). These sites were selected, namely: the headwater, Barangay Saro, the mid-river, Barangay Alambre, and the mouth, Barangay Sirawan. Samples from the Guiangga and Alambre were collected by kick sampling method with a D-frame net. Samples from Sirawan were taken using borers. The macroinvertebrates established as effective indicators are mayfly, caddisfly, blackfly and adult riffle beetle. The B-IBI rating for Saro was generally poor, commonly poor for the Alambre, Sirawan rated very poor and had months when no organisms were collected, indicating its degradation. A protocol, simplified from the B-IBI, was developed by the People Collaborating for Environmental and Economic Management (PCEEM). The protocol was pre-tested in Alambre in December and the rating of fair was obtained which is similar to the rating attained through B-IBI. The protocol was also applied to the January to November data of Saro and Alambre and has generally given the same rating as that of the B-IBI