Thesis (BS Biology) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2004

Macroinvertebrates were studied to determine the state of the health of the Talomo river in 2002. Three stations namely: Tamayong, Angalan and Talomo were sampled every two months and the Benthic Index Biological Integrity (B-IBI) was applied to determine the health scores per sampling period. Mayflies which are generally intolerant to pollution and caddisflies which are tolerant are potential quick indicators of the degree of deterioration of the river. Station Tamayong was generally poor throughout the year. Station Angalan had ratings ranging from very poor to poor while no benthos were collected in four of six sampling months for Station Talomo. The B-IBI scores were compared with those obtained using the People Collaborating for Economic and Environmental Management (PCEEM) protocol. The B-IBI was found to be more stringent in rating and yielded more accurate assessments due to its multimetric approach. The PCEEM protocol, on the other hand, was easy to implement requiring minimal expertise and is useful for preliminary surveys. The generally low B-IBI scores of the three Stations indicated that the river was experiencing degradation. Follow-up study is recommended to determine the sources of deterioration