This study was carried out between March 2011 and February 2012 on Değirmendere Stream in order to determine the water quality of the stream, and to investigate the environmental quality and the applicability of both the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP; Original, Spanish, Hungarian, Czech, and Polish versions) and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT; Original, Hungarian, and Czech versions) indices. The biotic and diversity indices were applied using the ASTERICS software program. As a result, a total of 59 taxa were detected: 4 taxa from Gastropoda, 1 taxon from Bivalvia, 1 taxon from Oligochaeta, 1 taxon from Hirudinea, 2 taxa from Crustacea, and 50 taxa from Insecta. The water quality of Değirmendere Stream was found to be unpolluted/slightly polluted according to the physicochemical data and the different versions of the BMWP and ASPT. However, the score values of the different versions of the BMWP were different from each other because the versions of the BMWP were adapted based on the geological and ecological features of their source countries. The results of this study suggest that there is still a need for much intensive investigation and further testing of the effectiveness of the BMWP and ASPT indices for use in the streams of Turkey. The findings also strongly indicate that these indices should be adapted based on the geomorphological and environmental features of Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the water quality of Kargı Stream, Antalya, Turkey, in terms of physical and chemical parameters and biotic indices. For this purpose, macrozoobenthic invertebrates and water samples were taken from each of the selected seven stations seasonally. The Belgian Biotic Index, BMWP and ASPT indices, and species diversity indices were applied for determining the water quality by using the ASTERICS software program. With the identification of the collected organisms, a total of 126 taxa including 4 taxa from Gastropoda, 5 taxa from Oligochaeta, 1 taxon from Malacostraca, 84 taxa from Insecta, and 32 taxa from Arachnida were detected. Stations were clustered by using UPGMA, based on organisms. Station 7 in the estuarine zone was the most different one for the macrozoobenthic invertebrates. The lowest species diversity values were also found at this station. The water quality of Kargı Stream was unpolluted/slightly polluted. Considering the physical and chemical parameters, biotic indices revealed changes in the pollution load of the study area with some deviations. It is thought that the reason for these deviations was not taking into account the geomorphological and ecological characteristics of Turkey in the biotic indices used in the current study.

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Sakarya River is defined hydrologically in three parts: upper, middle and lower Sakarya River Basin. This study was carried out in lower Sakarya River (Karasu). Aquatic Oligochaeta samples were collected from four chosen stations between January 2008 and October 2008 seasonally. In total, eight Oligochaeta species were identified during the study period. These species belong to Naididae family and to Tubificinae subfamily (Tubificoid Naidid) [Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède, 1862; Limnodrilus udekemianus Claparède, 1862; Limnodrilus claparedeianus Ratzel, 1868; Potamothrix hammoniensis (Michaelsen, 1901); Psammoryctides deserticola (Grimm, 1877); Tubifex blanchardi Vejdovsky, 1891; Tubifex ignotus (Stolc, 1886); Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774)]. Also, it was observed that Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Tubifex tubifex, were found to be dominant, and thus indicator species for pollution in the river.

This study was carried out by the streams of Tunceli province (Turkey) between June 2008 and May 2009 to determine Mollusca fauna. Samples were taken at 20 stations, seasonally. Mollusca fauna of the streams of Tunceli was represented by three species of Prosobranchia (Bithynia pseudemmericia, Bithynia tentaculata, Anadoludamnicola gloeri), four species of Pulmonata (Galba truncatula, Radix labiata, Physella acuta, Acroloxus lacustris), and two species of Bivalvia (Pisidium casertanum, Pisidium lilljeborgii). Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was applied to determine the relationships among the Mollusca fauna and physicochemical variables. CCA explained 31.897% of the species and environmental variation by the second axis. Water temperature (T), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and Ca +2were the most influential variables on the Mollusca fauna. The present study is the first research on the Mollusca fauna in the streams of Tunceli province. Molluscs species were recorded for the first time from the area.