Globally, the metals concentration in soil is increasing due to different anthropogenic and geogenic factors.These metals are taken up by plants and further transferred in the food chain through different routes. The present study was designed to assess the transfer and bioaccumulation of the heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), in food chains from soil to berseem plants (Triofolium alexandrinum), to insect herbivores (the grasshopper Ailopus thalassinus and the aphid Sitobion avenae) and to an insect carnivore (the ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata). The soil of studied berseem fields were slightly alkaline, silty loam in texture and moderate in organic matter. In soil, the concentration of Zn and Pb were under permissible level while Cd was above the permissible level. The accumulation of metals in T. alexandrinum were found in the order Zn>Cd>Pb. Grasshoppers showed higher accumulation of Pb than of Cd and Zn. In the soil-berseem-aphid-beetle food chain,metals enrichment was recorded. However, aphids did not show bioaccumulation for Cd. Metals accumulation in beetles showed that translocation of Zn, Cd and Pb was taking place in the third trophic level. Our study highlights the mobility of metals in insect food chains and showed that insect feeding style greatly influenced the bioaccumulation. However, different metals showed variable bioaccumulation rates depending on their toxicity and retention.

Biomonitoring studies focus on the component of biodiversity, its natural habitats, and species populations which display the ongoing variations in ecosystem and landscape. Physicochemical parameters are important water quality parameters of river water i.e., pH, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total alkalinity, sulfate, nitrate, heavy metals, and phosphate. This chapter focuses on assessing water quality through Physicochemical Parameters and Aquatic Insects Diversity. The case study investigated the effect of pollutants produced by the human dwelling, agricultural and industrial activities on aquatic invertebrate communities of water of part of Soan River, Pakistan. Four sites were selected based on variation in microhabitat accessibility to examine the pollution in water. Samples were collected from these sites during spring, 2015. Water samples for physio-chemical analysis and macroinvertebrates were collected from all sites. Results showed that conductivity, dissolved oxygen, sodium, and cadmium at all sites were higher than the drinking water quality of WHO standards while potassium, chromium, and manganese were higher in concentration at most downstream sites. However, all other studied parameters were within recommended range of WHO standards. A total of 412 individuals of aquatic insects were collected from the studied sites, belonged to 6 orders and they were the most abundant in April. Total abundance was used to estimate the quality of water at the sites. Most biotic indexes showed that water was of good quality at upstream stations rather than downstream stations, while water quality index (WQI) showed fair water quality at downstream sites. This study showed that aquatic insects could be useful as bioindicators for biomonitoring of water quality along with physiochemical parameters.

No abstract

No abstract

Vultures are considered as an important indicator of a healthy environment, and they play a vital ecological role as scavengers. The present study was designed to estimate the health of critically endangered Gyps bengalensis in Changa Manga, Lahore, using a technique that does not require drawing blood. Fecal matter of seven pairs were examined and analyzed for protozoan or helminth infections. Gross examination involved checking consistency and color of feces, presence of blood in feces and gross parasites. Obtained samples had different colors and consistency but no blood was found in them. Pair 1 was infested with oocytes, but in pairs 5 and 6 only males were infested, while the female was infested in pair 7. Pair 2, 3, and 4 was completely healthy. Gram staining was also performed to assess the presence or absence of bacteria culture in digestive tracks of Gyps bengalensis. All pairs were infected with either gram positive or negative except Pair 5 which was negative for all gram staining. The present work introduced a technique to assess the health of vultures without drawing blood samples, a process that causes disturbances to their life cycle.