Benthic Macroinvertebrates Composition and Distribution at Sungai Dawai and Sungai Dekong in Lojing Highland, Gua Musang, Kelantan

A preliminary study of benthic macroinvertebrate at two rivers in Lojing Highlands, Kelantan was conducted in January 2014 to study and describe the composition and distribution at upland area. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected by using Surber net (0.3m X 0.3m) at six sites around Sungai Dawai and three sites at lower part of Sungai Dekong. A total of 182 individuals of phyla arthropoda with six orders namely Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Ordonata, Coleoptera and Hemiptera were found at Sungai Dawai. For station 4 which was located at Sungai Dawai, 14 families of benthic macroinvertebrate was found such as Scirtidae, Elmidae, Heptageniidae, Perlidae, Chironomidae, Simuliidae, Baetidae, Tipulidae, Emphididae, Ptilodactylidae, Psephenidae, Aphelocheiridae, Gomphidae and Aeshnidae. Reduction in richness, diversity and evenness was observed from Sungai Dawai to Sungai Dekong due to the changes of water condition and their habitat, such as canopy cover by logging and agricultural activities. The change distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates was useful to detect the impacted sites and the river health quality consequence.