Macroinvertebrates (oligochaetes) as indicators of pollution: A review

Macroinvertebrates formed an important constituent of an aquatic ecosystem and had functional importance in assessing the trophic status as the abundance of benthic fauna mainly depends on physical and chemical properties of the substratum and thus the benthic communities respond to changes in the quality of water and available habitat. This review discussed the occurrence, compo-sition and distribution of macroinvertebrates of lakes and wetlands, and some environmental factors which regulated their occurrence and distribution. Also, analysis of the benthic community helped in the determination of trophic status of lakes because of their sensitivity to pollution and is, therefore, an important criterion in the ecological classification of lakes. Key words: Macroinvertebrates, substratum, lake, wetlands, trophic status, habitat.