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Do Urban Rivers Provide Sanctuaryto Macroinvertebrates? A Case Study of an UrbanStretch of the Apies River in Pretoria, South Africa

Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 2025
Mapurunyane Callies Selala, Refentje M.V. Mokwena, Boikoketso Ramokolo, Abram Melamu, Tebatso Vinolia Mmako, Jeffrey Lebepe

Summary

Researchers assessed macroinvertebrate community health along an urban stretch of the Apies River in Pretoria, South Africa, evaluating whether urban rivers can provide refuge to macroinvertebrates amid impoundment, channel modification, and pollution from agriculture, mining, and wastewater discharges.

Study Type Environmental

Rivers are the most disturbed freshwater ecosystems, suffering from impoundments, channel modification, and pollution [1].A healthy river plays a crucial ecological and societal role due to its ability to regulate floods, cycle nutrients, provide food, support cultural and recreational values, etc. [2].An increase in anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, mining, wastewater works, industrial activities, and urbanization is threatening the integrity of macroinvertebrate communities of river systems [3,4] by changing river

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