Qualitative and quantitative benthic macroinvertebrate samplers in Cerrado streams: a comparative approach

SILVA1, L.C.F. DA; VIEIRA¹, L.C.G.; COSTA¹, D.A.; LIMA FILHO¹, G.F; VITAL¹, M.V.C.; CARVALHO¹, R.A. DE; SILVEIRA¹, A.V.T. DA & OLIVEIRA²,L.C.

¹ Programa de Pós Graduação em Biologia (Ecologia).

² Departamento de Biologia Geral, ICB, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, GO, Brasil. Bolsa Produtividade (Proc. 300833/98-9), e-mail: soueu_leo@yahoo.com.br; lego@icb.ufg.br

ABSTRACT: Biomonitoring rapid protocols with qualitative samplers, often large-meshed, are widely used in benthic macroinvertebrates sampling, reducing time, costs and effort. In this work, we compared the efficiency of qualitative and quantitative samplers. The results show that large-meshed qualitative samplers are less efficient in detecting some taxa. Despite their advantages in finding rare species and getting quick results, those samplers should be used cautiously by researchers working with biomonitoring, taxonomic assessment or in defining priority areas for conservation.

Key-words: Surber; hand net; benthos.