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Biological Monitoring Working Party
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| Introduction |
BMWP scores for the locations sampled by S.O.C.S. can be viewed below: |
| River Ouse |
| East Mascalls |
| Scaynes Hill - Main river |
| Scaynes Hill - Canal Cut |
| Sheffield Park |
| Barcombe Mills |
| Bevern Stream |
| Stoneywish Country Park |
| Spatham Lane |
| Streat Lane |
| Swansyard Farm |
| Holmans railway bridge |
| Clapper's Bridge |
| North End Stream |
| Cooksbridge |
| Hamsey Road |
| Plumpton Mill Stream |
| Plumpton Mill |
| Ferrings Bridge |
| Longford Stream |
| Cinder Hill, Chailey |
| Ridgelands Lane - Newick |
| Longford Bridge |
| Shortbridge Stream |
| Maresfield, Underhill |
| Shortbridge |
| Norlington Stream |
| Wellingham Lane |
| Introduction to BMWP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We are using the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) protocol, which is the principal system used in the UK. The method involves taking a “kick” sample from the stream bed. The operator faces downstream with a standard pond net held vertically in front, the rim against the substratum. The bed is then vigorously agitated with the feet for three minutes, and dislodged organisms flow into the net. The macroinvertebrates captured are identified and listed, each one having a score according to its perceived tolerance to pollution. Scores for many of the families found in the Ouse catchment are shown in the tableb at the bottom of this page.
In addition to the BMWP scores we are noting the abundance of each taxon. We endevour to sample each of our water quality monitoring points at least once a year. The information gained from these procedures gives us an indication of how the habitat has been faring over a period of time. The results we obtain can be viewed via the links on the left of this page. Rating water quality from our resultsSOCS has adopted the Theo Pike rating system to grade both biological and water quality according the calculated values of the BMWP score and ASPT obtained from each sample. The table below gives the ratings for defined bands of scores. These ratings appear in all the result we publish.
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| Example | Score | Group | Families in same score
group found in the Sussex Ouse catchment |
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10 | Mayflies | Ephemerellidae Ephemeridae Leptophlebiidae Potamanthidae |
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| Caddis flies | Brachycentridae Goeridae Lepidostomatidae Leptoceridae Phryganeidae Sericostomatidae | ||||
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8 | Dragonflies | Agriidae Libelludidae | ||
| Caddis flies | Psychomyiidae | ||||
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7 | Caddis flies | Limnephilidae Polycentropidae Rhyacophilidae |
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| Mayflies | Caenidae | ||||
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6 | Shrimps | Gammaridae | Dragonflies | Coenagriidae | Caddis flies | Hydroptilidae |
| Snails | Ancylidae Neretidae Viviparidae | ||||
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5 | Beetles | Dytiscidae Elminthidae | Caddis flies | Hydropsychidae | Flatworm | Dendrocoelidae Planariidae |
| Cranefly/Blackfly | Tipulidae Simuliidae | ||||
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4 | Leeches | Piscicolidae (fish leech) | ||
| Mayflies | Baetidae | ||||
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3 | Snails | Hydrobiidae Lymnaeidae Planorbiidae Valvatidae | Leeches | Erpobdellidae Glossiphoniidae Hirudidae |
| Hog Louse | Asellidae | ||||
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2 | Midges | Chironomidae | ||
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1 | Worms | Oligochaetae - Lumbriculus Tubificidae |
