Ecological Assessment of Fish Assemblage For East AL-Hammar Marshe , North of Basrah, Iraq by using Integrated Biological Index (IBI)

Abstract

The Present study was included the ecological assessment of–East Al-Hammar marsh the
period November, 2006 to November, 2007, The samples were collected monthly for two stations
study, Al-Nagarah and Burgah fifteen metrics were chosen to calculate Integrated Biological Index
(IBI) depending on the following major categories The first category (species richness) is
represented by the total number of native, alien and migrations. The second major category (fish
species composition) includes seven metrics, the percent of individuals that are considered as
sensitive native species (metric one) the second metric represents the percent of individuals of alien
species. The percent of individuals that are considered as sensitive migration species was the third
metric, while the forth metric was the percentage of tolerant species. The Fifth metric was the
percent of individuals of Carassius auratus. The sixth metric represented by the percentage of Liza
abu while seventh metric include the diversity index (H). The third major category included fifth of
trophic guild metrics which is Composed of the percent of individuals that are considered as
omnivores, carnivores, detrivores, herbivorous, and the native top predators. (IBI) values of AlHammar marsh of studying stations were evaluated to be impaired (<60). Throughout the study
time, except December and May in the first station, June and July in the second station which
evaluate to be marginally impaired 60-80 June, July, August, September in the first station and
August, September in the second station, evaluated to be accepted (>80).