Seasonal Distribution of Ephemeroptera (Insecta) Fauna and Relationship Among Physicochemical Parameters in the Ceyhan Basin

Abstract

This study was carried out in 20 different localities in the spring, summer and autumn periods in 2019 in order to determine the Ephemeroptera fauna of the Ceyhan Basin and to reveal its relationship with some physicochemical parameters. As a result, 971 specimens were examined and 17 species belonging to six families were identified. There is no data on the given taxa in the Ceyhan basin so all taxa are new records for the Ceyhan Basin. According to the Shannon-Wiener (H) diversity index, the highest and lowest diversity values were determined, respectively, in the spring at stations $7^{th}$ (1.456) and $6^{th}$ (0.173), in the summer at stations $20^{th}$ (1.311) and $13^{th}$ (0.341), and in the autumn at stations $15^{th}$ (1.102) and $8^{th}$ (0.457). According to Evenness (E) values, the most homogeneous sta tions are the $3^{rd}$ (0.963), $7^{th}$ (0.973) and $1'-^{st}$ (0.945) stations in the same seasonal order, and the stations with the least homogeneity are the $16^{th}$ (0.529), $16^{th}$ (0.659) and $8^{th}$ (0.527) stations. According to cluster analyses, the highest similarities were observed between stations 3rd and $5^{th}$ in addition to stations $9^{th}$,$14^{th}$,$17^{th}$,$18^{th}$ and $19^{th}$ with 100% percentage. Based on the physicochemical parameters measured in accordance with the Surface Water Quality Regulation, the water quality classes of the stations were in high quality water (Class I) and less contaminated (Class II) water. Canonical corre spondence analysis was applied to reveal the relationships between Ephemeroptera taxa and phys icochemical parameters.