Learners go on bug hunt

Abstract

WATER CAREER A number of indices or guides are used to calculate the ecological state of a river. One of these is the South African Scoring System, also known as SASS, which is based on the presence of families of aquatic invertebrate fauna (for example, snails, worms, crabs, insect larvae, mussels and beetles) and their sensitivity to water changes. Their lifecycles are short, so changes in the composition and structure of aquatic invertebrate communities are often the first signs of change in overall river condition. While learners in Pietermaritzburg assessed a stream in the botanical gardens, learners in Pretoria assessed the Moreletaspruit, a highly urbanised stream. Ramogale Sekwele of the Institute of Natural Resources assisted the Pietermaritzburg learners, while the Pretoria learners were taken through the process by Colleen Todd of Resource Quality Services at the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry and Piet Muller of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment.

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