ABSTRACT
Samples
of invertebrate organisms were taken from four ponds in the Sittingbourne area.
A total of three minutes sweep sampling was used at each site. The numbers of
each type of organism were counted.
Water
samples from the sites were analysed to determine organic content, measured as
biological oxygen demand, and chemical analysis of anions and cations present.
The results were then studied to discover any relationships between water
quality and species of organism present.
It
was found that considerable variation existed between different ponds in the
same area. The numbers of certain organisms appear to be related to chemical
composition of the water. More research is required to determine the precise effect
of such variation on this diversity and thus on the impact that human and natural influences have on the natural
world.
