'n Algemene oorsig van die makroinvertebraatdiversiteit van die Maricorivier, Noordwes Provinsie, Suid Afrika.

A general overview of the macro-invertebrate diversity in the Marico River, North-West Province, South Africa: The Marico River, in the North West Province of South Africa, has been declared a priority area in terms of conservation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine, document and publish the macro-invertebrate diversity of this river. Macro-invertebrates were collected during five surveys at six sites in the Marico River by means of appropriate nets and techniques, while selected water quality parameters were measured in situ. A total diversity of 172 taxa (20 orders and 81 families), represented by 12540 organisms, was found during this investigation. Most of the families which are known to display a preference for high water quality have been found. Values for temperature, pH, EC, flow rate and turbidity were within the tolerance ranges for aquatic macro-invertebrates throughout the study. From the results it can be concluded that the river has predominantly high taxa richness and diversity and that the taxa are evenly distributed, which indicates a healthy ecosystem. The presence of several highly sensitive taxa further supports this statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]