Assessing the Ecological Status of the Curug Tilu Leuwi Opat Waterfall Using Macroinvertebrates and Physicochemical Parameters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/biodjati.v10i2.49080Keywords:
biodiversity, bioindicator, limnology, macroinvertebrates, physicochemicalAbstract
Anthropogenic activities increasingly threaten freshwater availability. The Curug Tilu Leuwi Opat waterfall in the Cimahi River, an important water source for surrounding communities and a popular tourist site, requires an ecological assessment to support effective water management. This study aims to provide an initial overview of the ecological status of waters through an integrative approach that combines benthic macroinvertebrates and physicochemical parameters. Sampling was conducted in two waterfall streams, Kacapi and Aseupan, which are part of the Curug Tilu Leuwi Opat waterfall system. Physicochemical parameters measured included temperature, flow velocity, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and total dissolved solids. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected using a Surber net and identified to the lowest feasible taxonomic level, typically morphospecies with some taxa at the family level, and subsequently analyzed using the Shannon–Wiener index, Simpson’s dominance, the Family Biotic Index (FBI), and Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Results indicated excellent water quality (FBI at Kacapi = 4.17; Aseupan = 4.24), driven by the presence of pollution-sensitive taxa from Leptophlebiidae, Tipulidae, and Perlidae, while the slightly higher FBI at Aseupan reflected several moderately tolerant families such as Physidae and Simuliidae. Benthic macroinvertebrate diversity was moderate with no dominant species, indicating stable community structure. Most measured parameters that met established standards met Class I criteria, while dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and flow velocity emerged as the dominant variables shaping community structure. Overall, the aquatic ecological status was excellent, highlighting the role of aquatic biodiversity as a scientific basis for sustainable environmental management
References
Arfiati, D., Zakiyyah, U., Rusydi, A. N., Rachmawati, R., Orchida, K., Andhani, T. D., Ulya, W. H., Sahal, A. A., Al Athor, M. Z., Inayah, Z. N., & Pratiwi, R. K. (2025). Community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of water quality in the upstream Setail River, Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 29(3), 1133–1153. DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.429568
Azis, M. N., & Abas, A. (2021). The determinant factors for macroinvertebrate assemblages in a recreational river in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193(7), 394. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09196-7
Basyuni, M., Gultom, K., Fitri, A., Susetya, I. E., Wati, R., Slamet, B., Sulistiyono, N., Yusriani, E., Balke, T., & Bunting, P. (2018). Diversity and habitat characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates in the mangrove forest of Lubuk Kertang Village, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas, 19(1), 311–317. DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d190142
Buffagni, A. (2021). The lentic and lotic characteristics of habitats determine the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean rivers. Freshwater Biology, 66(1), 13-34. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13596
Bullee, P. A., Weichert, S., Nore, A., Li, L., Ellingsen, S. Å., & Hearst, R. J. (2024). The influence of water turbulence on surface deformations and the gas transfer rate across an air–water interface. Experiments in Fluids, 65(9), 132. DOI: 10.1007/s00348-024-03864-3
Elexová, E., & Némethová, D. (2003). The effect of abiotic environmental variables on the Danube macrozoobenthic communities. Limnologica, 33(4), 340–354. DOI: 10.1016/S0075-9511(03)80028-2
Everaert G, De Neve J, Boets P, Dominguez-Granda L, Mereta ST, et al. (2014). Comparison of the abiotic preferences of macroinvertebrates in tropical river basins. PLOS ONE, 9(10): e108898. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108898
Fachrul, M. F. (2012). Bioecological sampling methods. Bumi Aksara.
Fedor, P., & Zvaríková, M. (2019). Biodiversity indices. Encycl. Ecol, 2, 337-346.
Ficsór, M., & Csabai, Z. (2021). Longitudinal zonation of larval Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae): abiotic environmental factors and biotic interactions behind the downstream sequence of Central European species. Hydrobiologia, 848(15), 3371-3388. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-021-04602-0
Filter, J., Jekel, M., & Ruhl, A. S. (2017). Impacts of accumulated particulate organic matter on oxygen consumption and organic micro-pollutant elimination in bank filtration and soil aquifer treatment. Water, 9(5), 349. DOI: 10.3390/w9050349
GBIF.org. (2024). Global Biodiversity Information Facility. https://www.gbif.org
Hamid, S. A., & Rawi, C. S. M. (2017). Application of aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) in water quality assessment of Malaysian headwater. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 28(2), 143–162. DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2017.28.2.11
Hertika, A. M. S., Putra, R. B. D. S., & Arsad, S. (2022). Water quality and its management. Universitas Brawijaya Press.
Hilsenhoff, W. L. (1988). Rapid field assessment of organic pollution with a family-level biotic index. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 7(1), 65–68. DOI: 10.2307/1467832
Kaczmarek, N., Benlasri, M., Schäfer, R. B., Aabid, A., Nothof, M., Lazrak, K., ... & Berger, E. (2024). Macroinvertebrate community responses to salinity around non-saline–saline confluences in the Draa River basin, Morocco. Hydrobiologia, 851(9), 2189-2204. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-023-05445-7
Kunakh, O. M., Volkova, A. M., Tutova, G. F., & Zhukov, O. V. (2023). Diversity of diversity indices: which diversity measure is better?. Biosystems Diversity, 31(2), 131-146. DOI: 10.15421/012314
Jones, E. R., Bierkens, M. F., van Puijenbroek, P. J., van Beek, L. R. P., Wanders, N., Sutanudjaja, E. H., & van Vliet, M. T. (2023). Sub-Saharan Africa will increasingly become the dominant hotspot of surface water pollution. Nature Water, 1(7), 602-613. DOI: 10.1038/s44221-023-00105-5
Mandaville, S. M. (2002). Benthic macroinvertebrates in freshwaters: Taxa tolerance values, metrics, and protocols. Soil and Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax.
Martinez-Haro, M., Beiras, R., Bellas, J., Capela, R., Coelho, J. P., Lopes, I., ... & Marques, J. C. (2015). A review on the ecological quality status assessment in aquatic systems using community based indicators and ecotoxicological tools: what might be the added value of their combination?. Ecological Indicators, 48, 8-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.07.024
Mishra, R. K. (2023). Fresh water availability and its global challenge. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 4(3), 1-78. DOI: 10.58489/2836-5933/004
Ratia, H., Vuori, K.-M., & Oikari, A. (2012). Caddis larvae (Trichoptera, Hydropsychidae) indicate delaying recovery of a watercourse polluted by pulp and paper industry. Ecological Indicators, 15(1), 217–226. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.09.015
Razak, A., Taufik, T., & Maimun, M. (2024). Analysis of Electrical Energy Potential in the Baroe Garot River Flow as an Alternative Power Source in Indra Jaya–Pidie District. Jurnal Tektro, 8(1), 39–46.
Retnaningdyah, C., Arisoesilaningsih, E., Vidayanti, V., Purnomo, & Febriansyah, S. C. (2023). Community structure and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of water quality in some waterfall ecosystems, Bawean Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas, 24(1), 370–378. DOI:10.13057/biodiv/d240144
Tampo, L., Kaboré, I., Alhassan, E. H., Ouéda, A., Bawa, L. M., & Djaneye-Boundjou, G. (2021). Benthic macroinvertebrates as ecological indicators: their sensitivity to the water quality and human disturbances in a tropical river. Frontiers in Water, 3, 662765. DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2021.662765
Wang, J., Fu, Z., Qiao, H., & Liu, F. (2019). Assessment of eutrophication and water quality in the estuarine area of Lake Wuli, Lake Taihu, China. Science of the Total Environment, 650, 1392–1402. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.137
Wijeyaratne, W. M. D. N., & Kalaotuwawe, K. M. B. P. P. (2017). Evaluation of the water and sediment quality of a lotic water-body in the western coastal region of Sri Lanka using Rapid Bioassessment Protocol II (RBP II) of benthic macroinvertebrates. Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Sciences, 22(2). DOI: 10.4038/sljas.v22i2.7533
Xu, L., Zhou, Y., Cui, W., Lu, Q., Liu, J., Duan, C., & He, T. (2024). Characteristics of surface flow field and substrate in the spawning ground of Schizothorax grahami. Israeli Journal of Aquaculture – Bamidgeh, 76(3). DOI: 10.46989/001c.120233
Zhao, N., Wang, Z. Y., Pan, B. Z., Xu, M. Z., & Li, Z. W. (2015). Macroinvertebrate assemblages in mountain streams with different streambed stability. River research and applications, 31(7), 825-833. DOI: 10.1002/rra.2775
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jurnal Biodjati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright and Attribution:
Copyright of published in Jurnal Biodjati is held by the journal under Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-NC-ND) copyright. The journal lets others distribute and copy the article, create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as an tranlation), include in collective works (such as an anrhology), text or data mine the article, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honor or reputation.
Permissions:
Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere and by other authors are required to obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate of one of the authors.
Ethical matters:
Experiments with animals or involving human patients must have had prior approval from the appropriate ethics committee. A statement to this effect should be provided within the text at the appropriate place. Experiments involving plants or microorganisms taken from countries other than the authors own must have had the correct authorization for this exportation.
