Macroinvertebrate communities along the stream were
sampled monthly from March 2011 to February 2012 at
each of the 6 stations using a standard hand net (50 × 30
size with 500-μm mesh). The samples were taken from
an area of nearly 100 m2 in order to include all possible
microhabitats at each station. In some areas where large
stones were present, these were first picked out and washed
into the kick net to remove pupae and other attached
macroinvertebrates. In addition, macroinvertebrate
samples were separated from the macrophytes and
sediment using sieves (250 μm). All of the animals
collected were immediately fixed in formaldehyde (4%) in
the field and then transferred to 70% ethyl alcohol back
in the laboratory