🌊 Stevenage Brook
eDNA Biodiversity Report Card
6 EPT families
Moderate EPT diversity typical of chalk streams with some environmental pressures.
Top 15 families detected by eDNA analysis:
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasterosteus aculeatus (Three-spined Stickleback) | Gasterosteidae | 3 | 4 |
| Phoxinus phoxinus (Minnow) | Cyprinidae | 2 | 4 |
| Barbatula barbatula (Stone Loach) | Nemacheilidae | 2 | 4 |
| Salmo trutta (Brown Trout / Sea Trout) | Salmonidae | 2 | 4 |
| Gobio gobio (Gudgeon) | Cyprinidae | 1 | 1 |
| Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow Trout) | Salmonidae | 1 | 1 |
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baetis rhodani (Large Dark Olive) | Baetidae | 3 | 7 |
| Species | Family | Sites | ESVs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glyphotaelius pellucidus (Northern Caddisflies) | Limnephilidae | 3 | 8 |
| Lype phaeopa (Tube-case Caddisflies) | Psychomyiidae | 1 | 2 |
| Agapetus fuscipes (Saddle-case Makers) | Glossosomatidae | 1 | 1 |
| Goera pilosa (Humpless Case-maker Caddisflies) | Goeridae | 1 | 1 |
| Hydropsyche angustipennis (Net-spinning Caddisflies) | Hydropsychidae | 1 | 1 |
| Site | Location | Species | Genera | EPT Families | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Bridge opposite Dunelm (upstre... | 135 | 97 | 3 | 🌟 |
| S3 | Frogmore Hall (downstream site... | 119 | 96 | 5 | |
| S2 | Wychdell Flood Storage Reservo... | 82 | 61 | 2 |
🌟 = Most diverse site on river
The Stevenage Brook flows through the Upper Lea (Hertfordshire) catchment, where our eDNA survey sampled 3 sites along its length. Analysis of water samples revealed a rich invertebrate community with 225 distinct genetic sequences (Species) representing 224 identified species and 95 families.
Compared to other chalk streams surveyed, the Stevenage Brook shows moderate diversity compared to other rivers in the study (#11 of 11). The river supports 6 families of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies (EPT) - key indicators of water quality.
Notable findings include the detection of conservation priority species (Water vole) and invasive species requiring management attention.
225 Species detected across 3 sites — CSV format, opens in Excel
