Wykorzystanie larw ochotkowatych (Diptera: Chironomidae) w monitoringu potoków górskich

An efficiency of current biomonitoring methods based on macroinvertebrate families and higher taxa in the alpine streams is discussed. The proposal of the indicative Chironomidae species with their classification according to the water quality is given. The most important conclusion is the need to adapt the monitoring methods to the environmental conditions. In such a specific environment as the mountains, the Chironomidae-based index is evidenced to be a useful supplementation to the standard methods of the water quality monitoring.