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CHAPTER 2 7 7
SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE
RIVPACS SAMPLING METHOD
The three-minute hand-net sample
is the preferred method for
macroinvertebrate sampling in shallow
water and is described in Section 7.2.
Frequently referred to as a ‘kick sample’,
it also involves sweeping and poking.
Where it is too deep to wade in the
water to collect a kick sample, use
either:
• a long-handled pond net (Section
7.3) + marginal sweep (Section 7.5)
• an airlift (Section 7.4) + marginal
sweep (Section 7.5).
Do not combine these methods in the
same sample. Aim to always use the same
method at a site to ensure comparability
between samples.
All samples include an additional 1-minute
manual search for surface dwellers and
animals attached to rocks and other
submerged objects (Section 7.1).
Dinocras cephalotes
John Davy-Bowker
94 | Freshwater Biology and Ecology Handbook
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