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Abstract
Assessing stream quality often involves documenting macroinvertebrate taxa richness. Traditional methods for studying macroinvertebrates are both invasive and labor-intensive. However, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling offers a promising alternative increasing sampling efficiency and reducing processing time. The goal of study is compared macroinvertebrate biodiversity obtained through two approaches and assess differences in macroinvertebrate communities across three habitat types (water column, sediments, and wood biofilm). Results revealed differences in identified macroinvertebrate taxa between methods, with eDNA metabarcoding showing 7.6% fewer taxa richness than traditional methods. However, eDNA detected a higher number of Chironomidae species. Furthermore, alpha and beta diversity varied across sites based on habitat types. This research can be used to improve and complement current bioassessment monitoring methodologies, making them more efficient and effective.