[A review on benthic macroinvertebrates indices for assessing the biological quality of lakes].

Biotic indices, community indices (diversity and similarity indices) and multimetric indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates are reviewed considering their application for assessing the quality of lakes. Biotic indices are suitable for assessing environmental impairment, but are limited to a particular area in which tolerance lists were compiled. Community indices need quantitative sampling and a substantial amount of taxonomic expertise. Moreover, the relation between "diversity" and "biotic integrity" is still being debated. The multimetric approach combines tolerance, diversity and ecological functions. The combination of these attributes forms an index that provides valuable assessments of environmental quality. Among the indices reviewed, the lake biotic index appears to be the most easily applicable and useful for routine monitoring.