The spatial pattern of a community are of crucial importance for understanding ecosystem functioning because they can affect ecosystem processes, functioning and stability and reflect major shifts in environmental conditions. Zoobenthos play an important role in river ecosystems.We attempted to identify spatial patterns of zoobenthos assemblages in the upper Huaihe River Basin.

A series of surveys were conducted in the upper Huaihe River Basin.which lies on the west side of the Huaihe River. Samples were collected at 15 sites along the main stream Huaihe and its tributaries in August 2010.

We calculated the species richness, density, biomass, relative abundances of dominant species to describe the zoobenthos community structure. Among-sites separation was evaluated by non-metric multidimensional scaling.

Analysis of species composition (56 taxa), density (up to 38825 ind m^–2 with juveniles) and biomass(up to302.9228 g m^–2 wet wt) indicates high spatial difference in the upper huaihe river basin. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri、Polypedilum scalaenum Schrank、Limnodrilus claparedeianus、Einfeldia sp、Branchiura sowerbyi、Diptera sp.and Chironomus plumosus were numerically dominated the community in the upper Huaihe river basin. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis identified three groups of stations that had significantly different macrozoobenthic communities.