The land covering for 55 sampling sites in the Xitiao Stream were estimated as sub-basin, riparian-zone and local scales using 2003 satellite image and a Digital Elevation Model. Redundancy analysis indicated that the minimum combination including NH₄⁺, canopy, conductivity, percentage of sub-basin cropland and habitat complexity can significantly explain the variations of the macroinvertebrate communities were screened. The result of variance partitioning showed that NH₄⁺ was the most important variables affecting macroinvertebrate communities in the Xitiao Stream and sub-scale cropland% was also another important factor. Under a species fit range between 50% and 100%, Cheumatopsyche sp. 1 and Cheumatopsyche sp. 2 were finally selected as the indicator species. The abundance of Cheumatopsyche increased as the NH₄⁺ and the sub-scale cropland% increased. Cheumatopsyche has advantages as follows:wide distribution, easy to be collected, moderately tolerance, ability to drift, relative large body size with slower turnover rates and also ecological plasticity. Therefore, they exhibited to be very good indicator for the NH₄⁺ and the sub-basin scale cropland% of disturbed sites in the Xitiao Stream.