pp. 35-47

Dr. Sunita Goyal

Deparment of Zoology and Environmental Science Lachoo Memorial College of Science and Technology Jodhpur, Rajsthan, India.

Email id- sunitag446@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT

Biological monitoring of aquatic ecosystem is an integral part for the management of the total ecological health of the water body. To evaluate the pollution indicator and trophic status  of Bhicherli pond (Beawar, Rajasthan,) phytoplankton and zooplankton were studied from February 1999 to January 2001. Phytoplankton was composed of four major group namely Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae and Euglenophyceae . Data showed the occurrences of total 62 species of phytoplankton with Cyanophyceae, the dominant group at all sampling sites. Microcystis sp, Ankistrodesmus sp, Chlorella sp, Scenedesmus sp, spirulina sp and Navicula sp were abundantly found in Bicherli pond which are indicator of pollution and trophic status. Zooplankton population consists of 23 species under 19 genera. Zooplankton population composed of  five  major  groups namely Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda. Brachionus, Moina and Cyclops were abundantly found in Bicherli pond which imparts a eutrophic status to the pond. Therefore, it is unfit for drinking and irrigation purposes. Richness of nitrates and phosphates were favourable for the growth of phytoplanktons. So dumping of garbage and entry of sewage water should be restricted and for preventive measures, physical sediment removal, biological interaction  and proper filteration treatment should be applied for the coservation or restoration of  the  pond  to increase its aesthetic values, making it suitable for aquacultural purposes.

Key words: Phytoplankton, Zooplankon, Polution indicator and Trophic status.

INTRODUCTION

Biological monitoring of a aquatic ecosystem is an integral part for the management of the total ecological health of the water body and is becoming increasingly important in water quality monitoring and assessment. Phytoplankton assemblages respond rapidly to changes in their environment with concomitant changes in overall abundance, growth rates and species composition changes in physical and chemical water quality can thus have a rapidly changed species composition. Zooplankton are the central trophic link between primary producer and fish. Most of the fresh water zooplankton species are pollution indicators by their usual presence and absence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bhicherli pond (Figure 1) is located in the Eastern corner of Beawar city at longitute 74022’and 74030′ E and Latitude 2609’and 26030′ N and receives an average rainfall of 434 mm annually. The gross and net catchment area of the pond are 8.98 Km2 and 5.99 Km2 (Table 1). At the pond, four sampling sites (1 to 4: Figure 1) were selected for regular monitoring water and plankton samples were collected at monthly intervals from these sites for a periods of two years. (February1999 to January2001). Physico-chemical parameters were analyzed according to standard methods Trivedy and Goel (1986) and APHA (1995). For collecting plankton samples, small cups made of bolting silk number 20 (76µpore size) and 25 (64 µ pore size) were used. The identification of different phytoplanktonic groups and species were done with the help of standard references (Fritsch, 1935; Davis, 1955; Desikacharya, 1959; Philipose, 1967 and APHA, 1995). The identification of different zooplanktonic groups and species were done with the help of standard references (APHA, 1995; Edmondson, 1959; Needham and Needham, 1978 and Battish, 1992).

RESULTS

The ranges of monthly variations in physico- chemical characteristics are given in Table 2. Phytoplankton population in Bicherli pond was composed of four major groups namely Cyanophyceae (37.29%) > Chlorophyceae (30.83%) Bacillariophyceae (17.62%) > Euglenophyceae (14.27%) (Figure 2). The occurrences of total 62 species of phytoplankton with Cyanophyceae, the dominant group at all sampling sites (Table 3). Zooplankton population in Bicherli pond was composed of five major groups namely Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepod and Ostracoda. Among the different groups of zooplanktons, copepods (32.27%) exhibited the highest percentage of zooplankton density followed by cladocerans (25.89%), rotifer (14.86%), protozoans (13.91%) and Ostracods (13.08). 22 Zooplankton taxa was found in the samples (Table 4).

DISCUSSION

To evaluate the pollution indicator and trophic status of Bicherli pond phytoplankton and zooplankton were studied. Akehurst (1931) reported that every member of the phytoplankton produced an autotoxin, which limits the growth of its own population. Hughes et al. (1958) indicated the presence of Toxic substances in waters blooms. Cyanobacterial toxins include potent neurotoxins, hepatotoxins and cytotoxins (Bagchi, 1999) Microcystins are the most common of the Cynobacterial toxins found in water as well as being the ones most often responsible for poisoning animals and humans who come into contact with toxic bloom (Dadeech et al. 2001) thus causing organic pollution. Dominance of Spirulina sp., Microcystis  sp., Ankistrodesmus sp., Closterium sp., Navicula sp., Nitzschia sp., Oscillatoria sp., Euglena sp., Melosira sp., Cyclotella sp., Oocystis sp. and Chlorella sp., as pollution indicator species of Bicherli Pond were also noted. The presence of these indicator species, hence, confirm the highly organically polluted nature of the pond water.

Zooplankton species are indicators of trophic status. The analysis of pollution indicator species is based on the presence of particular species, which is indicative particular environmental condition. Rotifers such as Brachionus caudatus, B. caliciflorous, Keratella tropica and Asplancha sp have been identified as eutrophic indicator species in India and elsewhere in world by Sladecek (1983) and Sharma (1986). Gannon and Stemberger (1978) considered Cladocerans as bioindicators for eutrophication. Bajpai et al. (2001) characterized Moina sp. and the Copepoda Cyclops as  indicators of eutrophication. High densities of Brachionus sp., Asplanchna sp. and Fillinia sp. in Bicherli pond indicate the eutrophic nature of the pond water. Similar observation also reported by Singh and Gupta (2014). The presence of pollution indicator zooplankton species shows that the pond was under pollution and shows a trend of increasing eutrophication. Water of Bicherli pond unfit for drinking and irrigation purposes. Richness of nitrates and phosphates were favorable for the growth of phytoplanktons. So dumping of garbage and entry of sewage water should be restricted and for preventive measures, physical sediment removal, biological interaction and proper filtration treatment should be applied for the conservation or restoration of the pond to increase its aesthetic values, making it suitable for aquacultural purposes.

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Fig. 1 Study Area.

Table 1. Morphometric Features of Bicherli Pond.

Table 2. Water quality of Bicherli Pond.

Figure 2:  Percentage distribution of Phytoplankton in Bicherli Pond.

+ = Present

– = Absent

Table 3: Phytoplankton Taxa recorded from four sampling sites of Bicherli Pond

Table. 4 Zooplankton Taxa recorded from Four Sampling Sites of Bicherli Pond