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Studies on Diversity and Abundance of Fresh Water Diatoms as Indicators of Water Quality in Glacial fed Goriganga River, India

Author Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Zoology, Kumaun University, Soban Singh Jeena Campus Almora, Uttarakhand, 263601, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 4, Issue (4), Pages 80-85, April,22 (2015)

Abstract

Diatoms are a major group of algae and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. The diatoms are not only the source of food for fry, fingerlings, young and adult fish, but also influences the abiotic features in the river. Diatoms are important not only for fishery management point of view but also because they are the biological indicators of pollution. Samples for monitoring diversity and abundance of diatoms as indicators of water quality were collected monthly from July-2006 to June-2008 at three selected spots (Spot-1, Jauljibi; Spot-2, Baram and Spot-3, Madkot) for a period of two years. A total of 27 genera of Diatoms (Achnanthes, Amphipleura, Amphora, Bacillaria, Biddulphia, Brebissonia, Caloneis, Cocconeis, Cymatopleura, Cymbella, Denticula, Diatoma, Diatomella, Epithelmia, Eunotia, Fragilaria, Frustulia, Gomphoneis, Melosira, Meridion, Navicula, Nedium, Nitzchia, Pinnularia, Rhicosphenia, Synedra and Tabellaria) were recorded during the course of study which belongs to 11 families of class bacillariophyceae (Cosconodisceae, Biddulphiniaceae, Fragilariaceae, Achnanthaceae, Eunotiaceae, Naviculaceae, Gomphonemaceae, Cymbellaceae, Epithelmiaceae, Nitzschiaceae and Surirellaceae). Most of the Diatoms were present round the year while some ten genera of Bacllariophyceae (Achnanthes, Amphora, Bacillaria, Denticula Diatoma, Navicula, Nitzchia, Pinnularia, Synedra and Tabellaria ) were fairly common at all the selected spots. It was also observed that six genera of Diatoms (Navicula, Nitzschia, Fragilaria, Synedra, and Tabellaria) were recorded as pollution indicator in the present study but their population was very low. Diversity of Diatoms increased from upstream to downstream. A sharp distinction in numerical population of Diatoms were clearly observed at different selected spots in Gorioganga river. Monthly, Seasonal, yearly and spot-wise variations in diversity and abundance of fresh water diatoms of Goriganga river at different selected spots have also been discussed in detail.

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