Zooplankton Diversity of a Sub-Tropical Small Urban Wetland of Meghalaya, Northeast India with Remarks on Spatial Variations

Abstract

Limnological survey of a small urban wetland of Meghalaya state of northeast India (NEI), undertaken at the littoral and semi-limnetic stations, reveals one of the biodiverse zooplankton assemblages (148 species belonging to 72 genera and 30 families) known from any lentic environ of the Indian sub-region. The speciose nature, peak constellation/sample of 83 zooplankton species, and diverse Rotifera (90 species) are hypothesized to environmental heterogeneity of this urban wetland in contrast to the general pattern of reduced richness expected in highly modified urban aquatic environments. The soft and de-mineralized waters are characterized by low zooplankton abundance. This study records high species diversity and evenness, and low dominance attributed to low and equitable abundance depicts ‘generalist’ nature of all species. Rotifera > Cladocera and Chydoridae > Lecanidae > Lepadellidae > Daphniidae are important at both stations, and Testudinellidae, Trichocercidae, and Macrothricidae are notable at the littoral station. Individual abiotic factors exert limited and differential spatial influence on various taxa, while the CCA registers a high cumulative influence of 10 abiotic factors on the littoral (87.37%) and semi-limnetic (75.81%) zooplankton assemblages. The spatial variations of composition, richness, similarities, abundance, diversity indices, and of the influence of individual abiotic factors are hypothesized to habitat heterogeneity amongst the sampled stations.

Keywords

• Abundance
• diversity indices
• habitat diversity
• salient features
• trophic status

References

1. Adhikari S, Goswami AR, Mukhopadhyay SK. 2017. Diversity of zooplankton in municipal wastewater contaminated urban pond ecosystems of the lower Gangetic plains. Turk J Zool. 41:464–475. doi:10.3906/zoo-1601-12
2. Ahangar IA, Saksena DN, Mir FM. 2012. Seasonal variation in zooplankton community of Anchar Lake, Kashmir. Universal J Env Res Tech. 2(4):305–310.
3. Allen JD. 1976. Life history patterns in zooplankton. Am Nat. 110(971):165–180. doi: 10.1086/283056
4. Anita SM, Hatti SS, Majagi S, Chitra J. 2019. Assessment of Zooplankton Diversity of Nagaral Dam, Chincholli, Kalaburagi. Res J Life Sci Bioinform Pharmaceut Chem Sci. 5(26): 269–281. doi:10.26479/2019.0502.20
5. APHA. 1992. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (18th Ed.). Washington D.C: American Public Health Association. 2538 p.
6. Céréghino R, Biggs J, Oertli B, Declerck S. 2008. The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat. Hydrobiologia. 597:1–6. doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9225-8
7. Céréghino R, Boix D, Cauchie HM, Martens K, Oertli B. 2014.The ecological role of ponds in a changing world. Hydrobiologia. 723(1):1–6. doi:10.1007/s10750-013-1719-y
8. Chopra G, Jakhar P. 2016. Diversity and community composition of zooplankton in three wetlands of Fatehabad, Haryana. Current World Environ. 11(3):851–858. doi:10.12944/CWE.11.3.21

9. Datta T. 2011. Zooplankton diversity and physicochemical conditions of two wetlands of Jalpaiguri district, India. Int J Appl Biol Pharmaceut Tech. 2(3):576–583.
10. Deka PP, Goswami MM. 2015. Heleoplankton productivity at lower trophic level in two types of aquaculture ponds, Guwahati, Assam. Int J Fish Aquat Stud.3(1):57–61.
11. Downing JA, Prairie YT, Cole JJ, Duarte CM, Tranvik LJ, Striegl RG, Mcdowell WH, Kortelainen P, Caraco NF, Melack JM, Middelburg JJ. 2006. The global abundance and size distribution of lakes, ponds, and impoundments. Limnol Oceanogr. 51(5): 2388–2397. doi:10.4319/lo.2006.51.5.2388
12. Downing JA, Cole JJ, Middelburg JJ, Striegl RG, Duarte CM, Kortelainen P, Prairie YT, Laube KA. 2008. Sediment organic carbon burial in agriculturally eutrophic impoundments over the last century. Global Biogeochem Cy. 22(1):GB1018. doi:10.1029/2006GB002854
13. Ganesan L, Khan RA. 2008. Studies on the ecology of zooplankton in a floodplain wetland of West Bengal. In: Sengupta M, Dalwani R. editors. Proceeding of Taal 2007 The 12th World Lake Conference. p. 67–73.
14. Halder Mallick P, Chakraborty SK. 2015. Does intra-site connectivity influence the dynamics of zooplankton metacommunity in freshwater habitats? Turk J Fish Aquat Sc. 15:661–675. doi:10.4194/1303-2712-v15_3_11
15. Hill MJ, Biggs J, Thornhill I, Briers RA, Gledhill DG, White JC, Wood PJ, Hassall C. 2017. Urban ponds as an aquatic biodiversity resource in modified landscapes. Global Change Biol. 23(3):986–999. doi:10.1111/gcb.13401
16. Holgerson MA, Raymond PA. 2016. Large contribution to inland water CO2 and CH4 emissions from very small ponds. Nat Geosci. 9(3):222–226. doi:10.1038/ngeo2654
17. Hulyal SB, Kaliwal BB. 2008. Water quality assessment of Almatti reservoir of Bijapur (Karnataka state, India) with special reference to zooplankton. Environ Monit Assess. 139:299–306. doi:10.1007/s10661-007-9835-7
18. Islam MA, Chowdhury AH. 2013. Limnological status of Trimohini beel of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. J Asiatic Soc Bangladesh, Science. 39(2):173–182. doi:10.3329/jasbs.v39i2.17854
19. Jindal R, Prajapat P. 2005. Productivity and trophic status of Renuka wetland (Distt. Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh. Indian J Ecol. 32(2):180–183.
20. Jindal R, Thakur RK. 2014. Hydrobiology and productivity of Kuntbhyog Lake (District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh), India. Int J Env Eng. 6(4):449–459. doi:10.1504/ijee.2014.067004
21. Jindal R, Thakur RK, Singh UB, Ahluwalia AS. 2013. Plankton diversity and water quality assessment of three freshwater lakes of Mandi (Himachal Pradesh, India) with special reference to planktonic indicators. Environ Monit Assess. 185(10): 8355–8373. doi:10.1007/s10661-013-3178-3
22. Jyoti MK, Sharma KK, Sharma J. 2009. Population dynamics and community structure of zooplankton inhabiting in fish pond Jammu, India. Curr World Environ. 4(1):165–169. doi:10.12944/CWE.4.1.26
23. Karuthapandi M, Rao DV, Innocent X. 2016. Zooplankton composition, diversity and physicochemical features of Bandam Kommu Pond, Medak District, Telangana, India. Proc Zool Soc. 69(2):189–204. doi:10.1007/s12595-015-0142-y
24. Khan MA. 1987. Observations on zooplankton composition, abundance and periodicity in two flood–plain lakes of the Kashmir Himalayan valley. Acta Hydrochem Hydrob. 15(2):167–174. doi:10.1002/aheh.19870150211
25. Khan RA. 2002. The ecology and faunal diversity of two floodplain Ox-bow lakes of South-Eastern West Bengal. Rec Zool Surv India Occ Paper.195: 1–57.
26. Khan RA. 2003. Faunal diversity of zooplankton in freshwater wetlands of Southeastern West Bengal. Rec Zool Surv India, Occ Paper. 204:1–107.
27. Kudari VA, Kanamadi RD. 2008. Impact of changed trophic status on the zooplankton composition in six water bodies of Dharwad district, Karnataka state (South India). Environ Monit Assess. 144: 301–313. doi:10.1007/s10661-007-9993-7
28. Kumar U, Kumar SS, Singh PK. 2015. Analysis of seasonal biodiversity of zooplankton in Sahni tola talab (pond) of Sundarpur Bela, Darbhanga district, Bihar. Int J Sci Res. 4(2):70–72.
29. Kumar P, Wanganeo A, Sonaullah F, Wanganeo R. 2012. Limnological study on two high altitude Himalayan Ponds, Badrinath, Uttarakhand. Int J Ecosys. 2(5):103–111. doi: 10.5923/j.ije.20120205.04
30. Kumar P, Wanganeo A, Wanganeo R, Sonaullah F. 2011. Seasonal variations in zooplankton diversity of railway pond, Sasaram, Bihar. Int J Env Sci. 2(2):1007–1016.
31. Ludwig JA, Reynolds JF. 1988. Statistical Ecology: A Primer on Methods and Computing. New York: John Wiley & Sons 337p.
32. MacArthur RH. 1965. Patterns of species diversity. Biol Rev. 40(4):510–533. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.1965.tb00815.x
33. Magurran AE. 1988. Ecological diversity and its measurement. Croom Helm Limited, London, 179 p. doi:10.1007/978-94-015-7358-0
34. Majagi S. 2014. Status of wetlands of Chikkballapur district, Karnataka. India. Int J Water Res. 2(2):55–62.
35. Majagi S, Vijaykumar K. 2009. Ecology and abundance of zooplankton in Karanja reservoir. Environ Monit Assess. 152:451–458. doi:10.1007/s10661-008-0329-z
36. Malik DS, Panwar P. 2016. Zooplankton diversity, species richness and their distribution pattern in Bhimtal Lake of Kumaun region, (Uttarakhand). Hydrol Current Res. 7(1):1–7. doi:10.4172/2157-7587.1000219
37. Michael RG, Sharma BK. 1988. Indian Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) Fauna of India and adjacent countries Series. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta 262 pp.
38. Middya S. 2017. Community structure of zooplankton in three different types of water bodies of West Midnapore District, India. J Pharmacy Biol Sci. 12(6-4):21–28. doi: 10.9790/3008-1206042128
39. Midya S, Bhattacharya S, Islam SS, Ganguly RK, Chakraborty SK. 2018. Observation on freshwater zooplankton and hydrophytes composition in different wetlands of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal (India). Int J Zool Stud. 3(2):5–9.
40. Mishra A, Chakraborty SK, Jaiswar AK, Sharma AP, Deshmukhe G, Mohan M. 2010. Plankton diversity in Dhaura and Baigul reservoirs of Uttarakhand. Indian J Fish. 57(3):19–27.
41. Mishra R, Kanumgo VK, Shrivastava S, Agrawal RK. 2014. Seasonal abundance of zooplankton in five ponds of Raipur city in Chhattisgarh. Int J Fauna Biol Stud. 1(6):78–82.
42. Moss B, Kosten S, Meerhof M, Battarbee R, Jeppesen E, Mazzeo N, Havens K., Lacerot G, Liu Z, De Meester L, Paerl H, Scheffer M. 2011. Allied attack: climate change and eutrophication. Inland Waters. 1(2):101–105. doi:10.5268/IW-1.2.359
43. Mullins ML, Doyle RD. 2019. Big things come in small packages: why limnologists should care about small ponds. Acta Limnol Brasiliensia. 31: e105. doi:10.1590/s2179-975x4119
44. Oertli B. 2018. Freshwater biodiversity conservation: The role of artificial ponds in the 21st century. Aquatic Conserv. 28(2):264–269. doi:10.1002/aqc.2902
45. Osborne A, Wanielista P, Yousuf A. 1976. Benthic fauna species diversity in six central Florida lakes in summer. Hydrobiologia. 48(2):125–129. doi:10.1007/BF00040164
46. Pandey BN, Siddhartha R, Tanti KD, Thakur AK. 2013. Seasonal variation of zooplanktonic community in swamp of Purnia (Bihar), India. Aquatic Biol Res.1(1):1–9.
47. Patra A, Santra KB, Manna CK. 2011. Ecology and diversity of zooplankton in relation to physico–chemical characteristics of water of Santragachi Jheel, West Bengal, India. Journal of Wetlands Ecology. 5:20–39. doi:10.3126/jowe.v5i0.4595
48. Patra AK, Das V, Datta T, Datidar SG. 2015. Zooplankton fauna of Moraghat forest, a territorial forest of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India. Euro J Exp Biol. 5(1):39–47.
49. Saha S, Saha T, Basu P. 2017. Seasonal changes in zooplankton and macro-fauna populations of the East Calcutta wetland fish ponds. Proc Zool Soc. 70(2):156–164. doi:10.1007/s12595-016-0173-z
50. Saikia R, Das T, Gogoi B, Akash K, Vivekanand S, Das DN. 2017. Community structure and monthly dynamics of zooplankton in high altitude rice fish system in Eastern Himalayan region of India. Int J. Life Sci. 5(3):362–378.
51. Sanjer LR, Sharma UP. 1995. Community structure of plankton in Kawar lake wetland, Begusarai, Bihar: II Zooplankton. J Freshwat Biol. 7:165–167.
52. Seekell DA, Pace ML, Tranvik LJ, Verpoorter C. 2013. A fractal-based approach to lake size-distributions. Geophys Res Lett. 40(3):517-521. doi:10.1002/grl.50139
53. Segers H. 2008. Global diversity of rotifers (Rotifera) in freshwater. Hydrobiologia. 595:49–59. doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9003-7
54. Sharma A, Sharma M. 2019. Zooplankton diversity in relation to physico-chemical parameters in subtropical pond of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Biosci Biotech Res Asia. 16(2):425–439. doi:10.13005/bbra/2758
55. Sharma BK. 1995. Limnological studies in a small reservoir in Meghalaya (N. E. India). In: K.H. Timotius & F. Goltenboth, editors. Tropical Limnology, II:1–11. Salatiga, Indonesia: Satya Wacana University Press.
56. Sharma BK. 1998. Freshwater rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria). In: State Fauna Series: Fauna of West Bengal. 3(11):341-461. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta
57. Sharma BK. 2011a. Zooplankton diversity of two floodplain lakes (pats) of Manipur, northeast India. Opusc Zool Budapest. 42(2):185–197.
58. Sharma BK. 2011b. Zooplankton communities of Deepor beel (a Ramsar site), Assam (N.E. India): ecology, richness and abundance. Trop Ecol. 52(3):291–302.
59. Sharma BK. 2016. Interesting rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) from a sub-tropical wetland of Meghalaya: new records. Turk J Zool. 40(3):433–437. doi:10.3906/zoo-1510-20
60. Sharma BK, Bhattarai S. 2005. Hydrobiological analysis of a peat bog with emphasis on its planktonic diversity and population dynamics in Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, eastern Bhutan. Limnology. 6:183–187. doi:10.1007/s10201-005-0157-6
61. Sharma BK, Hatimuria MK. 2017. Zooplankton diversity of three floodplain lakes (beels) of the Majuli River Island, Brahmaputra river basin of Assam, northeast India. J Aquac Mar Biol. 6(1):00144. doi:10.15406/jamb.2017.06.00144
62. Sharma BK, Hussain Md. 2001. Abundance and ecology of zooplankton in a tropical floodplain lake, Assam (N.E. India). Ecol Env Cons. 7(4):397–403.
63. Sharma BK, Kensibo. 2017. Rotifer assemblages (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) of two wetlands of Nagaland, northeast India: ecosystem diversity and interesting features. Int J Fish Aquac Stud. 5(2):609–617.
64. Sharma BK, Lyngdoh RM. 2004. Zooplankton communities of Umiam reservoir, Meghalaya (N. E. India): composition, abundance and ecology. Indian J Anim Sci. 74 (6):681–685.
65. Sharma BK, Lyngskor C. 2003. Plankton communities of a subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya (N. E. India). Indian J Anim Sci. 73(2):88–95.
66. Sharma BK, Michael RG. 1987. Review of taxonomic studies on freshwater Cladocera from India with remarks on biogeography. Hydrobiologia. 145:29–33. doi:10.1007/BF02530262
67. Sharma BK, Noroh N. 2020. Zooplankton diversity of three floodplain lakes of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere reserve, upper Assam, northeast India. Int J Aquat Biol. 8(1):189–34. doi:10.22034/ijab.v8i1.730
68. Sharma BK, Pachuau L. 2013. Zooplankton diversity of a sub-tropical reservoir of Mizoram, Northeast India. Opusc Zool Budapest. 44(1):47–60.
69. Sharma BK, Pou KRS, Sharma S. 2016. Rich rotifer assemblage (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) of a sub-tropical wetland of Meghalaya, Northeast India: ecosystem diversity and interesting features. Int J Aquat Biol. 4(3):179–188.
70. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 1999a. Freshwater Rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria). In: State Fauna Series: Fauna of Meghalaya. 4(9): 11–161. Zoological Survey of India. Calcutta.
71. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 1999b. Freshwater Cladocerans (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera). In: State Fauna Series: Fauna of Meghelaya. 4(9): 469–550. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.
72. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2000. Freshwater Rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria). In: State Fauna Series: Fauna of Tripura. 4(7): 163–224. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.
73. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2011. Zooplankton diversity of Loktak Lake, Manipur, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 3(5):1745–1755. doi:10.11609/JoTT.o2457.1745-55
74. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2012. Diversity of zooplankton in a tropical floodplain lake of the Brahmaputra river basin, Assam (Northeast India). Opusc Zool Budapest. 43(2):187–195+ appendix
75. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2017a. Rotifera: Eurotatoria (rotifers) Chapter 7. In: K. Chandra, K.C. Gopi, D.V. Rao, K. Valarmathi, J.R.B Alfred, editors. Current status of freshwater faunal diversity in India. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. p. 93–113.
76. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2017b. Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) Chapter 14. In: K. Chandra, K.C. Gopi, D.V. Rao, K. Valarmathi, J.R.B Alfred, editors Current status of freshwater faunal diversity in India. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. p. 199–223.
77. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2019a. The biodiverse rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) from small wetlands of the Brahmaputra river floodplains of lower and upper Assam, Northeast India. Journal of Limnology and Freshwater Fisheries Research. 5(3):187–196. doi:10.17216/LimnoFish.515981
78. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2019b. The biodiverse rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) of the floodplain wetlands of Barak valley of Assam state, northeast India. Opusc Zool Budapest. 50(1):3–15. doi:10.18348/opzool.2019.1.3
79. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2019c. The biodiverse rotifers (Rotifera: Eurotatoria) of Northeast India: faunal heterogeneity, biogeography, richness in diverse ecosystems and interesting species assemblages. Bonn Zool Bull. 68(1):147–162. doi:10.20363/BZB-2019.68.1.147
80. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2020. Zooplankton diversity of a subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya, northeast India with remarks on spatial and temporal variations. Opusc Zool Budapest. 51(1):67–86. doi:10.18348/opzool.2020.1.67
81. Sharma BK, Wanswett D. 2006. Zooplankton of a sub-tropical fish pond of high rainfall region of Meghalaya (N.E. India): composition and ecology. Rec Zool Surv India. 106(1):69–80.
82. Sharma PC, Pant MC. 1985. Species composition of zooplankton in two Kumaun Himalayan Lakes (U.P., India). Arch Hydrobiol. 102:387–403.
83. Sharma RC, Kumari K. 2018. Seasonal variation in zooplankton community and environmental variables of sacred Lake Prashar Himachal Pradesh, India. Int J Fish Aquac Stud. 6(2):207–213.
84. Sharma S, Sharma BK. 2008. Zooplankton diversity in floodplain lakes of Assam. Rec Zool Surv India, Occ Paper No. 290:1–307.
85. Singh RK, Pandey MK, Kumari R, Ranjan P. 2012. Study on the diversity and seasonal variation of zooplankton in Mahendra Nath Pond, Siwan, Bihar. Int Pharmaceut Biol Arch. 3(4):867–870.
86. Singh S, Sharma RC. 2020. Zooplankton diversity and potential indicator species for assessment water quality of high altitude wetland, Dodi Tal of Garhwal Himalaya, India. Academia Arena.12(5):1–16. doi:10.7537/marsaaj120520.01
87. Slathia S, Dutta SPS. 2013. Hydrobiological study of a subtropical Shiwalik Lake, Jammu, J & K (India). Int J Chem Env Biol Sci. 1(1):143–148.
88. Steinitz-Kannan M, Colinvaux P A, Kannan R. 1983. Limnological studies in Ecuador: 1. A survey of chemical and physical properties of Ecuadorian Lakes. Arch Hydrobiol. Supplement 65: 61–105.
89. Thakur RK, Jindal R, Singh UB, Ahluwalia AS. 2013. Plankton diversity and water quality assessment of three freshwater Lakes of Mandi (Himachal Pradesh, India) with special reference to planktonic indicators. Environ Monit Assess. 185: 8355–8373. doi:10.1007/s10661–013–3178–3
90. Twin YY, Aung SM. 2019. Seasonal occurrence of zooplankton at the pond of Botataung Pagoda, Botataung township, Yangon Region, Myanmar. Int J Innovative Sci Res Tech. 4(5):991–995.
91. Tyor AK, Chopra G, Kumari S. 2014. Zooplankton diversity in shallow lake of Sultanpur National park, Gurgaon (Haryana). Int J Appl Biol Pharceut Tech. 5(1):35–49.
92. Vad CF, Péntek A, Cozma NJ, Földi A, Tóth A, Tóth B, Böde NA, Móra A, Ptacnik R, Ács E, Zsuga K, Horvátha Z. 2017. Wartime scars or reservoirs of biodiversity? The value of bomb crater ponds in aquatic conservation. Biol Conserv. 209:253–262. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.02.025
93. Verpoorter C, Kutser T, Seekell DA, Tranvik LJ. 2014. A global inventory of lakes based on high-resolution satellite imagery. Geophys Res Lett. 41(18):6396–6402. doi:10.1002/2014GL060641
94. Wilhm JL, Dorris TC 1968. Biological parameters for water quality criteria: BioScience, 18(6):477–481. doi:10.2307/1294272