The Spatio-temporal Variations of Phytoplankton Diversity of a Subtropical Sacred Lake of Meghalaya State, Northeast India

Abstract

The spatio-temporal variations of phytoplankton diversity of the ‘de-mineralized’ sacred Thadlaskein Lake of Meghalaya state of northeast India are monitored based on analyses of the littoral and limnetic assemblages. Our study reveals a total of 51 species, depicts notable desmid diversity, and records the speciose constellation of 49 species per sample. Phytoplankton indicates importance vis-a-vis net plankton abundance and exhibits quantitative dominance of Charophyta; Chlorophyta > Bacillariophyta > Dinozoa > Chrysophyta are sub-dominant groups, and Cyanobacteria and Euglenozoa record poor densities. Closterium spp., Cosmarium spp., Scenedesmus spp. and Staurastrum spp. are noteworthy taxa, and eleven species contribute notably to phytoplankton abundance. Our results depict high species diversity, lower dominance and high evenness. Individual abiotic factors exert the differential spatial influence on phytoplankton, and register the relative importance of the rainfall, transparency and total hardness, while the CCA registers the moderate cumulative influence of 10 abiotic factors on the littoral and limnetic assemblages. The spatial variations of various aspects of phytoplankton diversity and the influence of abiotic factors are hypothesized to the habitat heterogeneity amongst the two regions. The present study is a useful contribution to the phytoplankton diversity of India and that of the subtropical lacustrine environs of the country.

Keywords

• calcium poor
• de-mineralized
• phytoplankton assemblages
• sacred lake
• soft water

References

1. Anand N. 1998. Indian Freshwater Microalgae. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, 94 pp.
2. APHA. 1992. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (18th Ed.) American Public Health Association, Washington D.C. 2538 pp.
3. Baba AI, Pandit AK. 2014. Composition, diversity and population dynamics of phytoplankton at Saderkot in Wular Lake, Kashmir. Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography 4(1); 142. doi.org/10.4172/2157-7625.1000142
4. Bharati H, Deshmukhe G, Das SK, Kandpal BK, Sahoo L, Bhusan, S, Singh YJ. 2020. Phytoplankton communities in Rudrasagar Lake, Tripura (North-East India) – A Ramsar Site. International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 11(1): 001–007. doi.org /10.23910/IJBSM/2020.11.1.2030
5. Biswas K. 1949. Common fresh and brackish algal flora of India and Burma. Records Botanical Survey of India 15(2): 1–169.
6. 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
7. Deb S, Saikia J, Kalamdhad AS. 2019. Ecology of Deepor beel wetland, a Ramsar site of Guwahati, Assam with special reference to algal community. European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences 6(2): 232–243.
8. Devi MB, Gupta S, Das T. 2016. Phytoplankton community of Lake Baskandi anua, Cachar District, Assam, North East India – An ecological study. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 417, 2. doi.org /10.1051/kmae/2015034

9. 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 Biogeochemical Cycles 22(1): GB1018. doi:10.1029/2006GB002854
10. Fritter R, Manuel R. 1986. Field guide to the Freshwater life of Britain and North-West Europe. William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd, London, 382 pp.
11. Ganai AH, Parveen S. 2014. Effect of physico-chemical conditions on the structure and composition of the phytoplankton community in Wular Lake at Lankrishipora, Kashmir. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation 6(1): 71-84. doi.org /10.5897/IJBC2013.0597
12. Goswami M, Das T, Kumar S, Mishra A. 2018. Impact of physico-chemical parameters on primary productivity of Lake Nainital. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 6(4): 647–652.
13. Gupta S, Singh D, Rawat MS, Ahmed R. 2018. Phytoplankton community in relation to physicochemical characteristics of Renuka Lake and Parshuram Tal (H.P.), India. International Journal of Scientific Research and Reviews 7(3): 769–780.
14. Hulyal SK, Kaliwal BB. 2009. Dynamics of phytoplankton in relation to physico-chemical factors of Almatti reservoir of Bijapur district, Karnatak state. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 153 (1-4): 45–59. doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0335-1
15. Islam AKMN, Haroon AKY. 1980. Desmids of Bangladesh. Internationale Revue gesamten Hydrobiologie 65(4): 551–604.
16. Jindal R, Thakur RK. 2014. Hydrobiology and productivity of Kuntbhyog Lake, (District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh), India. International Journal of Environmental Engineering 6 (4): 449–459.
17. 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. Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 185 (10): 8355–8373. doi:10.1007/s10661-013-3178-3
18. Jindal R, Thakur RK, Singh UB, Ahluwalia AS. 2014a. Phytoplankton dynamics and species diversity in a shallow eutrophic, natural mid-altitude lake in Himachal Pradesh (India): role of physicochemical factors. Chemistry and Ecology 30(4): 328–338. doi.org/10.1080/02757540.2013.871267
19. Jindal R, Thakur RK, Singh UB, Ahluwalia AS. 2014b. Phytoplankton dynamics and water quality of Prashar Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India. Sustainability of Water Quality and Ecology 3–4: 101–113. doi.org/10.1016/j.swaqe.2014.12.003
20. Jeelani M, Kaur H. 2012. Ecological Understanding of Anchar Lake, Kashmir. Bionano Frontier 5(2): 57–61.
21. John DM, Whitton BA, Brook AJ. 2002. The Freshwater Algal Flora of the British Isles: An Identification Guide to Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.
22. Ludwig JA, Reynolds JF. 1988. Statistical ecology: a primer on methods and computing. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 337 p.
23. MacArthur RH. 1965. Patterns of species diversity. Biological Review 40: 510–533. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.1965.tb00815.x
24. Magurran AE. 1988. Ecological diversity and its measurement. Croom Helm Limited, London, 179 pp.
25. Masson CF. 1998. Biology Freshwater Pollution (3rd Ed). Harlow (Essex), Longman.
26. Negi RK, Rajput V. 2015. Assessment of phytoplankton diversity in relation to abiotic factors of Nainital Lake of Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand State, India. Asian Journal of Scientific Research 8(2): 157–164.
27. Nissa N, Bhat SU. 2016. An assessment of phytoplankton in Nigeen Lake of Kashmir Himalaya. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences 9: 27–30. doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2016.27.40
28. Payne AR. 1986. The ecology of Tropical Lakes and Rivers. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
29. Prescott GW. 1982. Algae of the Western Great Lakes area. Otto Koeltz Science Publishers, W. Germany, 977 p.
30. Sharma BK. 1995. Limnological studies in a small reservoir in Meghalaya (N.E. India). In: K.H. Timotius & F. Goltenboth (Eds.), Tropical Limnology II: 1–11. Satya Wacana University Press, Salatiga, Indonesia
31. Sharma BK. 2004. Phytoplankton communities of a floodplain lake of the Brahmaputra river basin, upper Assam. Journal of Inland Fisheries Association 31: 27–35.
32. Sharma BK. 2009. Phytoplankton communities of Loktak lake (a Ramsar site), Manipur (N. E. India): composition, abundance and ecology. Journal of Threatened Taxa 1(8): 401–410. doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2193.401-10
33. Sharma BK. 2010. Phytoplankton diversity of two floodplain lakes (pats) of Manipur (N. E. India). Journal of Threatened Taxa 2(11): 1273–1281. doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2427.1273-81
34. Sharma BK. 2012. Phytoplankton diversity of a floodplain lake of the Brahmaputra River basin, Assam, north-east India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 59(4): 131–139.
35. Sharma BK. 2015. Phytoplankton diversity of Deepor Beel- a Ramsar site in the floodplain of the Brahmaputra River Basin, Assam, north-east India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 62(1): 33‒40.
36. Sharma BK, Bhattarai S. 2005. Hydro-biological 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.org/10.1007/s10201-005-0157-6
37. Sharma BK, Lyngdoh RM. 2003. Abundance and ecology of net and phytoplankton of a subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya (N. E. India). Ecology, Environment & Conservation 9 (4): 497‒503.
38. Sharma BK, Lyngskor C. 2003. Plankton communities of a subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya (N. E. India). Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 73(2): 88–95.
39. Sharma BK, Pachuau L. 2016. Diversity of Phytoplankton of a sub-tropical reservoir of Mizoram, northeast India. International Journal of Aquatic Biology 4(6): 360–369. doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v4i6.195
40. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2021a. Phytoplankton diversity of a subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya state of northeast India. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering 36 (2): 51-65. doi.org/10.26650/ASE202074021
41. Sharma BK, Sharma S. 2021b. Phytoplankton diversity of a de-mineralized subtropical reservoir of Meghalaya state, northeast India. Aquatic Research 4(3): 233-249. doi.org/10.3153/AR21018
42. Sharma RC, Singh S. 2018. Water quality and phytoplankton diversity of high altitude wetland, Dodi Tal of Garhwal Himalaya, India. Biodiversity International Journal 2(6): 484‒493.
43. Sharma RC, Tiwari V. 2018. Phytoplankton diversity in relation to physico-chemical environmental variables of Nachiketa Tal, Garhwal Himalaya. Biodiversity International Journal 2(2): 128‒136.
44. Talling JF, Talling IB. 1965. The chemical composition of African lake waters. Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie 50: 421‒463. doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19650500307
45. 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. Environment Monitoring & Assessment 185 (10): 8355–8373. doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3178-3
46. Wanganeo A, Wanganeo R. 1991. Algal population in valley lakes of Kashmir Himalayas. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 121: 219‒223.
47. Wilhm JL, Dorris TC. 1968. Biological parameters for water quality criteria. Bioscience 18: 477–481. doi.org/10.2307/1294272
48. Woelkerling WJ, Gough SB. 1976. Wisconsin Desmids. III. Desmid community composition and distribution in relation to lake type and water chemistry. Hydrobiologia 51(1): 3–32. doi.org/10.1007/BF00007982
49. Woelkerling WJ, Kowal RR., Gough SB. 1976. Sedgwick-Rafter cell counts: a procedural analysis. Hydrobiologia 48 (2): 95–107. doi.org/10.1007/BF00040161
50. Zutshi DP, Wanganeo A. 1984. The phytoplankton and primary productivity of a high altitude subtropical lake. Internationale Vereinigung für Theoretische und Angewandte Limnologie Verhandlungen 222: 1168-1172. doi.org/10.1080/03680770.1983.11897457