Amrita Lala* & Namita Lalb
aDepartment of Environmental Science, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
bDepartment of Zoology, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Received : 21st April, 2023 ; Revised : 22nd May, 2023
DOI:- https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13282976
Abstract– Macrophytic diversity plays an important role in indicating the quality of water by their presence or absence. This study has been performed at Chotanagpur in Ranchi (Jharkhand) in two water bodies i.e. Kanke Dam and Ranchi Lake since 2022 to 2023 during all three season i.e. Pre-monsoon, Monsoon and Post-monsoon. It has been noted that richness of obligatory submerged and partially submerged (OSPS) macrophytes in Kanke Dam were highest during post monsoon while the richness of OSPS declined significantly by almost 50% in Ranch Lake at the same period. Data revealed the greater richness of family Cyperaceae, mainly constituted of Fimbristylis dichotoma, Cyperus difformis, and Sacciolepsis interrupta in Kanke Dam. Number of Cyperaceae family was extremely low in Ranchi Lake. Kanke Dam indicated highest population density and frequency for taxonomic species Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle followed by Marsilea minuta. A 15% increase in frequency of the macrophyte was noted during monsoon as it transited from pre-monsoon season. Likewise, in Ranchi Lake, its occurrences were only limited to monsoon season, that too was significantly lower (40%) than that of the Kanke Dam. In conclusion Kanke Dam indicated higher species diversity and species evenness comparing to Ranchi Lake, throughout the investigated period. These results indicate that quality of water, influence of season, area of lake and anthropogenic activities were mostly favourable to Kanke Dam, allowing higher diversity. Whereas, Ranchi Lake which is smaller in size and faces higher anthropogenic activities had relatively lower species diversity and lower species evenness.
Key words: Cyperaceae, Fimbristylis dichotoma, Hydrilla verticillata, Macrophytes, Obligatory submerged, Sacciolepsis interrupta, Species diversity.
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