Comparative Study on Floral Diversity p y yof Kavery River and Five water bodies in

and around KumbakonamTown,Thanjavur District,

T il N dTamil NaduSelvam, K** .,Victorraj* M., Kannadhasan* C.,

j k d k i hRajasekaran* N., and Ramakrishnan, N**** Department of Botany,Govt. Arts College (Autonomous),

K b k 612001Kumbakonam – 612001

* Department of Zoology Govt. Arts College (Autonomous)

Kumbakonam – 612001

E-mail – nrk57@rediffmail.com

Comparative study on phytoplankton and macrophyticp y p y p p ydiversity was carried out in Kavery River (average width of62.5m) from Swamimalai to Thiruvisannallur for a stretch of 15Km and with five adjacent water bodies along the course ofKavery River study site (between 10 º 57' and 26º 17' of the northlatitude and 79º 22' and 51º 84' of the East longitude)

Fig - Study Area

Biological analysis was made as described in Ramachandra et al., [5]. The keys of Ward and Whipple

[6] and Prescott [7] assisted in the identification [6] and Prescott [7] assisted in the identification process

Results and Discussion

Plankton diversityPlankton diversity

During the study period 42 species of

phytoplankton and 14 genera of zooplankton were

observed (Table 1-2). The phytoplankton genera

which distributed over four divisions like

Chlorophyta (14), Cyanophyta (16), Bacillariophytap y ( ), y p y ( ), p y

(10) and Euglenophyta (2). Zooplankton population

was represented by14 species (Table 2) distributedwas represented by14 species (Table 2) distributed

over Rotifera (3), Cladocera (4) and Copepoda (7).

Among phytoplankton3.2 Phytoplankton Diversity

Among phytoplankton species,Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta and

B ill i h b d h hBacillariophyta were observed throughout the study period in all the four study sites

(Table 1)

Table 1 List of Phytoplankton in different experimental sites of the Kavery Riverve y ve

S. No Name of the species Site I Site II Site III Site IV

1 Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda + + - +1 Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda + + +

2 Chlamydomonas simplex Pasch + - + -

3 Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck + + - +

4 Closterium acerosum (Schrank) E + +4 Closterium acerosum (Schrank) E - + + -

5 Cl.dianae Ehr. + - - +

6 Comarium granatum Breb + - + +

7 C. nudum Turn. + + - -

8 Staurastrum pinnatum Turn. - + + -

9 Selenastrum gracile Reinch + + + +

10 Scenedesmus acuminatus + - - +

11 S. dimorphus - + + -

12 Pediastrum duplex Meyem. + + - -

13 P.ovatum + - + +

Table 1 List of Phytoplankton in different experimental sites of the Kavery Riverve y ve

S. No Name of the species Site I Site II Site III Site IV

1 Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda + + - +1 Ankistrodesmus convolutus Corda + + - +

2 Chlamydomonas simplex Pasch + - + -

3 Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck + + - +

4 Cl t i (S h k) E4 Closterium acerosum (Schrank) E - + + -

5 Cl.dianae Ehr. + - - +

6 Comarium granatum Breb + - + +

7 C. nudum Turn. + + - -

8 Staurastrum pinnatum Turn. - + + -

9 Selenastrum gracile Reinch + + + +

10 Scenedesmus acuminatus + - - +

11 S. dimorphus - + + -

12 Pediastrum duplex Meyem. + + - -p y

13 P.ovatum + - + +

14 Desmidium sp. + + + -

15 Phacus orbicularis Huebnear - + + +15 Phacus orbicularis Huebnear - + + +

16 Euglena acus - - + +

17 Amphora gigantea Cl. + + - -

18 Cyclotella sp. + + + +

19 Cymbella affinis Kutz. - + + -

20 Melosira sp. + - + +

21 Navicula gracilis Ehr. - + - +

22 Nitzschia bilobata Grun. + - + +

23 Pinnularia ambigua Cl. + + + -

24 Synedra acus ( Kutz ) Ehr - + - +24 Synedra acus ( Kutz.) Ehr. - + - +

25 S. ulna ( Kutz.) Ehr. + - + -

26 Diatoma vulgare ( Fricke ) H - + - +

27 Aphanocapsa sp. Montana Cramer + - - +

28 Anabena ambigua Rao + + - -

29 Chroococcus minutus ( Kuetz ) Nag - + + +29 Chroococcus minutus ( Kuetz ) Nag. - + + +

30 C. varius A. Braun + - + +

31 Gleocapsa sp. + - - -

32 Microcystis aeruginosa Kutz - + + +

33 M. flos- aquae ( Wittr. ) Kirchn. - + - +

34 Nostoc muscorum Ag Ex Born Et + + +34 Nostoc muscorum Ag. Ex. Born. Et + - + +

35 Cylindrospermum majus Kutzing ex.

+ + - -

36 Scytonema sp - + + +36 Scytonema sp

37 Spirulina sp. + - + -

38 Oscillatoria sp. Vaucher - + + +

39 Oscillatoria acuta Bruhl & Biswas - + - +

40 O.chalybea ( Mertens ) Gom. + - + -

41 O limosa Ag ex Gom - + + +41 O. limosa Ag. ex Gom. - + + +

42 O. princes Vaucher ex Gom. + + - +

The division Chlorophyta was represented by 14 species in all four study sites Of the 14 14 species in all four study sites. Of the 14 species Selenastrum gracil was recorded in all the four study sites. The following five all the four study sites. The following five

species like Ankistrodesmus convolutus ; Chlorella vulgaris; Comarium granatum;Pediastrum ovatum; Desmidium sp were

dominating in three study sites.

3.3 Zooplankton Diversity

Among the 14 zooplankton species were di t ib t d th likdistributed over three groups like

cladocerans (4), Copepods (7) and R tif (3) (T bl 2)Rotifers (3) (Table 2).

Table 2: Zooplankton diversity in the experimental sites f th K Ri

S. No Name of the species Site I Site II Site III Site IV

1 Daphnia Catawba (2 mm) + + - +

of the Kavery River

2 D. parvula - + + -

3 D. retrocurva + + + -

4 Latonopsis sp - + - +

5 Eucyclops agilis - + + -

6 Macrocyclops albidus + + - +

7 Diaptomus kenai + - + +

8 D. nudus + + - +

9 D. oregonensis - + + -

10 Cyclops + - + +y p

11 Macrocyclops albidus - + + +

12 Lecane + + + -

13 Monostyla + - + +y

14 Asplanchna - + + +

3.4 Macro-Benthos

Macro-benthos population was represented and dominated with four species in all the fourand dominated with four species in all the four

study sites (Table 3). Of all the four sites selected for the present investigation in site IV morefor the present investigation in site IV more

diversity of macro-benthos was observed than other sites nevertheless due to the soil nature clay y

type which is most favorable for benthos [26].

Table 3 Macro benthos species in the

S N N f th i Sit I Sit II Sit III Sit

Table 3 - Macro-benthos species in the experimental sites of River Cavery

S. No Name of the species Site I Site II Site III Site IV

1 Diptera sp + + + -

2 Tubifex sp. - + - +

3 Gastropoda + + +3 Gastropoda + + + -

4 Chironomous sp. + - - +

3.4 Insect population

In the experimental river sites during present investigation insect g p gpopulation was dominated by four

important species p p(Table 4).

Table 4 - Water insect diversity inTable 4 - Water insect diversity in study sites of Cavery River

S. No Name of the species Site I Site II Site III Site IV

1 May fly nymph + + - +1 May fly nymph

2 Chloroperia + + + -

3 Rhithrogena + - + +

4 Whirlgig beetle + + - +

5 Berosus sp - + + +

3 5 Macrophytic Vegetation3.5 Macrophytic Vegetation

In addition to phytoplankton, four macrophytic plant species were dominating ( bl ) i h f h i (S d(Table 5) entire stretch of the river (Study

sites). Of the four macrophytic species Ipomoea cornia was predominant in all areaIpomoea cornia was predominant in all area of the river study sites followed this species I. pescaprae was dominating in two studyI. pescaprae was dominating in two study

sites.

Table 5 Macrophytic species in four experimental sites of thefour experimental sites of the

Kavery River

S. No Name of the species Family

1 Ipomoea pescaprae Convolvulaceae

2 I. cornia Convolvulaceae

3 Colocasia esculentum Arecaceae

4 Cyperus sp Cyperaceae

3 6 Fish Diversity3.6 Fish Diversity

Fish population in all the four studyFish population in all the four study sites in the Cavery River was

represented by seven commonrepresented by seven common riparian fish species (Table 6).

Table 6 Fish diversity in study sites of Cavery River

S. No Species Family Habitate

1 Catla catla Cyprinidae benthopelagic

2 Labeo bata Cyprinidae benthopelagicyp p g

3 Labeo rohita Cyprinidae benthopelagic

4 Channa striatus Cyprinidae Benthopelagic

5 Chirrhina mirgala Cyprinidae benthopelagic

6 Oreochromis mosambicus

Siluridae Demersal

7 Wallaco attu Siluridae Demersal

4.0 CONCLUSIONS

Comparative study on phytoplankton and macrophytic diversity was carried out in Kavery Rivermacrophytic diversity was carried out in Kavery River from Swamimalai to Thiruvisannallur for a stretch of 15 Km to evaluate the pollution level Kavery River as p ywell as the adjacent water bodies by bio-monitoring

technique.

The entire experimental sites of the Cavery River b d l i t th f I i hi hobserved luxuriant growth of Ipomoea cornia which

reduce the water flowing region up to 10m to 12m so the width of the Kavery River was drastically reducedthe width of the Kavery River was drastically reduced

to below 50m from an average width of 62.5m.

The biodiversity data given by co-investigators for other five water bodies were also utilized for further

investigation. Among the five water bodies Karuppur Village Tank water is less polluted and during the i ti ti i d h d l t bid tinvestigation period showed less turbid nature was

achieved by the fish population and submerged Hydrilla spdominancedominance.

In the same way Chetty Mandapam Liliy Lake alsoIn the same way Chetty Mandapam Liliy Lake also showed more clear water with less polluted nature

dominated by macrophytes and fish community. The other three water bodies are more polluted nature showed high

turbid nature than other two water bodies