Ecological Perspective on the Density and Diversity of Periphytons from Ragda Gad Stream from Garhwal Himalaya, India

Pratibha Baluni^1,

¹Ecology Lab, Department of Botany, A.P.B.Govt.P.G.College Agastyamuni, District Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand-246421, India

Cite this paper:
Pratibha Baluni. Ecological Perspective on the Density and Diversity of Periphytons from Ragda Gad Stream from Garhwal Himalaya, India. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2020; 8(5):192-198. doi: 10.12691/aees-8-5-2

Abstract

The present study deals with the study of Physico-chemical characteristics and the periphytic algal community of the Ragda Gad stream in district Pauri Garhwal, state Uttarakhand, India. The coordinates of this spring-fed stream are 30° 11’15” N and 78°46’22” E. During the investigation it was found that the periphytic algal community of Ragda Gad stream mainly comprised 25 taxa belonging to 3 major class namely Bacillariophyceae (Cymbella sp., Synedra sp., Fragilaria sp., Gomphonema sp., Navicula sp., Tabellaria sp., Achnanthes sp., Bacillaria sp., Diatoma sp., Amphora sp., and Nitzchia sp., etc), Chlorophyceae (Cladophora sp., Oedogonium sp., Spirogyra sp., Microspora sp., Volvox sp., Zygenema, Ulothrix sp., Closterium sp., Cosmarium sp. and Geminela sp,) and Cyanophyceae (Nostoc sp., Anabaena sp., Rivularia sp. and Phormidium sp.). The dominance of Chlorophyceae in the stream indicates the healthy condition of the stream ecosystem. It is having crystal clear water and is free from pollution. Further, as a result of less anthropogenic pressure, the quality of water is rather superior.

Keywords:
Periphyton spring-fed stream ecology Garhwal Himalaya

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