Assessing the Composition and Diversity of Zooplankton in Bhosga Lake, Kalaburagi District, Karnataka, India: Implications for Water Quality and Conservation

Neelakanth S Wali¹, Basawarajeshwari Indur¹, D. Vishwajit², V. Prashant^2, and V. Ambrish³

¹M.S.I Degree College, Kalaburagi-585102, Karnataka, India

²Department of PG Studies and Research in Zoology, Sharanbasva University, Kalaburagi-585103, Karnataka, India

³Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Zoology, Gulbarga University, Kalaburagi-585106, Karnataka, India

Cite this paper:
Neelakanth S Wali, Basawarajeshwari Indur, D. Vishwajit, V. Prashant and V. Ambrish. Assessing the Composition and Diversity of Zooplankton in Bhosga Lake, Kalaburagi District, Karnataka, India: Implications for Water Quality and Conservation. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2021; 9(12):1033-1041. doi: 10.12691/aees-9-12-7

Abstract

Zooplanktons are tiny organisms that play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems and are considered bio indicators of water quality and purity. In this study, the composition and diversity of zooplankton in Bhosga Lake of Kalaburagi District were assessed using a standardized methodology. Sampling was carried out at six selected stations from July 2020 to June 2021, and monthly variations and biodiversity indices of zooplankton were observed. The study revealed a total of 27 species of zooplankton, with Phylum Rotifers comprising 16 species, Cladocera 6, Copepoda 3, and Ostrocoda 2 species. A season-wise analysis showed the highest number of species during summer and the lowest number of species during the rainy season. Among rotifers, Branchionuscaudatus was the most abundant species. Bhosga Lake is home to many migrating bird species, fish, aquatic plants, and other insects, but is surrounded by human settlements and is prone to pollution due to various activities such as washing clothes, bathing animals, and dumping domestic waste. The physicochemical profile and zooplankton diversity indicate that Bhosga Lake is eutrophicated, and therefore, the conservation of faunal diversity and water quality requires serious attention and reclamation efforts.

Keywords:
Keywords: zooplankton aquatic ecosystems bio indicators Water Quality Bhosga Lake Kalaburagi District

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press; 2005.
[2]	Zhang W, Sun J, Guo Y, Wang Z, Chen Q, Liu Z. Zooplankton responses to environmental changes in the Bohai Sea: a review. Oceanologiaet Limnologia Sinica. 2017; 48(1): 1-11.
[3]	Azim ME, Little DC, Wahab MA, Verdegem MC. A comparative analysis of plankton densities and community structures in three freshwater fish ponds in Bangladesh. Aquaculture. 2008; 275 (1-4): 63-76.
[4]	Navalgund RR, Sharma BK. Study of the Waterbirds of Bhosga Tank of Gulbarga District in Karnataka. Zoos Print. 2000; 15(6): 191-3.
[5]	Current study. (2023). Assessing the Composition and Diversity of Zooplankton in Bhosga Lake, Kalaburagi District, Karnataka, India: Implications for Water Quality and Conservation.
[6]	Battish SK, Verma V, Singh R. Rotifers and cladocerans of standing waters in and around Hisar (Haryana) India. Int Rev Hydrobiol. 1992; 77(5): 661-7.
[7]	Rangareddy B. Zooplankton composition and abundance in some freshwater bodies of West Bengal, India. Journal of Ecophysiology and Occupational Health. 2001; 1(3-4): 273-6.
[8]	Elías-Gutierrez, M., Novelo-Gutierrez, R., &Zamudio-Resendiz, E. (2008). Zooplankton distribution in neotropical shallow lakes: effects of nutrients and hydrology. Hydrobiologia, 614(1), 61-74.
[9]	APHA. (2017). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association.
[10]	Battish, S. K. (1992). Zooplankton as bioindicators of water quality. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 21(1-3), 131-150.
[11]	Rangareddy, Y. (2001). Zooplankton diversity and distribution in a tropical eutrophic lake: Upper Kuttanad, Kerala, India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 43(1&2), 114-123.
[12]	Fernando, C. H. (1980). Zooplankton as indicators of water quality. In Water Quality Assessments: A Guide to the Use of Biota, Sediments and Water in Environmental Monitoring-Second Edition (pp. 407-427). CRC Press.
[13]	Battish, S. K. (1992). Ecology of planktonic crustaceans in a tropical freshwater ecosystem. Hydrobiologia, 240(1), 97-110.
[14]	Rangareddy, G. (2001). Seasonal variations in the zooplankton diversity of a tropical fresh water lake in India. Journal of Aquatic Biology, 16(1), 21-26.
[15]	Riccardi, M. and Mangoni, O. (1999). Analysis of zooplankton communities in aquatic ecosystems: state of the art, perspectives and prospects. Scientific Research and Safeguarding of Venice, Special Issue, 373-381.
[16]	Elias-Gutierrez, M., A. J. H. Bicudo, and S. S. S. Sarma (2008). Guide to freshwater zooplankton identification. Freshwater Biological Association, Cumbria, UK.
[17]	Magurran, A. E. (2004). Measuring biological diversity. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK.
[18]	Segers, H. (2007). Annotated checklist of the rotifers (Phylum Rotifera), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy and distribution. Zootaxa 1564: 1-104.