title: Relation between physico-chemical limnology and crustacean community in Wular Lake of Kashmir Himalaya.
abstract: The present study scrutinizes the seasonal variation in the distribution of crustacean zooplankton in relation to physico-chemical liminology of Wular lake. Water samples were collected from five study sites during September 2010-August 2011. Remarkable spatial and temporal variations were observed among the different study sites. Among the parameters recorded water temperature showed positive correlation with pH (p<0.01) and orthophosphate (p<0.05).Transparency showed a significant negative correlation with total alkalinity (p<0.01), free carbon dioxide (p<0.01) and ammonical nitrogen (p<0.01). Crustacean zooplankton were collected by filtering 100 L lake water through a 30 microm nytal mesh and preserved in 4% formalin. A total of 42 taxa of crustacean were recorded, among them 23 species belonged to Cladocera, 16 to Copepoda and only 3 to Ostracoda. Species diversity and density depicted an abrupt up surge on the advent of warmer period (extending from March). Among the various sites a maximum of 40 species were recorded from a single biotope (site III) against the minimum of only 17 species being recorded from site I. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis showed close similarity (0.928-0.944%) between summer and autumn in terms of species diversity. Pearson correlation coefficient of the various physico-chemical parameters of water with crustacean zooplankton depicted that not only a single but multiple factors govern over the distribution and diversity of crustacean in the lake.
authors: Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir 190006, J and K, India.
authors: Javaid Ahmad
authors: JA
authors: Shah
authors: Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir 190006, J and K, India.
authors: Ashok K
authors: AK
authors: Pandit
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D003445:Crustacea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D005618:Fresh Water; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D060106:Lakes; D055994:Limnology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen