Abstract
1. Diurnal variations in physico-chemical and biological factors were studied in Teppakulam tank. Samples from the surface and near the bottom were collected at 3-hour intervals for 24 hours. Results of an average of five series in winter and three series in summer are presented.
2. Water temperature increased during daytime and decreased during night hours. Diurnal variation in temperature amounted to 6·8° C at the surface and 5·1° C at the bottom.
3. There was no marked diurnal variation in pH values both in summer and winter. Differences between the maximum and minimum levels of oxygen over 24 hours amounted to 2·4 ml/l at the surface and 2·1 ml/1 at the bottom.
4. Carbonate and bicarbonate alkalinities revealed an inverse correlation. The variations in the above-mentioned factors during the diurnal cycle was attributed to the biological activities taking place in the medium.
5. The phytoplankton exhibited peak of abundance at daytime and reduction at night hours at the surface. Fluctuations in chlorophyll values was found to be closely associated with Chlorophyceae which formed the dominant group among the phytoplankters.
6. The zooplankton population was mainly composed of Copepoda and Cladocera. They revealed a characteristic diurnal pattern of daytime decrease at the surface and increase during night hours both in summer and winter.
7. An inverse correlation between phyto- and zooplankton population recorded in the present study was attributed to the grazing activity of the zooplankton.
8. The numerical abundance of the phytoplankton during daytime and surface concentrations of the zooplankton at night hours indicated the overall effect of light causing quantitative variations in the planktonic organisms at different hours of the day.
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Communicated by Prof. S. Krishnaswami,f.a.sc.
Formed part of Ph.D. thesis submitted to Madurai University.
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Vijayaraghavan, S. Studies on the diurnal variations in physico-chemical and biological factors in teppakulam tank. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 74, 63–73 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03050382
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03050382