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Temporal Variations in Plankton Communities and Environmental Factors in the Shipra, a Central Himalayan Tributary of the Kosi River in Uttarakhand, India

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Abstract

The essential role of smaller streams and tributaries indigenous to the area is crucial in revitalizing and restoring the main river system. The present study unraveled the relationship between plankton communities and environmental variables in the Shipra River, a Central Himalayan tributary of the Kosi River in Uttarakhand, India. Plankton distribution, abundance, and presence were investigated at four locations: upstream (S1 and S2) and downstream (S3 and S4). Forty-eight genera of phytoplankton and zooplankton have been identified belonging to ten classes (Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Zygnematophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenopyceae, Protozoa, Rotifers, Copepoda, Cladocera, and Insecta) based on the findings. Winter was dominated by phytoplankton (Navicula spp., Nitzchia spp., Diatom spp.); summer and monsoon by zooplankton (Daphnia spp., Cyclops spp., Keratella spp., Brachionus spp.). Plankton communities of the tributary were assessed using diversity indices (Shannon-Weiner's index (H), Simpson's diversity index (1-D), and Evenness Index (E)). Seasonal variations in water temperature, specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and ammonium ions were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Canonical Correspondence Analysis, K-dominance plots, cluster analysis, and NMDS analysis showed the dynamic nature of the plankton communities with seasonal physiochemical variations in the unexplored Himalayan tributary. The plankton communities exhibited significant temporal fluctuations with physicochemical factors.

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Data availability

The data of the present study can be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgment

The authors extend their gratitude to the Director, ICAR- Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, for generously providing the necessary facilities. Special appreciation goes to Dr. Debajit Sarma, Mr. Parvaiz Ahmad Ganie, Mr. Ravindra Posti, and Mr. Partha Das for granting access to the laboratory facilities and GIS. We also thank Dr. Pranab Gogoi, Scientist, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, for his valuable contribution to the analysis of our study.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not for profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aqua Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Delhi University, New Delhi, 110007, India

    Bhawna Gehlot & Rina Chakrabarti

  2. ICAR- Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Bhimtal, 263136, Uttarakhand, India

    Bhawna Gehlot, Suresh Chandra, Rini Joshi & Mukul Arya

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  1. Bhawna Gehlot
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Contributions

Bhawna Gehlot: Sampling, Biological analysis, Visualization and wrote main manuscript; Suresh Chandra and Rina Chakrabarti: Supervision, Conceptualize, and design the study and draft editing; Rini Joshi: Sampling; Mukul Arya: Data analysis and draft editing.

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Correspondence to Suresh Chandra.

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Gehlot, B., Chandra, S., Joshi, R. et al. Temporal Variations in Plankton Communities and Environmental Factors in the Shipra, a Central Himalayan Tributary of the Kosi River in Uttarakhand, India. Environ Monit Assess 196, 326 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12513-5

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