Skip to main content

Phytoplankton biomass in relation to flow dynamics: the case of a tropical river Mahanadi, India

Tropical Ecology volume 60, pages 485–494 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

This present study was conducted to extend our understanding on the relationship between Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and hydrological parameters typically flow velocity, environmental variables and trophic state conditions using lotic water as experimental system. River Mahanadi, India was selected as a model for the present study. Based on elevation from mean sea level, twelve sampling sites from Sambalpur to Naraj were grouped into three zones viz. upper zone (71 km), middle zone (142 km) and lower zone (103 km). Carlson Trophic State Index (CTSI) revealed eutrophic state in middle and lower zone and with mesotrophic condition in the upper zone. Along the river stretch, a negative correlation was observed between Chl a concentration and flow velocity at all three zones during post monsoon (r = − 0.15) and monsoon (r = − 0.31). Seasonal study revealed higher Chl a concentration (16.16–283.85 µg l−1) in post-monsoon with recorded mean flow velocity (0.28 ± 0.19 ms−1) as compared to monsoon season with lower Chl a (18.68–232.24 µg l−1) and mean flow velocity (0.54 ± 0.21 ms−1). Among environmental variables, water temperature and pH showed a positive correlation with Chl a. Overall, the findings of this study illustrated the occurrence of higher phytoplankton biomass (quantified as Chl a) during post-monsoon season coincides with low water velocity. The dataset of this work can be implicated for the hydrological and the ecological framework of the tropical river Mahanadi in the Indian Territory.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • American Public Health Association (APHA) (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 22nd edition, APHA, AWWA and WEF, Springfield, New York

  • Bbalali S, Hoseini SA, Ghorban R, Kordi H (2013) Relationships between nutrients and Chlorophyll a concentration in the international Alma Gol Wetland, Iran. J Aquac Res Dev 4:173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowes MJ, Gozzard E, Johnson AC, Scarlett PM, Roberts C, Read DS, Armstrong LK, Harman SA, Wickham HD (2012) Spatial and temporal changes in chlorophyll-a concentrations in the River Thames basin, UK: are phosphorus concentrations beginning to limit phytoplankton biomass? Sci Total Environ 426:45–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boyer JN, Christopher RK, Peter BO, David TR (2009) Phytoplankton bloom status: chlorophyll a biomass as an indicator of water quality condition in the southern estuaries of Florida, USA. Ecol Indic 9S:S56–S67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calijuri MC, Cunha DGF, Queiroz LA, Moccellin J, Miwa ACP (2008) Nutrients and chlorophyll-a concentrations in tropical rivers of Ribeira de Iguape Basin, SP, Brazil. Acta Limnol Br 20:131–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson RE (1977) A trophic state index for lakes. Limnol Oceanogr 22:361–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaturvedi N, Meghal SA, Jasraj Y (2013) Is there impact of climate change on biological productivity in the Indian Ocean? Indian J Geo-Mar Sci 42:50–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaurasia S, Gupta R (2016) Study on trophic state index of river Mandakini at Chitrakut, India. Int J Adv Res Eng Appl Sci 5:34–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaurasia S, Karan R (2014) Assessment of water quality index and trophic state index of river Mandakini, India. Int J Plant Anim Environ Sci 4:343–347

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Das Sarkar S, Naskar M, Gogoi P, Raman RK, Manna RK, Samanta S, Mohanty BP, Das BK (2019a) Impact assessment of barge trafficking on phytoplankton abundance and Chl a concentration, in River Ganga, India. Plos One 14:e0221451. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221451

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Das Sarkar S, Gogoi P, Sarkar UK, Das Ghosh B, Mishal P (2019b) Trophic State Index to assess aquatic ecosystem health. Indian Farm 69:63–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Desortová B, Puňcochář P (2011) Variability of phytoplankton biomass in a lowland river: response to climate conditions. Limnologica 41:160–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dey M, Chowdhury C, Pattnaik AA, Ganguly D, Mukhopadhyay SK, De TK, Jana TK (2012) Comparison of Monsoonal change of water quality parameters between 1983 and 2008 in a tropical estuary in Northeastern India: role of phytoplankton and community metabolism. Mar Ecol 34:14–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Serehy HA, Abdallah HS, Al-Misned FA, Al-Farraj SA, Al-Rasheid KA (2018) Assessing water quality and classifying trophic status for scientifically based managing the water resources of the Lake Timsah, the lake with salinity stratification along the Suez Canal. Saudi J Biol Sci 25:1247–1256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feipeng L, Zhang H, Zhu Y, Xiao Y, Chen L (2013) Effect of flow velocity on phytoplankton biomass and composition in a freshwater lake. Sci Total Environ 447:64–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher K (2013) Periphyton and phytoplankton chlorophyll a levels in the little bear river and Hyrum reservoir, Utah. Nat Resour Environ. Available at: http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/nrei/vol18/iss1/6

  • Gregor J, Marsalek B (2004) Freshwater phytoplankton quantification by chlorophyll a: a comparative study of in vitro, in vivo and in situ methods. Water Res 38:517–522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ha K, Kim HW, Joo GJ (1998) The phytoplankton succession in the lower part of hypertrophic Nakdong River (Mulgum), South Korea. Hydrobiologia 369:217–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilton J, O’Hare M, Bowes MJ, Jones JI (2006) How green is my river? A new paradigm of eutrophication in rivers. Sci Total Environ 365:66–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hondzo M, Lyn D (1999) Quantified small-scale turbulence inhibits the growth of a green alga. Freshw Biol 41:51–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huszar VL, Caraco NF, Roland F, Cole J (2006) Nutrient-chlorophyll relationships in tropical-subtropical lakes: do temperate models fit? Biogeochemistry 79:239–250

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Istvánovics V, Honti M, Vörös L, Kozma Z (2010) Phytoplankton dynamics in relation to connectivity, flow dynamics and resource availability—the case of a large, lowland river, the Hungarian Tisza. Hydrobiologia 637:121–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong KS, Joo GJ, Kim HW, Ha K, Recknagel F (2001) Prediction and elucidation of phytoplankton dynamics in the Nakdong River (Korea) by means of a recurrent artificial neural network. Ecol Model 146:115–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong KS, Kim DK, Whigham P, Joo GJ (2003) Modelling Microcystisaeruginosa bloom dynamics in the Nakdong River by means of evolutionary computation and statistical approach. Ecol Model 161:67–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeong KS, Kim DK, Shin HS, Kim HW, Cao H, Jang MH, Joo GJ (2010) Flow regulation for water quality (chlorophyll a) improvement. Int J Environ Res 4:713–724

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeong KS, Kim DK, Shin HS, Yoon JD, Kim HW, Joo GJ (2011) Impact of summer rainfall on the seasonal water quality variation (Chlorophyll a) in the regulated Nakdong River. KSCE J Civ Eng 15:983–994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ji Z-G (2017) Water quality and eutrophication. In: Hydrodynamics and water quality: modeling rivers, lakes, and estuaries, 2nd edition, Wiley, Amsterdam

  • Lehman PW (1992) Environmental factors associated with long-term changes in chlorophyll concentration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta and Suisun Bay, California. Estuaries 15:335–348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leland HV (2003) The influence of water depth and flow regime on phytoplankton biomass and community structure in a shallow, lowland river. Hydrobiologia 506–509:247–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohapatra BC, Sahoo SK, Das Gupta S, Gupta SD (2017) Biology of Mahanadi Mahseer, Tor mosalmahanadicus(David) Reared in Freshwater Pond Culture System. Curr Agric Res J 5:244–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Naskar M, Das Sarkar S, Raman RK, Gogoi P, Sahu SK, Chandra G, Bhor M (2019) Quantifying plankto-environmental interactions in a tropical river Narmada, India. An alternative model-based approach. Ecohydrol Hydrobiol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecohyd.2019.10.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nweze NO, Ude BO (2013) Algae and physico-chemical characteristics of Adani rice field, Enugu State, Nigeria. IOSR J Pharm Biol Sci 8:12–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Palijan G (2012) Abundance and biomass responses of microbial food web component to hydrology and environmental gradients within a floodplain of the River Danube. Microb Ecol 64:39–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha RRA, Thomaz SM, Carvalho P, Gomes LC (2009) Modeling chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen concentration in tropical floodplain lakes (Paraná River, Brazil). Br J Biol 69:491–500

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues LA, Torres NH, Tornisielo VL, Ferreira LFR, Maranho LA (2015) Determination of toxicity assays, trophic state index, and physicochemical parameters on Piracicaba River and Itapeva Stream. Ambiente & Água Interdiscip J Appl Sci 10:310–317

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roger PA, Kulasooriya SA (1980) Blue-green algae and rice. The International Rice Research Institute, Laguna, p 112

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabater S, Artigas J, Duran C, Pardos M, Romani AM, Tornes E, Ylla I (2008) Longitudinal development of chlorophyll and phytoplankton assemblages in a regulated large river (the Ebro River). Sci Total Environ 404:196–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salmaso N, Braioni MG (2008) Factors controlling the seasonal development and distribution of the phytoplankton community in the lowland course of a large river in Northern Italy (River Adige). Aquatic Ecol 42:533–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS (2011) Statistical Analysis Software 9.3, 2 edn. SAS Institute Inc, Cary

  • Sobrino C, Neale PJ (2007) Short-term and long–term effects of temperature on photosynthesis in the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana under UVR exposure. J Phycol 43:426–436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strickland JDH, Parsons TR (1972) A practical hand book of seawater analysis. Bulletin 167:310 (Second Edition) Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Ottawa Canada

  • Thomaz SM, Pagioro TA, Bini LM, Roberto MC, Rocha RRA (2004) Limnology of the Upper Paraná Floodplain habitats: patterns of spatio-temporal variations and influence of the water levels. In: Thomaz SM, Agostinho AA, Hahn NS (eds) The upper Paraná River and its floodplain: physical aspects, ecology and conservation. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, pp 76–102

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (2002) Methods for evaluating wetland condition: using algae to assess environmental conditions in Wetland, Washington DC: Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-822-R-02-021

  • Upadhaya R, Pandey KA, Upadhaya SK (2013) Assessment of lake water quality by using Palmer and trophic state index- a case study of Upper Lake, Bhopal, India. Int Res J Environ Sci 25:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Urrea-Clos G, García-Berthou E, Sabater S (2014) Factors explaining the patterns of benthic chlorophyll-a distribution in a large agricultural Iberian watershed (Guadiana river). Ecol Indicat 36:463–469

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Nieuwenhuyse EE, Jones JR (1996) Phosphorus-chlorophyll relationship in temperate streams and its variation with stream catchment area. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 53:99–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi for the financial support provided to carry out the research work under ICAR-CIFRI sub-project REF/ER/12/01/05 (Quantification of environmental flow in selected rivers for sustenance of ecology and fisheries). Technical assistance by Shri, A. K. Barui, former STO is thankfully acknowledged. Authors would also like to acknowledge efforts provided by District Fishery Officers, Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Odisha, all the Fishery officer with team members for their help and cooperation during sample collection. The authors are greatly indebted to Dr. Amit Kumar Sinha, Dept. of Aquaculture and Fisheries, University of Arkansas, Arkansas for his technical inputs to improve the manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Manas Hoshalli Munivenkatappa

    Present address: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Regional Centre, Andhra University (Post), Opposite SBI Kohinoor Branch, Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 530003, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fishery Resource and Environment Management Division, ICAR - Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, S.N. Banerjee Road, Monirampur, Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700120, India

    Soma Das Sarkar, Amiya Kumar Sahoo, Rohan Kumar Raman, Manas Hoshalli Munivenkatappa, Kavita Kumari, Bimal Prasanna Mohanty & Basanta Kumar Das

  2. ICAR - Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Kolkata Centre, C.G.O. Complex, 2nd Floor, Sector-1, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700064, India

    Pranab Gogoi

Authors
  1. Soma Das Sarkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amiya Kumar Sahoo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pranab Gogoi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rohan Kumar Raman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Manas Hoshalli Munivenkatappa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kavita Kumari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Bimal Prasanna Mohanty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Basanta Kumar Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Soma Das Sarkar.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1 (DOCX 1188 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Das Sarkar, S., Sahoo, A.K., Gogoi, P. et al. Phytoplankton biomass in relation to flow dynamics: the case of a tropical river Mahanadi, India. Trop Ecol 60, 485–494 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-019-00048-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-019-00048-7

Keywords

  • Chlorophyll a
  • Flow velocity
  • Hydrological factors
  • Mahanadi
  • Trophic index
  • Tropical river