Assessment of Surface Water Quality in Different Habitats of Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Ramsar Site, Gujarat, India

Abstract

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is the only Ramsar Site in the State of Gujarat in India. It is the largest natural, freshwater inland wetland of Gujarat. This wetland supports high diversity and population of waterbirds and other aquatic organisms. The reason for such a high population of aquatic organisms attracted to this area is due to the diverse habitats and environmental conditions occurring in this area. GEER Foundation had conducted monitoring of physicochemical characteristics of water of different habitats and to check the seasonal fluctuations amongst the habitats from July 2016 to May 2017. The surface water samples were collected from five different habitats (inlet, outlet, open water, emergent aquatic vegetation and islet) on seasonal basis. The physicochemical characteristics of Nal Sarovar wetland was found to fluctuate considerably from season to season. The nutrient levels of nitrates and nitrites were found to be high in the wetland habitats as wetlands have rich biomes and support high levels of biodiversity. The proper management of Nal Sarovar wetland provides suitable habitat for conservation of aquatic community. Keywords : Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary, physicochemical parameters, Ramsar site, seasonal variations, water quality Cite this Article Vankar J, Tatu K, Kamboj RD, et al. Assessment of Surface Water Quality in Different Habitats of Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Ramsar Site, Gujarat, India . Research & Reviews: Journal of Ecology . 2018; 7(3): 29–40p.