Plankton Dynamics and Status of Limnological Variables in Kware Lake, Sokoto Nigeria

Abstract

Plankton Dynamics and Status of Limnological Variables in Kware Lake, Sokoto Nigeria Maishanu, H.M, Magami, I.M. Gada, M.A., Mohammed, S.A Abstract Kware Lake is the only natural lake and major source of water to Kware inhabitants. Irrigation and other domestic reliance on the water are befits derived from lake. Plankton are good indicator organisms,they influence availability of larger organisms in aquatic systems such as fish. The study was conducted to evaluate plankton dynamics and status of limnological variables. Samples for both plankton and water were collected monthly.Standard procedures were adopted for identification and determination of physicochemical variables. Results revealed that; highest temperature was 25.83°C, while December and January temperatures were uniform compared to other months of study. Nitrate level was higher than phosphate, though they range obtained was; 0.47-0.60 mg/l and 0.12-0.23mg/l respectively.Total number of plankton cells/litre identified were 3150cells for phytoplankton and 544 cells for zooplankton. Phytoplankton cells were more abundant than the zooplankton and chlorophyceae dominated phytoplankton classes, while copepod dominated the zooplankton classes. The following plankton species recorded the highest distribution; Staurastumrotula (phtoplankton) andCopepoditesspp.The few species identified in Kware Lake may reflect the moderate level of nutrient level. There is therefore need for regular monitoring of the lake to avoid excess input of nutrients that could lead to eutrophication. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/aijb.v5n1a2