Seasonal Dynamics of Phytoplankton Population of Ramadugu Lake in Nizamabad District Telangana, India

Abstract

Phytoplanktons are one of the smallest and the most plentiful organisms ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. These organisms play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems. Algae being photoautotrophs take part in photosynthesis process, they form the food base for other organisms living in lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams and oceans. Lakes are very important water resources which are used in daily life for several purposes. Majority of fresh water lakes showed distinct seasonal variation in phytoplankton abundance. The primary objective of this paper is to highlight the current status and to provide a quantitative record of the seasonal changes of phytoplankton and to examine their distribution and diversity in relation to environmental gradients of the Ramadugu lake which is located in Ramadugu village of Nizamabad district, Telangana. The present work was carried out to identify the fresh water algal flora and its diversity for a period of one year from January 2018 to December 2019 in different seasons. Water samples were collected seasonally over three seasons – March to June(summer), July to october(Monsoon) and November to February(winter) from selected four sampling stations of lake. The algal forms were identified by using various keys. Mainly four major algal groups were identified in Ramadugu lake throughout the study period. They are Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Seasonal variations were observed in the presence and density of various algae. The density of diatoms are high in winter season indicates that lake water is unpolluted and good to support life. The lake water is used for irrigation and pisciculture but not suitable for drinking purpose.