Seasonal variations in the water quality of a tropical wetland dominated by floating meadows and its implication for conservation of Ramsar wetlands

<div><p><em>Flowering calendar of a particular area will give the information of the period and duration of flowering among plants. The purpose of the study is to investigate the presence of the habitat of some dominant macrophytes in Keibul Lamjao National Park (a Ramsar site) which have ethnobotanical relationships with human beings (the lake dwellers in particular and tourist in general) and wild animals. Flowering calendar of six study sites viz., Keibul, Nongmaikhong, Kumbi, Khordak, Sargam and Toyaching were studied and monthly flowering calendars were taken for two year period (2010 to 2011). Flowering calendars of the macrophytes were surveyed by following standard methodologies and comparison of the stages of flowering period of 6 study sites was incorporated. Maximum number of flowering plants (44) was recorded in Sargam, Khordak (32), Kumbi (30), Nongmaikhong (29) during the period September to November. Whereas, Toyaching reached 35, Keibul recorded lowest plant numbers (14) during the period June to August. Four plant species viz., Ageratum conyzoides, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Leersia hexandra and Hedychium coronarium were found throughout the year in all the 6 sites. From the findings, it can be concluded that flowering calendar will give the information of plants which are used as fodder for the wild animals like Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii McClelland), an endangered deer species in this globe and ethnobotanically important plants of the lake dwellers as food, medicinal plants and allergens, thereby maintaining health status of man and animals. Conservation is required by controlling the human anthropogenic harassments, thereby maintaining the luxuriant growth of the seasonal and perennial, macrophytes observed during the study of flowering calendar, so as to maintain and conserve the natural flora and fauna of the park.</em></p></div>

The present paper reports the rediscovery of the Tricolored Pied Flat Coladenia indrani uposathra Fruhstorfer, 1911 and Crenulated Oakblue Apporasa atkinsoni Hewitson, 1869 after about 99 years after they were sighted by Tytler (1915) in Irang river and Sebong of Manipur, North East India. C. i. uposathra was sighted a Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) and Heibok hills of Imphal valley on 4th and 16th May 2014 and A. atkinsoni was sighted Munnom village at Yaingangpokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary (YLWS) on 8th December 2015. A. atkinsoni is protected under schedule II of Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972. The rediscovery of such very rare species in Manipur shows that more survey is needed in hills and valley regions of Manipur to know the butterfly fauna of the region.

Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), a floating park in Loktak Lake, Manipur (India) was studied from Winter (WIN) to Post Monsoon (POM) for its zooplankton composition and some selected water parameters. The resultant data were subjected to multivariate techniques–Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Analyses of water parameters with PCA revealed that the first PC axis (PC1) accounts for maximum variance in the seasonal data, explaining a variability of 91%. The PCA revealed that the seasonal variability in water parameters was due to the wet and dry cycle of seasons and the stations were distinguished on the basis of transparency and turbidity. Zooplankton abundance was dominated by copepods followed by cladocerans. Temporally, abundance of copepods reached a maximum during Post-monsoon (POM) (3 880 ind./L). Spatially, S6 was found to be most abundant of the other stations in zooplankton. Copepodites and nauplii larvae were the major components of zooplankton. The Rotifera were the least abundant among the three zooplankton groups. Brachionus formed the major component of Rotifera zooplankton at all the stations during the study period. In the Cladocera, Macrothrix was present during all the four seasons, while Pleuroxus, Oxyurella, Kurzia and, Diaphanosoma were rare. The CCA shows that maximal temporal variability in zooplankton abundance was explained by temperature and rainfall. ANOVA revealed no significant diff erence in mean zooplankton abundance among the seasons, but there was a statistically significant diff erence among the sites.

Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), Loktak lake Manipur, north-east India which is one of the 25 Ramsar sites of international importance and the biggest fresh water Lake in India. Macrophytes of the floating Phumdi mat environment of KLNP play an important role in the aquatic environment. An investigation was planned during the period of about three years from March, 2010 to December 2012, to study the diversity pattern of habitats of macrophytes available in six study sites of KLNP viz., 1.Kumbi, 2.Khordak, 3.Keibul, 4.Toya, 5. Nongmaikhong and 6. Sargam. All total 85 dominant plant species were recorded. Maximum plant species (49) was observed in Site-1 Kumbi (Altitude-780m) and minimum (27) in Site-3 Keibul (Altitude-772). The variation of plant species may be because of the slight variation of altitude. As the six study sites are distributed as floating aquatic environment in KLNP Loktak Lake, there is favourable place of the plants in higher altitude and altitude represents a complex gradient along which many environmental variables change concomitantly. In all the six study sites, common distribution of ten dominant plant macrophytes viz., Ageratum conizoides, Hedychium coronarium, Leersia hexandra, Oenanthe javanica, Phragmites karka, Polygonum sagittatum, Saccharum munja, Thelypteris interrupta and Zizania latifolia was noticed. Individual dominant plant was recorded in other sites also viz., Azola piñata in site-6; Xanthium atrumarium, Polygonum orientale, Dichrocephala latifolia and Cymbopogon citratus in site-2; Arundo plinii, Cuscuta reflexa, Gnaphalium luteo-album, Hydrilla verticillata, Marsilia minuta, Saccolepis interrupta, Selvenia cuculata and Utricularia spp. in site-1. Variation of IVI value of dominant plant species was observed in this study. Even though 85 dominant plants were selected for all the 6 sites, however, maximum plant richness expressed in IVI was recorded in case of Zizania latifolia (Site-5, IVI-87.5) and minimum IVI in case of Xanthium strumarium (Site-2, IVI-1.13). The diversity pattern and habitats of macrophytes in KLNP Phumdi environment might be due to water availability along the altitudinal gradient and other environmental factors suited in the study sites and expected to be an important factor affecting the survival and fecundity of plant population. We need to conserve the natural habitat of KLNP thereby maintaining the luxuriant growth of the seasonal and perennial, macrophytes, so as to maintain the natural flora and fauna of the park. These plants are the food of man and animal therefore, it needs a proper care and attention to protect them from over exploitation. Considering the diversity pattern of habitats of Macrophytes in KLNP, a floating mat Phumdi environment with high floral diversity and unique vegetation assemblage, it has been suggested that this track and adjoining sites should be declared as ecologically sensitive area not only the World Heritage Site.

A survey carried out for thrips (Thysanoptera) at the Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur and at Manipur University campus, within the Indo-Burma hotspot region of northeastern India revealed the occurrence of Anaphothrips incertus (Girault) , Mycterothrips auratus Wang, Bamboosiella hartwigi (Pitkin), Euphysothrips minozzii Bagnall, Mycterothrips ricini (Shumsheer) , Dolichothrips citripes (Bagnall), Xylaplothrips flavitibia Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish and X. inquilinus Priesner . The o ccurrence of the first three species in India and the remaining five species in northeastern India is reported for the first time through the present study. In addition, a new species, Tylothrips samirseni sp. nov. is described.

Aquatic insect diversity of a protected area, Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur, North East India

Loktak Lake is the largest fresh water Lake in the North-eastern India. Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) is a floating-mat (Phumdi) park inside the Lake. Study deals with the inter-related approaches: micobiological study, free-listing, participant observation and preference ranking of the six study sites of KLNP. Generally, plant collection per day was about 600 kg of Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig which were extracted from the park and found to be the most preferable species; while Persicaria sagittata (L.) H. Gross, as the least among the selected plants. Microbiological analysis of water for the six study sites recorded high pollution as evidenced by high values of Standard Plate Count (SPC) for bacteria ranging from 73,500-96,500 and microbial analysis of MPN (Most Probable Number) of coliform bacteria varies between100 and 320/100 ml and faecal coliform 95 and 200/100 ml. Free CO2 concentrations varied at the surface from 2-60 mg/l and 6-70 mg/l at the bottom of the park. In the KLNP environment the higher CO2 and lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) might be due to the floating mat (Phumdi) nature, in which light and exchange of gases does not occur as it does in the natural water bodies.

Factors affecting forage selection by the endangered Eld's deer and hog deer in the floating meadows of Barak-Chindwin Basin of North-east India

Odonata larvae were collected from Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur, northeastern India during 2009-2011. The study recorded 15 species of Odonata larvae belonging to the anisopteran families Aeshnidae, Libellulidae and zygopteran families Calopterigidae, Lestidae and Coenagrionidae. The study revealed that there is a need for a detailed study of Odonata fauna of the national park as thorough knowledge of the important species of a conservation area is very essential for proper management.

Our study reports 119 thrips species of 74 genera from Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), Manipur. Out of 119 species collected during the study, 48 are endemic to India, and 22 are recorded for the first time from Manipur. Mycterothrips auratus Wang (1999), earlier known from China and Taiwan, has been collected for the first time from India.

Manipur is a biodiversity rich state located in the northeastern part of India that borders Myanmar. Situated within the western portion of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, the state has a large number of endemic and endangered species. The state is also prone to habitat destruction due to rapid clearing of forest for shifting cultivation, which is a common practice in the hill districts for agriculture and collection of firewood and timber. In the valley districts, the entire forest areas were converted to agricultural fields leaving only a few remaining green spaces, such as the sacred groves locally known as Umang Lais, small hillocks, and Keibul Lamjao National Park.

The Old Fort Bayou Tract near Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is a restoration project by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) that aims to recreate a wet prairie habitat and attract Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, as well as reestablish the plant communities that weredamaged or destroyed on the site. The project involves the use of prescribed fires to maintain the restored habitat. The Hall Branch River restoration project in Florida aims to recreate a riverine headwater forest on land that was previously surface-mined for phosphatic ore. The project involves the use of fertilizers and herbicides to establish the forest, as well as the introduction of native plant species. The restoration of the Sangai deer habitat in Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur, India, involves the creation of artificial floating islands to provide additional habitat for the deer, as well as the control of fishing and grazing in the area. The ultimate goal of the restoration project is to increase the population of the critically endangered Sangai deer.