Aquatic Phytodiversity and Macro-invertebrates in Water Bodies of Setikhola Watershed, Kaski, Nepal
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Department of Botany
Abstract
Water quality and other physical environmental factors determine considerable
variations in distribution and composition of aquatic species in freshwater
ecosystems. This study determined the Aquatic Phytodiversity (Phytoplanktons and
Macrophytes), Macroinvertebrates and Physico-chemical Characteristics of water in
water bodies of Setikhola watershed, Kaski, Nepal. Among all studied water
characteristics, conductivity was found most important influencing factor for causing
variations in species composition of macrophyte, phytoplankton and
macroinvertebrates while the influence of nitrate, phosphate and ammonia
concentration was found to be more or less similar. Altogether 39 Macrophyte species
belonging to 29 families were recorded with the dominancy of emergent species, 105
Phytoplankton species belonging to 5 classes with the dominancy of
Bacillariophyceae and 9 order belonging to 35 families of Macroinvertebrates with
the dominancy of order Diptera were recorded from the study area. Navicula sp,
Ghomphonema sp and Cymbella sp of phytoplankton were dominant. The family
Nepidae was commonly found in most of the water bodies while the family
Hydropsychidae and Heptagenidae were found to be dominant in lotic water bodies.
Most of the macrophytes showed strong but negative affinity with all studied water
characteristics while phytoplankton showed positive affinity with all studied water
characteristicss. Macro-invertebrates showed positive as well as negative affinity
equally with ammonia and conductivity. These findings created a database for present
status of different waterbodies of Setikhola watershed, Kaski, Nepal, which can be
used for the management of lakes and river as well as to study the impact on water
quality. This study provides useful information for decision makers aimed to the
conservation and sustainable management of the watershed in Nepal.