Study of Desmids at Machagora Dam of Chhindwara District M P

Abstract

newline India s development is intricately linked to its abundant freshwater resources, emphasizing the critical importance of water for both nation and humanity. Fresh water has bright future across various states, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, canals, rivers, dams offer vast freshwater areas for diverse applications. Dams, in particular, serve as a multifunctional body, catering to drinking, livestock, irrigation, and fish culture etc. Desmids are microscopic algae that contribute to the fresh water ecosystem, play a crucial role. As a natural part they significantly impact the health and balance of fresh water environment, emphasizing the need of intelligent and sustainable water usage. The present investigation deal with extensive study of the desmid flora of Machagora dam of Chhindwara district spanning the period of December- 2020 to November- 2022. The thesis determines the members of desmids occurring in each four sites of Machagora dam for two years. In addition to their monthly and seasonal occurrence, distribution, abundance and their relationship with their various factors like temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, total alkalinity, chloride, total hardness, calcium hardness, nitrate and phosphate and man-made disturbances are discussed here. Shannon s diversity index was also determined. All the four sites of dam provided a huge collection of desmids. A total 131 desmid taxa belonging to 16 genera were collected described and digital photograph taken by camera, all taxa were first time reported from Chhindwara. In all, 114 taxa belonging to 14 genera were observed from site D, and total of 98 taxa belonging to 11 genera were observed from site C, and total of 73 taxa belonging to 5 genera were observed from site A while the number was far less in site B with only 68 taxa belonging to 5 genera. The genus Cosmarium was the dominant one during the whole study period in all four sites of dam, desmid concentration varies considerably through the year but are most abundant during cold weather in wat