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Pak. J. Bot., 45(2): 599-604, 2013.

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STUDIES ON LIMNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PLANKTONIC DIVERSITY IN D.G. KHAN CANAL WATER AT D.G. KHAN (PAKISTAN)

M. ISMAIL CHUGHTAI^1,2*, TANVEER KAUSAR², KHALID MAHMOOD¹, M. NAEEM² AND ABDUL RASUL AWAN¹

Abstract: A study was carried out to investigate the seasonal variations in limnological characteristics and planktonic diversity of D.G. Khan Canal water as affected with sewage at D.G. Khan, Pakistan. Water samples were collected on monthly basis and analyzed for estimation of water temperature, light penetration, turbidity, boiling point, surface tension, viscosity, density, specific gravity, pH, EC, dissolved O₂, Free CO₂, alkalinity, carbonates, bicarbonates, sodium, chlorides, acidity, hardness, total solid, total volatile solids, total dissolved solids and total volatile dissolved solids. An attempt was also made to assess the biological parameters including frequency of occurrence, relative abundance and diversity index of plankton life. Density and diversity of plankton was used as a measure of water quality. Phytoplankton were abundant as compared to Zooplankton. 39 Phytoplankton genera were recorded. Among these 08 of Cyanophyta, 12 of Chlorophyta, 11 of Chrysophyta, 4 of Euglenophyta, 2 of each Pyrrhophyta and Cryptophyta. 14 genera of Zooplankton were observed including 9 of Protozoan, 4 of Rotifers and one genus of Cladoceran. Total number of organisms was 616, out of which 523 were Phytoplankton and 93 were Zooplankton. Diversity index of Phytoplankton ranged from 2.53 to 2.99 and diversity index of Zooplankton ranged from 1.08 to 1.68. It may be concluded that the quality of canal water is marginally fit as the diversity index of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton was less than three throughout the study period.

¹Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), P.O. Box 128, Faisalabad, Pakistan

²Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Zoology Division; Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

*Corresponding author E-mail: nishat_dgk@yahoo.com