Monitoring of algal taxa as bioindicator for assessing the health of the high altitude wetland, Dodi Tal, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Abstract

Macroinvertebrates owing to their wide variation of response to environmental changes have been extensively utilized to evaluate the water quality and health of the aquatic ecosystems. Seasonal sampling of the macroinvertebrates can indicate the effects of anthropogenic activities on the community. The aim of the present contribution is to monitor species composition and abundance and utility of macroinvertebrates in assessing the health of high altitude (3,075 masl.) wetland, Dodi Tal of Garhwal Himalaya, India. A total of 29 taxa of macroinvertebrates belonging to Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Oligochaeta and Gastropoda groups were recorded from the high altitude wetland, Dodi Tal. Most potential species such as Heptagenia sp. Ephemerella sp. (Ephemeroptera), Perla sp.; Isoperla sp. (Plecoptera) and Orthrotrichis sp. Mystacides sp. (Trichoptera) , Enchytreaus sp. (Oligochaeta) were identified as excellent bioindicator on the basis of their abundance for assessing the health of the high altitude wetland Dodi Tal. Shannon Wiener diversity index and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) of macroinvertebrates were analyzed to determine the effect of physico- chemical variables on the abundance of these taxa of macroinvertebrates.