Authors : N. R. Dahegaonkar
Page Nos : 169-176
Description :
Our country is blessed with large number of lotic ecosystems in the form of rivers and streams. Importance of rivers in maintaining a healthy as well as a prosperous nation is amply understood from the very existence of the civilization on this globe. Today biological diversity is emerging as an economic resource of great promise. The importance of biological diversity as a valuable natural and genetic resource, as an instrument of maintaining a stable and healthy ecosystem and as a means of optimum utilization and conservation of abiotic resources in the ecosystems is unquestionable.
The Ballarpur town is located at 19° 51l latitude and 79° 20l longitude at a height of 321.95 meters above MSL on the bank of the river Wardha which is a perennial and originates in the Satpuda ranges in Madhya Pradesh. A year round investigation during June-2005 to May-2006 has been made on the river Wardha near Ballarpur in order to characterize the planktonic status. The data summarized indicates presence of 34 species of phytoplankton and 27 species of zooplankton considered as fairly good genera and species diversity. Statistically the density of zooplankton exhibits positive correlation with phytoplankton, which suggested the dependence of former on later.
