Biodiversity of Macrophytes of Three Water Bodies Near Bhadrawati, District- Chandrapur (M.s.), India

Aquatic macrophytes includes a vast majority of aquatic vascular plants. They are found mainly in the shal- low regions of ponds, lakes, rivers, swamps and streams etc. They are of considerable ecological and economical importance. Macrophytes is an important factors for helping in maintaining ecological balance. Aquatic macrophytes play a pivotal role in maintaining primary productivity of water ecosystem. The present paper describes the biodiversity of macrophytes of three water bodies (Kanhala, Pindavani and Malhara Ponds) of Bhadrawati town located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra State from Oct. 2005 to Sep. 2007 in which 19 species representing 16 families belonging to 5 groups such as 5 Submerged floating weeds, 4 Rooted floating leaves weeds, 1 Rooted emergent with heterophile weeds, 6 Free floating suspended submerged and 3 Rooted sub- merged hydrophytes. Among different macrophytes, Marsilea sp., Azola sp. and Salvenia sp. were found in abandance in Kanhala pond as compare to Pindavani and Malhara ponds while Eutricularia sp. was not recorded from Kanhala pond.