Zooplankton composition and Status of Paniyala water Pond in Roorkee Uttarakhand

The influence of water quality of Paniyala fish pond on its zooplankton composition and abundance were investigated at four stations for one year between January 2008 and December 2009. Diversity was not high: five groups of zooplankton were found which include Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda. Rotifera dominated numerically (65.75±40.60 Unit/L), followed by protozoa (57.71±37.69 Unit/L) and Cladocera (47.31±28.73 Unit/L). The zooplankton was more prevalent during winter season and there were variations in the composition and abundance along the reservoir continuum. Factors such as temperature, nutrients, food availability, shape and hydrodynamics of the reservoir, as well as reproductive strategies of the organisms, strongly influence the composition and population density of zooplankton. Seasonal trends in zooplankton community composition were also related to changes in environmental characteristics of the river. Our results indicate that the changing water quality status of the Paniyala water pond affected the zooplankton diversity and abundance and such measure could be used as a biomonitoring tool to determine the ecological health of the pond. Prevention of ecological deterioration of this water body would greatly result in a more productive water body, rich in zooplankton and with better fisheries.