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Community Structure of Macrophyte Associated Invertebrates in a Tropical Kole Wetland, Kerala, India

Author Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry School of Marine Sciences Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682016, Kerala, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 3, Issue (12), Pages 42-50, December,10 (2014)

Abstract

Aquatic macrophytes provide a good ecological niche for macro invertebrates and may occupy the littoral region of wetlands. This contribution discusses the macrophyte associated macroinvertebrate assemblage and abundance in the Maranchery Kole wetland that is part of Vembanad Kole wetland system, a Ramsar site on the west coast of India. It lies submerged under water for about six months in a year giving both terrestrial and water related properties. Six macrophyte species were observed from the four study stations of the wetland among which Hydrilla verticillata, Utricularia aurea, Eichhornia crassipes, are more common and showed maximum biomass. The macrophyte associated invertebrate community in the wetland carried out from October 2010 to September 2011 period varied widely during the pre monsoon, post monsoon and monsoon seasons. It comprised of 10 taxa belonging to insects, insect larvae, arachnids, decapods, molluscs, branchiopods, hirudinea, nematodes, isopods and, fish fingerlings. Insect larvae was found to dominate during premonsoon (34%), monsoon (36%), whereas decapods (47%) dominated during postmonsoon season. The macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata was associated with the maximum numerical abundance (400 No/m) of macro invertebrates during the monsoon season. Thus the high growth and density of macrophytes in Maranchery Kole wetland was conducive for the abundance and diversity of several macroinvertebrates. This would be help in the propagation of native fish species in such wetlands involving the local self-government bodies and other people’s participatory programs.

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