Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

NET PLANKTON DIVERSITY IN COAL MINING AREAS OF JHARKHAND

T. K. Saha

Abstract

Plankton community is an ecologically important group of aquatic organisms and are influenced by the quality of water. The present study attempts to analyse community structure and diversity of phyto-and zooplankton in the ponds within the five major coalfield areas of Jharkhand State_ In the study areas 27 species of net - zooplankton and 26 species of net - phytoplankton have been observed. The species are resistant to coal dust and the indices worked out for the richness, diversity and evenness of the phytoplankton and zooplankton do not present clear cut trend of the dynamics of the plankton community. In the coalfield areas evenness showed insignificant relationship with species diversity index, but in most areas species richness index showed negative significant relationship (0.05) with species diversity index values.