Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper


Vol.11, Issue 3,4, 2005

Page Number: 333-336

THE IMPACT OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF LOWER LAKE OF THOPAI ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF EICHHOMIA CRASSIPES

Arun K. Raghuwanshi

Abstract

The study of the floating rnacrophyte Eichhornio crassipes whose appetite for nutrients and explosive growth rates have been put to use in cleaning up municipal and agricultural wastes in addition to a number of other beneficial uses was found in abundance in the Lower Lake of Bhopal. This Stoloniferous weed population showed significant fluctuation in biomass and consequent productivity according to the nutrient status of the water and particularly in the presence of specific levels of nitrogen and phosphorus and oxygen concentrations. The other factors that appeared to determine the weed population were temperature and pH. This study revealed that in nature there is a check and balance system operating in water ecosystems, which controls the Eichhornia population according to the environmental conditions and nutrient status of the water. Above all study of the physicochemical parameters seemed to be a direct method that can be utilized for controlling the productivity of this weed and also assessing the quality of the water as it can also act as a bioindicator of polluted waters.