Qualitative Analysis of Plankton in Tumaria Reservoir of Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India

Plankton, the microscopic organisms inhabiting aquatic environments, are found in communities across all types of water bodies. They are broadly classified into two categories: Phytoplankton (microscopic plants) and zooplankton (microscopic animals) that drift near the water's surface. The primary objective of the present investigation was to study the plankton diversity of the Tumaria Reservoir during the year 2021. Monthly samples of phytoplankton were collected from the reservoir and analyzed using standard procedures outlined by Ward and Whipple (1959), with microscopic examination and photographic documentation. Throughout the study period, phytoplankton were dominated by Chlorophyceae (50%), followed by Bacillariophyceae (37%) and Cyanophyceae (13%). Zooplankton diversity was also assessed, revealing that rotifers were the dominant group (40%), followed by protozoans (28%), cladocerans (28%), and copepods (4%). Plankton diversity peaked during the winter months, was moderate in the summer, and was lowest during the monsoon season. In addition to biological analysis, key physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, transparency, pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and chloride content were also measured throughout the study. . KEYWORDS :Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, DO, Tumaria Reservoir, Water Quality