Abundance and Diversity of Zooplankton in Baini Stream at Tarai Region, Uttarakhand, India

The present study analyzes species diversity and seasonal abundance of zooplankton in the Baini stream, Tarai region, Uttarakhand. For this investigation, samples were collected monthly from September 2020 to August 2022 from three selected stream sites. During the study period, about 30 species of zooplankton were identified, representing 27 genera across five groups, including Protozoa (6 species from 6 genera), Rotifera (11 species from 10 genera), Copepoda (7 species from 5 genera), Cladocera (3 species from 3 genera) and Ostracoda (3 species from 3 genera). Among the collected zooplankton, Rotifera was the most dominant group, comprising 37% in the Baini stream, followed by Copepoda at 23%, Protozoa at 20%, and both Cladocera and Ostracoda at 10%. Seasonal abundance was observed to be highest in summer, moderate in autumn and winter, and lowest during the monsoon season. The zooplankton diversity of the concerned habitat was dominated by Rotifers, followed by Copepods, Protozoans, Cladocerans, and Ostracods.