Biodiversity of Zooplanktons Found in Three Freshwater Bodies in Baramati City, Pune District, Maharashtra

Abstract:The present study examined the diversity of zooplanktons found in three different freshwater bodies Nira Left Bank Canal (S1), Karha River (S2), and Krantisurya Mahatma Phule water storage tank (S3), which are present in Baramati city, Maharashtra (India). As cosmopolitan organisms, zooplankton serve as crucial ecological indicators in water quality assessment and facilitate sewage disposal. Our research revealed a diverse array of zooplankton, comprising five groups: Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda, and Protozoa. The observed zooplanktons comprised 13 Rotifera, 03 Cladocera, 06 Copepods, 02 Ostracods, and 05 Protozoans. Among five groups of Zooplanktons, the Rotifera group was found to be the most dominant group. From three selected sampling sites, it was found that sampling site 3(S3), Krantisurya Mahatma Phule water storage tank, has a high zooplankton diversity., it can be concluded that the Rotifers were dominant zooplankton in the S3 sampling site, with Cladocera as compared to the other two sites, while sites S1 and S3 have equal diversity of Copepods. Ostracods were distributed uniformly in all three sites, S1, S2, and S3. In site S3, protozoan diversity is more than other two sites (S1&S2). It can also be observed that the Rotifer was the dominant zooplankton group from all five groups, viz Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda, and protozoa (Rotifera> Copepoda> Protozoa> Cladocera> Ostracoda).