#free floating

ELECTRONIC

2023-11-17

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Abstract

The present investigation concerns the diversity of aquatic macrophytes in different lakes in the Holalkere, Chitradurga district of Karnataka. Lakes are the natural habitat of macrophytic plants. Macrophytes are the common features of an aquatic ecosystem. Aquatic macrophytes play a prominent role in ecosystems. Aquatic macrophyte diversity and its role in understanding lake ecosystem dynamics have tremendous significance. Species composition of aquatic macrophytes, seasonal distribution in four lakes in Holalkere viz. Gangasamudra Lake, Gowdihalli Lake, Talikatte Lake and Kudineerakatte Lake were studied during 2019-2021. Fifteen different species of aquatic macrophytes were recorded from the studied lakes which include one free-floating, eight submerged, and six emergent Macrophytes present in the lake basin. Hydrilla verticillate, Polygonum glabrum, Cyperus longus, and Ipomoea fistulosa occur throughout the year. It indicates that aquatic macrophyte species are specific to environmental quality. The present findings revealed that the surface quality of the lakes is productive. The research aimed at describing unknown species is still necessary.

Introduction

Aquatic macrophytes are photosynthetic organisms, that grow permanently or periodically submerged below, floating on, or growing up through the water's surface. It includes aquatic angiosperms, pteridophytes and bryophytes (P.A., Lacoul, P., Murphy, K.J. and Thomaz, S.M. 2008. Carpenter, S. R., Lodge, D. M. 1986). Macrophytes serve as a link between the sediment, water, and (sometimes) atmosphere in wetlands, lakes, and rivers.

The most notable function that plants serve is as primary producers. However, macrophytes are also involved in ecosystem processes such as biomineralization, transpiration, sedimentation, elemental cycling, materials transformation, and release of biogenic trace gases into the atmosphere (Sudarshan, P., M.K. Mahesh and T.V. Ramachandra. 2017). The plants vary greatly in the degree to which they have become truly aquatic and present in an interesting series of gradations from those which are little more than amphibious, living at the edge of the water in very moist or water-saturated soil. Aquatic plants are that unwanted and undesirable vegetation which reproduce and grow in water and if left unchecked may choke the entire body of water posing a serious menace to pisciculture.

The aquatic macrophytes occur mainly in the shallow regions of lakes, ponds, pools, marshes, streams, rivers etc. macrophytes are of considerable ecological and economic importance as they help in the uptake of nutrients and hence help in maintaining the chemical integrity of the respective ecosystem. They contribute significantly to the productivity of water bodies, mobilize mineral elements from the bottom sediments and provide shelter to aquatic macroinvertebrates and fishes.

They also respond to changes in water quality and have been used as indicators of pollution and are known as ‘bio-indicators’. When there is enough room for colonization and abundant availability of nutrients, macrophytes show a high growth rate. They assimilate nutrients directly into their tissues. Due to these, they were used to solve eutrophic problems of freshwater bodies and to remove pollutants (Chambers report 126).

Aquatic environments with low nutrient content usually have vegetation dominated by relatively small plants. With moderate nutrient loading, the biomass and proportion of aquatic macrophytes increase and plants can fill the entire water column (Zingel, P., Noges, P., Tuvikene, L., Feldmann, T., Jarvalt, A., Tonno, I., Agasild, H., Tammert, H., Luup, H., Salujoe, J. and Noges, T. 2006).

Aquatic macrophytes respond to changes in water quality and have been used as bio-indicator of pollution (Tripathi, B.D. and Shukla, S.C. 1991). Aquatic plants are frequently used to reduce different kinds of pollutants from polluted water (Tripathi, B.D. 1992). Aquatic plants are often an integral component of aquatic ecosystems and can be of ecological importance since they represent the major structural component of littoral habitats, acting as shelter, nesting, and feeding grounds for a wide variety of micro-organisms, fish and waterfowl (Hudon C., Lalonde S., and P. Gagnon. 2000).

The purpose of the present study is to observe aquatic macrophytes in Holalkere taluk, Chitradurga Dist, Karnataka. The water is used for drinking, washing, household purposes and agriculture by the surrounding villagers. Four study stations were selected from where plants were collected and checked during the investigation to briefly summarise various macrophyte classifications, and cover in more detail numerous aspects of the macrophytes' role in the aquatic ecosystem.