Macrophytes and Odonata of Man-made Lakes: Biodiversity Assessment in Raniganj-Asansol Belt, West Bengal, India
Snigdha Mukherjee
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Sanchari Sarkar
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Tapajit Bhattacharya
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Aloke Kumar Mukherjee
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Moitreyee Chakrabarty *
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
Rajib Biswas
Department of Conservation Biology, Durgapur Government College, JLN Avenue, Durgapur 713214, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The ecological interplay between macrophytes and odonata in the pit lakes of the Raniganj-Asansol belt, West Bengal, was assessed for five (5) months. The study recorded a diverse array of 15 aquatic and 62 terrestrial macrophyte species from various families, as well as 23 Odonata species. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), revealed significant disparities in macrophyte density and abundance among the pit lakes. Notably, one lake was devoid of macrophytes, reason not assessed, as indicated by significant density variance (f = 3.340, P = 0.020), and abundance variance (f = 4.046, P = 0.008). The findings highlight the presence of macrophyte diversity along with Odonata and suggest that reclaimed pit lakes can harbour such biodiversity. Non- inclusion of water quality assessment is the major limitation of this study.
Keywords: Pit lakes, Raniganj coalfields, macrophytes, Odonata