INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD ISSN: 2455-0620 Volume - 6, Issue - 4, Apr – 2020 Monthly, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed, Indexed Journal with IC Value: 86.87 Impact Factor: 6.497 Received Date: 27/03/2020 Acceptance Date: 09/04/2020 Publication Date: 30/04/2020

STUDY OF FRESH WATER ALGAE IN GANGAIKONDAN SPOTTED DEER SANCTUARY, DISTRICT,

1Priya P. V., 2Rekha G. S., 3Saravana Ganthi A. 1Research Scholar, 2, 3Assistant Professor, 1, 2, 3 Department of Botany, Rani Anna Govt. College for Women, affiliated to M.S. University Tirunelveli, Email - [email protected]

Abstract: Gangaikondan reserve forest is home to more than 600 spotted deer, mongoose and other kinds of fauna and it was declared as a sanctuary and a reserve forest by the state government. The forest type is thorny scrub jungles dominated by Acacia and Euphobias. The present study carried out to document the algal diversity in fresh water pools located in the Gangaikondan spotted deer sanctuary, , Tamil Nadu. Totally 33 species belong to 24 genera were recorded in the present study. Among the diverse group of algae cyanophyceae members are dominated, followed by Chlorophyceae. One fresh water mcrophytic algae also recorded. Results were indicated that the water is pure without contamination of polluted water.

Key Words: Gangaikondan reserve forest, Phytoplankton, Chlorophyceae, Ctanophyceae.

1. INTRODUCTION: Biologists all over the world are concerned with environmental pollution like global imbalance of stratosphere gases, effects of pesticides, air and water pollution. Towards the positive approaches, progress is made in understanding the basic principles of biological productivity both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with a view to solve the food problem of increasing human populations. It is therefore imperative that make to understand the underlying principles of production in ecosystems. The planktonic organisms in aquatic systems are essential links in the food chain. They are the primary producers of an ecosystem and determine the wealth of aquatic system. The diversity and density of algae is significant for the quality of the water. The organism which are commonly as fresh water algae vary in colour, form and habits. Several of these are known by their common names such as greens, blue greens, diatoms, red algae, brown algae and euglenoids. The present study carried out to document the algal diversity in fresh water pools located in the Gangaikondan spotted deer sanctuary, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2.1. The study area: The spotted deer sanctuary is located near Sankar Nagar on Tirunelveli – 4-lane National Highway. It was declared as spotted deer sanctuary by the State Government, in October 2013. It is 10 km away from Tirunelveli city. The Gangaikondan reserve forest is an important habitat for spotted deer. This is the southernmost habitat of spotted deer outside the Western Ghats. It is also a habitat for peafowls, mongoose, varied reptiles, avifauna. The sanctuary is spread over in 288.40 ha and surrounded by patta lands. The forest type is dry deciduous and scrub jungle. 2.2. Sampling and Phytoplankton study: The study was done by the periodical field visits from November 2019 to February 2020. The water samples for algal study were collected every 15 days randomly from different spots in water pool. The sampling sites were spotted out based on intense algal populations. The water was collected using a sterile container by scooping up the water from the pond surface. The water sample was immediately fixed with 4% formalin. The microalgal cultures were examined using he Olympus (HB) compound microscope and microphotographs were taken using Wexvox digital camera. Species identification of microalgae was done by based on published books and monographs1.2.3.4.5.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Totally 33 species belong to 24 genera were recorded in the present study (Table 1). Cynaophyceae are simplest forms of algae in not having developed and well defined plastids. The pigments are blue green, distributed throughout the entire protoplast. The filamentous cyanophycean algae such as Nostoc and Anabaena were common in the water pool. Anabaena trichomes composed of bead like or barrel shape cells with heterocysts. Filaments aggregated without order. Nostoc bounded by a firm gelatinous tegument and plant mass definite in shape. 11 species of the cyanobacteria were identified in the present study. Patches of bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa was recorded. Cyanophyceae members contributed maximum diversity in the selected area. The unicellular Chroococcales members Gloeocapsa crepidium and Chroococcus minor also recorded. Ten species of grass green Chlorophyceae algae were indentified. These algal members have cell wall and motile forms possess tow or four flagella. Small unicellular, free

Available online on – WWW.IJIRMF.COM Page 31 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD ISSN: 2455-0620 Volume - 6, Issue - 4, Apr – 2020 Monthly, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed, Indexed Journal with IC Value: 86.87 Impact Factor: 6.497 Received Date: 27/03/2020 Acceptance Date: 09/04/2020 Publication Date: 30/04/2020 living and spherical Chlorella vulgaris collected from the water pool near the entrance. Green coloured 2 – 4 celled colonies of Scenedesmus quadtricauda were ovoid to cylindrical in shape. The cells have parietal chloroplasts with a single pyrenoid. Semi-circular, margin entire Cosmarium moniliformae identified with clear isthmus. Filamentous plant body consists of branched filament with large cylindrical cells and often with elaborate chloroplast is the characteristic feature of the Cladophora glomerata, which is occur in the form interwoven threads in the water pool. Similarly branched filaments of Oedogonium hispidum also recorded. In Selenastrum cells are lunate and arranged back to back. The macrophytic algae Chara also recorded and it is an indicator of the lime content of the soil. Chlorella is the abundant distributed algae in the Chlorophyceae. Ten species of Bacilariophyceae also recorded for the study area. They are unicellular characterized by a cell wall of silica. Wall consists of two valves more or less flat surfaces held by a broad band or girdle. Fragillaria vaucheriae is identified by the prominent frustules typically linked at the valve face to form chains. The outline of the Valve is linear to linear- lanceolate. In valve view frustules are disc like, in griddle view it is rectangular and undulated, coarsely striated and the striae wedge-shaped in Cyclotella maneghiniana. They are belongs to the order Centrales. Three spices of dorsiventral or medianly zygomorphic, isolateral valved pennales member of Navicula were identified (Table 1). In Navicula the raphe is strictly median. These three species are differentiated by the valves. Pinnularia interruptra was identified by straight and parallel sides of the valve. The centre of the valve is interrupted by distinct wide transverse striation called costae. Nitzschia obtusa also belongs to the order Pennales. It is characterized by the presence of broad, linear with ends obliquetely truncate frustules and fairly large inflexed keel in the middle region. The abundant distributed Synedra cells are single or fanlike clusters. The natural water pools present in the study area primarily receive the rain water. This study was conducted after the rainy season. The studied water tanks possess abundant algal diversity, but less bloom formation. This indicates presence of less eutrophification. The abundant light, temperature and nutrients favour the algal growth. Similar to the earlier reports6,7,8, the present finding also showed same diversity pattern such as equal dominance of cyanophytes and chlorophytes followed by bacillariophytes. The study indicated that colonial and unicellular forms are mor e dominant in the study area. Microalgae are of economic importance as they produce many biotechnological and industrial products9,10,11 Microalgae are dominant group of organism in aquatic habitats with sufficient nutrients and light available for their luxury12.13.14.A significant number of benthic forms also recorded in the present study. Benthic algal forms can be useful as indicates of water quality15. The qualitative and quantitative studies on phytoplankton have been utilized to assess the quality of water16.

Table 1: List of identified algae from spotted deer sanctuary, Gangaikondan

S.No. Name of the algae Group 1. Cyclotella maneghiniana Kuetz. Bacillariophyceae 2. Fragillaria vaucheriae (Kützing) Lange-Bertalot Bacillariophyceae 3. Gyrosigma acuminatum (Kützing) Rabenhorst Bacillariophyceae 4. Navicula exigua Greg. ex Grun Bacillariophyceae 5. Navicula fluens ar. subrostrata Skvortzov Bacillariophyceae 6. Navicula rhynchocephala Kutz Bacillariophyceae 7. Nitzschia obtusa W. Smith Bacillariophyceae 8. Pinnularia interrupta f. stauroneiformis Cleve Bacillariophyceae 9. Pinnularia kalapanensis Prasad and Srivastava Bacillariophyceae 10. Synedra ulna (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg, Bacillariophyceae 11. Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck Chlorophyceae 12. Chroococcus minutes (Kützing) Nägeli Chlorophyceae 13. Cladophora glomerata (Linnaeus) Kützing Chlorophyceae 14. Cosmarium moniliformae (Turp.) Ralfs Chlorophyceae 15. Scenedesmus quadtricauda (Turp.) Breb. var. westii G. M. Smith Chlorophyceae 16. Selenastrum gracile Reinsch Chlorophyceae 17. Spirogyra irregularis Naegeli Chlorophyceae 18. Vaucheria sessilis (Vaucher) De Candolle Chlorophyceae 19. Mougeotia elegantula Wittrock Chlorophyceae 20. Oedogonium hispidum Nordstedt ex Hirn Cholrophyceae 21. Chara zeylanica Wildenow Cholrophyceae 22. Anabaena fertilisima Rao Cyanophyceae 23. Chroococcus minor (Kützing) Nägeli Cyanophyceae

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24. Closterium acutum (Lyng.) Breb. var. linea (Perty) W. et G.S. West Cyanophyceae 25. Microcystis aeruginosa Bréb. Cyanophyceae 26. Nostoc commune Vaucher ex Bornet & Flahault Cyanophyceae 27. Oscillatoria boryana Bory ex Gomont Cyanophyceae 28. Oscillatoria willei N.L. Gardner Cyanophyceae 29. Rivularia aquatica De Wildeman Cyanophyceae 30. Chlorogloea fritschii A.K.Mitra Cyanophyceae 31. Gloeocapsa crepidium Thur. Cyanophyceae 32. Aphanotheace staginina (Spreng.) A. Br. Cyanophyceae 33. Chroococcidiopsis kashayi Fried Cyanophyceae

Similar to present study a detailed study had carried out on the phytoplankton of Veli Lake17,in Kadinamkulam Lake18 and Ashtamudi estuary of Kerala, in Kozhikode coast19. Previous studies on different lakes highlighted the species composition of Chlorophyta. A total of 34 species collected from Ayyanakare taluk of Karnataka20, in which 17 species belonged to Chlorophyta. In Kofai lake21 25 genera with 54 species of green algae, 16 genus with 33 species of diatoms, 10 genus with 18 species of blue greens, 4 genus with 6 species of Euglenophytes, 3 genus with 3 species of Dinophytes and one genus with one species of Chrysophytes were identified. In Kankaria lake the higher percentage of Chlorophycean members were reported22,23. The study revealed that the natural water pool in Gangaikondan spotted deer sanctuary, Tirunelveli had a diverse group of algae dominated by cyanophyceae members, followed by Chlorophyceae. Results indicated that the water is pure without contamination of polluted water.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Authors are thankful to the Principal, Rani Anna Government College for women, Tirunelveli, for providing facilities during survey.

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Fig 1: Selected fresh water algae from spotted deer sanctuary, Gangaikondan

Cyclotella Oscillatoria boryana Pinnularia interruptra Navicula fluens maneghiniana

Cladophora Closterium acutum Fragillaria vaucheriae Chroococcus glomerata minutus

Nostoc commune Chlorella vulgaris Synedra ulna Gyrosigma acuminatum

Mougeotia Spirogyra Nitzschia obtusa Rivularia aquatica elegantula

Gloeocapsa Chlorogloea fritschii Oscillatoria willei Vaucheria sessilis crepidium

Chroococcus Microcystis aeruginosa Oedogonium hispidum Selenastrum minor gracile

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