Ecological Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystem of River Soan & Its
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Ecological Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystem of River Soan & its Tributaries BY SUMMYA NAZEER Department of Plant Sciences Faculty of Biological Sciences Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan 2006-2016 Ecological Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystem of River Soan & its Tributaries A thesis submitted in the Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph D) In Environmental Biology BY SUMMYA NAZEER (03040613002) Department of Plant Sciences Faculty of Biological Sciences Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan 2006-2016 TO My RESPECTED PARENTS WITH MUCH LOVE Acknowledgements In the name of ALMIGHTY ALLAH, the most merciful and beneficent “All the praises and thanks be to ALLAH, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that ALLAH had guided us!” (The Holy Quran). .for he is a beacon as I pace on in my life and work (ﷺ) Praises be to Holy Prophet I feel great honor to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my respected research supervisor Dr. Riffat Naseem Malik, Chairperson, Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad for her scholastic guidance, affectionate supervision and encouraging behavior during the course of my research work. Special thanks are due, to Prof. Dr. Waseem Ahmad Dean, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Dr. Tariq Mehmood, Chairman, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad for providing the existing research facilities to conduct my research work. I am unable to express my genuine feelings of gratitude into words for my parents, siblings, husband, children, and all the members in my in-laws for their prayers and affection which strengthen me throughout the time. I am proud to all my family members who appreciated and encouraged me in different difficult occasions. I also take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan for providing Indigenous scholarship for this study. Invaluable support were provided by Richard Garstang (Pakistan Wetland Program) and Mr. Atta ur Rehman (Punjab Fisheries department) in arranging field visits and collection of ecological samples for which I am highly grateful to them. I am highly indebted to Paul Angermeir (Department of fisheries and wildlife conservation, Virginia, USA) for his valuable opinion and suggestion for developing index of biotic integrity. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Muhammad Rafique (Pakistan Natural History Museum) and Dr. Abul Qadir (Punjab University, Lahore) for their support in fish identification, provision of literature and data interpretation. Dr. Maria Ali and Dr. Zafeer Saqib (International Islamic University, Islamabad) helped in GIS for which I am grateful to them. Special thanks are due to Hina Qayyum, Khurram Saeed Qazi, Dr. Zaffar Hashmi, Zeeshan Ali, Dr. Ali Mustajab, Dr. Adeel Mehmood and Muhammad Usman Khan for their contribution in accomplishment of this task either I through helping in field visits or in data interpretation. I also want to express my gratitude to clerical staff of plant and environmental sciences for their support and appreciations during my research work. This acknowledgment would be incomplete if I do not thank to my respected seniors, semester-fellows, sweet and saline juniors and all the students of environmental biology lab. I will always miss the cheerful and refreshing company and time spent among my best friends Aysha Ambreen, Riffat Latif, Sidra Waheed, Aqeela Muheen, Zainab Saleem, Hina Waheed, Nadia Yousaf, Bushra Shoaib, Ayesha Butt and Sadia Rasheed who have permanent and deep impressions on my memories. I thank to each and everyone who helped me at any point and any time either mentioned or not in this acknowledgment. Summya Nazeer II Table of Contents Sr. No. Title Page # Acknowledgements I Table of Contents II List of Figures VI List of Tables V III List of Plates IX List of Appendices I X List of Abbreviations X Abstract XII Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The Ecological services & driving forces for 1 freshwaters 1.2. Major threats to freshwater ecosystems 3 1.2.3. Ecological Risk associated with heavy metals 6 1.3. Major stressors of freshwater ecosystem’s health 9 1.4. The ecological assessment 9 1.4.1. Importance of river typology 10 1.4.2. Ecological Indicators 1 1 1.4.3. Role of physicochemical factors 1 1 1.4.4. Role of biotic factors 1 4 1.4.4.1. Development of Index of Biotic Integrity 1 6 1.4.5. Importance of ecological dynamics 1 8 1.4.6. Spatio temporal dynamics of phytoplankton 20 1.4.7. Spatio temporal dynamics of fish assemblages 2 2 1.4.8. Importance of multivariate analysis 2 5 1.5. Problem statement 2 6 Hypothesis 30 Main Objectives 31 Major Outcomes 31 Structure of Thesis 31 Chapter 2 37 Methodology 37 2.1. Description of study area 37 2.1.2. Hydrology 39 2.1.3. Historical importance of River Soan 40 2.1.4. Floral diversity 40 2.1.5. Climatic conditions 41 2.1.6. Geology of the study area 43 2.1.7. Catchment land uses and topographical features 43 III 2.2. Sampling Strategy and study Design 44 2.2.1. Sampling Strategy: 44 2.2.2. Fish Sampling Strategy: 58 2.3. Sampling and physcio and chemical analysis of water 59 and sediment samples 2.3.1. Quality Control/Quality Assurance 60 2.3.1. Geomorphology and hydrology 60 2.3.3. Substrate Composition 61 2.4. Ecological Indices 61 2.4.1. Water Quality Index (WQI) 61 2.4.2. Trophic State Index (TSI) 62 2.4.3. Index of Geoaccumulation (Igeo) 62 2.4.4. Enrichment Factor 63 2.4.5. Potential Risk Index (RI) 63 2.4.6. Habitat Characterization 64 2.4.7. Development of IBI 62 2.4.7.1. Site selection for IBI development and validation 65 2.4.7.2. Selection of reference sites 66 2.4.7.3. Metric selection and scoring 66 2.4.7.4. Satio temporal variability of IBI along the natural 66 gradient 2.5. Statistical Analysis 67 2.5.1. Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (HACA) 67 2.5.2. Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) 68 2.5.3. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) 68 2.5.4. Absolute Principal Component Analysis Score- 69 Multiple Linear Regression (APCS- MLR) 2.5.6. Multiresponse permutation procedures (MRPP) 70 2.5.7. Non-metric multidimensional data scaling (NMDS) 70 Chapter 3 71 Part 1. Water Quality Assessment of River Soan, Pakistan and 71 source apportionment of pollution sources through receptor modeling 3.1.1. Introduction 71 3.1.2. Materials and Methods 71 3.1.3. Results and Discussion 77 3.1.3.1. Spatial similarity in sampling sites 77 3.1.3.2. Temporal trends in water quality 78 3.1.3.3. Spatial trends in water quality 79 3.1.3.4. Source identification of different pollutants 80 3.1.3.5. Source apportionment 91 3.1.3.6. Water Quality Index (WQI) 92 3.1.4. Conclusion 98 IV Part 2. Spatiotemporal variations and source identification of 99 heavy metals in sediments of River Soan and its tributaries 3.2.1. Introduction 99 3.2.2. Materials and methods 99 3.2.3. Results and discussion 100 3.2.3.1. Physico-chemical properties of River Soan sediment 100 3.2.3.2. Spatio- temporal variations of heavy metals in River 101 Soan sediments 3.2.3.3. Accumulation status of heavy metals in River Soan 107 sediments 3.2.3.4. Multivariate statistical Analysis of River Soan 107 sediments 3.2.3.5. Conclusion 118 Part 3 Phytoplankton Spatio-temporal dynamics and its 119 relation to nutrients and water retention time in multi- trophic system of Soan River, Pakistan 3.3.1. Introduction 119 3.3.2. Materials and Methods 119 3.3.3. Results & Discussion 120 3.3.3.1. Water Physico Chemistry 120 3.3.3.2. Chlorophyll relationship with nutrients and hydro 123 physical factors 3.3.3.3. Trophic status of the Soan River 128 3.3.3. Conclusion 133 Part 4. Spatial and seasonal dynamics of fish assemblage along 134 River Soan, a lower Himalayan foothill River, Pakistan and its relationship with environmental conditions 3.4.1. Introduction: 134 3.4.2. Materials and Methods 135 3.4.3. Results and Discussion 135 3.4.3.1. Fish Composition 135 3.4.3.1. Impact of environmental conditions 141 3.4.3.3. Spatial & seasonal variations 145 3.4.4. Conclusion 157 Part 5. Evaluation of a river health using the index of biological 158 integrity along with relations to chemical and habitat conditions 3.5.1. Introduction 158 3.5.2. Materials and Methods 158 3.5.3. Results and Discussion: 159 3.5.3.1. Selection of Reference conditions 159 V 3.5.3.1. Metric selection 159 3.5.3.3. Substrate Composition 160 3.5.3.4. Habitat Qualitative Assessment 160 3.5.3.5. Relationship between IBI, its metrics and environmental 162 conditions 3.5.3.6. Spatial Variability in IBI 163 3.5.3.7. Impact of natural variations 164 3.5.3.8. Biotic index 164 3.5.3.9. Impact of habitat degradation on biotic integrity 168 3.5.3.10. Impact of water degradation on biotic integrity 173 3.5.3.11 Spatial Variability in IBI 176 3.5.3.12 Conclusion 185 Chapter 4 186 General Discussion 186 Recommendations & Future Perspectives 194 Chapter 5 197 References 197 Appendices 228 VI LIST OF FIGURES Fig. # Title Page # Fig. 2.1 Map of the study area showing location of sampling sites on River 38 Soan and its tributaries, types of land uses and population density in catchment of River Soan Fig.