Algae of Itahari Municipality and Its Adjoining Area, Eastern Nepal
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Shrestha S et al. (2013). Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(1): 5 -10 &'1..#0!, #"-5,*-"#"-,*',#2 555T'(1 2T-0% ` Shrestha S et al. (2013). Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(1): 5-10 Research Article J V`J: 1QJ:C Q%`J:C Q` ]]C1VR H1VJHV :JR 1Q V H.JQCQ$7 7 R ALGAE OF ITAHARI MUNICIPALITY AND ITS ADJOINING AREA, EASTERN NEPAL Sabitri Shrestha 1*, Shiva Kumar Rai 2 and Min Raj Dhakal 2 1Department of Biology, Central Campus of Technology, Dharan, T.U., Nepal 2Department of Botany, P.G. Campus, T.U., Biratnagar, Nepal *Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Abstract A total fifty-two algal taxa belonging to 3 classes and 21 families were reported from Itahari and its adjoining areas. Among them, Chlorophycean taxa were rich with 36 taxa followed by 9 taxa of Cyanophyceae and 7 taxa of Bacillariophyceae. Sixteen taxa were identified up to generic level only and rest 36 up to species level. Most of the species were collected from aquatic habitat both lotic and lentic, some were from soil and few as epiphytic. Out of 36, ten algae viz ., Oscillatoria tenuis, Lyngbya martensiana , Achnanthes brevips , Pithophora varia , Stigeoclonium fasciculare , Oedogonium gallicum , Spirogyra crassa, S. gracilis, Closterium acerosum var . tumidum and Cosmarium nitidulum were new to Nepal. Dominant genera were Spirogyra , Oscillatoria , Closterium , Cosmarium , Navicula and Hydrodictyon collected from ponds, moist soils, ditches, and canals. Key words: Algal flora, Blue-green algae, Chlorophyceae, Diatoms, Dominancy Introduction of Nepal till now (Rai et al. , 2010). Prasad (2011) also described a checklist of algae of Nepal. Algae are the simplest but ancient photosynthetic plants play important role in ecology and molecular Recently, Rai and Rai (2012) studied freshwater algae phylogeny. They stand at the lowest step in the of Chimdi lake and reported 6 algae viz ., Oscillatoria evolution of life and have enormous economic splendida Grev. ex Gom., Cylindrospermum stagnale implications. Recently, algae are using widely as (Kuetz.) Born. et Flah. f. variabilis Prasad, alternative source for human foods, plant fertilizers and Gloeotrichia raciborskii Woloszynska var. kashiense biodiesels. Their importance are also increasing as Rao, Melosira varians Ag., Crucigenia crucifera tools for researches in nanotechnology, space biology, (Wolle) Collins and Euastrum spinulosum Delp. var. genetics and other fields of applied sciences. bellum Scott et Prescott among which the last one was new to the country. Similarly, Rai (2012) also reported Nepal is rich in algal diversity because its climate 6 species of Oedogonium among which 5 species viz ., varies along with its altitudinal and topographical Oedogonium leave Wittrock, O. peipingense Jao, O. variations. The hot and humid environment of Terai pisanum Wittrock, O. plagiostomum Wittrock and O. favours luxuriant growth of desmids while ice fed cool undulatum (Bréb.) A. Braun in De Bary were reported streams were dominated by diatoms (Rai et al. , 2008). for the first time from Nepal. Ghimire et al. (2012 a, b) Algal study in Nepal gets popularized by the activities have also studied the cyanobacteria and diatoms of of Japanese Himalayan Expedition to Mt. Manaslu Khumbu region. Rai et al. (2012) have also reported 6 from which Hirano (1955) reported 271 species of diatoms viz ., Meridion circulare var. constricta , algae. Among these, Chaetomnion nakoi Hirano, Achnanthes swazi , Didymosphenia geminata , Cymbella Cosmarium bireme var asiaticum Hirano, C. acquale cornuta , C. cuspidata and Cymatopleura solea from var nepalens Hirano , Staurastrum crenulatum var . Gokyu lake III, Sagarmatha National Park as new to nepalens Hirano were new reports from Nepal. After Nepal. Similarly, Pediastrum species of Nepal has been that, Joshi (1979), Upadhyaya (1979), Nakano and studied (Rai and Misra, 2012). Watanabe (1988), Haga (1988), Bando et al. (1989) In the present study, a survey of algal flora of Itahari made contribution to the algal flora of Nepal. After and its adjoining areas is carried out. Itahari 2010, Rai and Misra (2010) reported 51 cyanobacteria Municipality lies between latitudes 26º40 Ρ30 b to from east Nepal including 19 taxa new to Nepal and 26º42 Ρ30 bN and longitudes 87º17 Ρ30 b to 87º20 Ρ00 bE gave a complete checklist of total 274 blue green algae &'1..#0!, #"-5,*-"#"-,*',#2 555T'(1 2T-0% Shrestha S et al. (2013). Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(1): 5-10 and at an elevation of 116-164 msl. It is bounded by seasons i.e., summer (February to May), rainy (June to Budhi Khola in the east, Hardiya Khola in the west, September) and winter (October to January). It has Charkose Jungle in the North and Khanar and Ekamba maximum temperature of 20°C to 38°C in May and V.D.Cs in the south occupying an area of 28.025 Sq. minimum of 10°C to 24°C in January with an average Km. (Map 1). The climate of this area is tropical or rainfall of 210 cm per year. sub-tropical monsoonal type, experiences three distinct Map 1: Itahari Municipality and its adjoining areas for algal collection sites. Materials and Methods ponds, rivers, canals, ditches, rice fields, reeds sterns etc in and around Itahari. Planktonic forms were This work was carried out in one year duration from collected with the help of plankton mesh net, epiphytic April 2004 to May 2005. Sample collection was done forms by squeezing macrophytes and distinct large by random sampling technique at an interval of one filamentous forms by free hand picking and kept in month. A total 72 algal samples were collected from polythene bags or bottles separately. The materials &'1..#0!, #"-5,*-"#"-,*',#2 555T'(1 2T-0% Shrestha S et al. (2013). Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(1): 5-10 were examined as soon as possible after bringing in carried out. Recently, the phycoflora of Nepal has been laboratory in living condition. They were then crossed 1000 algal taxa (Rai, 2007). preserved in 4% formaldehyde solution for further Hirano (1955) reported altogether 271 species of algae detail studies. The temporary slides of each sample from five different classes of algae including 79 taxa of were prepared using glycerin jell (Sharma, 1992) and desmids, among which Oscillatoria princeps , Vaucher were examined under different magnification of ex. Gomont, Clostorium sp , Cosmarium sp , Navicula compound microscope. Identification of green and sp. Cymbella sp were common for the present work. blue-green algae was done by staining with iodine and His collection area were Manang base camp, Pisang, 1% aqueous methylene blue solutions, respectively. Taple Himal, Tukucha, Kali Gandaki, Luitel Microphotography of some algae was taken with Nikon Bhanjyang, Tadi Khola, Anku Khola, Phewa Tal ect. E-400 with H-111 photographic attachment in the Department of Botany, M.M.A.M. Campus, Biratnagar Algal flora of Betana pond has been studied previously (Plate 1 and 2). Identification of algae was made reporting a total 23 taxa belonging to the classes according to Prescott (1951), Tiffany and Britton cyanophyceae (6), chlorophyceae (1) and (1952), Desikachary (1959), Scott and Prescott (1961), bacillariophyceae (16) (Rai, 2011). Out of these, 6 Philipose (1967), Prasad and Srivastava (1992) and diatom taxa viz ., Gomphonema constrictum Ehr. var. Prasad and Misra (1992). All the collected samples capitata , Gomphonema intricatum Kütz. var. vibrio , have been deposited in the Phycological Research Lab, Gomphonema parvulum (Kütz.) var. lagenula Hust., Department of Botany, P.G. Campus, Biratnagar, Rhopalodia gibba (Ehr.) O. Müll. var. ventricosa , Nepal. Nitzschia amphibia Grun. and Surirella tenera Greg. var. ambigua Gandhi were the new records for the Results and Discussion country. Synedra dorsiventralis reported in this study In the present study, a total 52 algae belonging to 3 was also reported from Sawane, Udayapur (Misra et classes and 21 families were reported from Itahari and al. , 2009). its adjoining areas. Among them 36 algae were It is clear from the above discussion that the algae identified up to species level, rest 16 were identified diversity of Nepal is very diverse. The Topography, only up to generic level (Table 1). They were 9 algae altitudinal ranges and climate zone of Nepal provided a from Cyanophyceae, 7 from Bacillariophyceae and 36 conducive environment for greater algal diversity. The from Chlorophyceae. Among them, 10 algae viz ., species among the same genera also varies from places Oscillatoria tenuis C.A. Agardh , Lyngbya martensiana to places. This is due to the ultimate factors soil and Menegh. et Gom., Achnanthes brevips (Kütz.) Cl., water composition. Pithophora varia Wille, Stigeoclonium fasciculare Kütz., Oedogonium gallicum Hirn., Spirogyra crassa Most of the species were dominant in lentic Kütz. , S. gracilis (Hassal) Kütz. , Closterium acerosum environments specially in the ponds and wetlands var . tumidum Borge and Cosmarium nitidulum De Not rather than lotic environment. Common species like were recorded as new to Nepal. Spirogyra sp., Oscillatoria sp., Closterium sp., Cosmarium sp., Navicula sp., Hydrodictyon sp. were Nepal has remarkable altitudinal variations favoring dominant taxa which were found in ponds, moist soils, various types of vegetations. This altitudinal variation ditches, and canals. The most abundance species of with a distinct difference in the climate and habitat Bacillariophyceae were found in Bagjhora wetland, might have produced a great diversity also in algal Biratchowk and Betana pond, Belbari, Morang district. flora. It was found from the investigation that algal The species found were Cyclotella meneghiniana , species were heterogeneous in distribution i.e. different Fragillaria sp., Synedra dorsiventralis , Achnanthes species were dominant at different ecological brevips , Navicula cus pidata , Rhopalodia condition. sp.,Closterium sp ., and Cosmarium sp. In comparison, In our country Nepal majority of algae are fresh water diatoms were present in rare condition. forms while the rest being terrestrial with only few sub The species Cladophora sp. was found attached to the aerial algae (Baral 1995, a, b).