J" Phytol. Res.2 (2). 1989

ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BLLIE GREEN ALGAE IN DIFFERENT IIABITATS OF DISTRICT, ,

A. D, MAHAJAN and NEELIMA MAHAJAN Botany Department, Sciencc College, -425 201 District Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India.

Extensive work on the blue green algae occuring in four different habitats was done during 1984-1987, from a number of places in Jalgaon, district Maharasthra. A total of 130 taxa from cultivated fields,86 from fresh water habitat,45 from thermal spring and ll taxa from air have been recorded. AD attempt has beeo made to corelate certain physical and chemical properties of the soils and water with their algal composition. The number of heterocystous forms is found to be less than the non-heterocystous ones,

Keywords : Blue green algae; Habitat; Ecology; Heterocysts,

Aithough a few attempts have been generally light in the morning and made in the past to study the algal become strengthen during afternoon. f lora from , Maha- The relative humidity varies trcm 21/" rashtra, there appears to be no record in summer to 96/" in monsoon. The as far as the distribution of blue soil is alluvial brownish black having green alEae in different habitats is the pH ranging between 7 5-8.5. As concerned. The plesent communica- such it favours the growth of banana tion deals with the ecological survey and sugar cane plants. Both the of blue green algae in four different crops need regular and heavy irriga- habitats viz. cultivated fields, fresh tion. So it was thought to study the water, hot water and air in Jalgaon blue greens from these crop fields. district, which lies between 21"-1' North latitude and 75"-35' East longi- Satpuda ranges are spread throu- tude with a total atea of 7141.68 ghout the North border of Jalgaon Square l(ilometers. lt forms an upland district. lt is made up of seven para- basin of the Deican table land. The llel hilly ranges spreading East to climate is generally dry except in West, representing dry deciduous type monsoon. The summer winds are of forest and covered over by teak.

229 230 Mahajan end Mahajan

A number of rivers and streams have gada Amba from Satpuda ranges. Hot been originated from these ranges. water spring at Unapdeo constituted As such it forms a good locality for the third habitat; while air borne fresh water habitat. Thermal spring algae were collected from three diffe- of Unapdeo at the base of these ran- rent spots in Bhusawal city at diffe- ges is one of the hottest springs in rent heights Maharashtra. lt constitutes a simple type of constant t6mperature aquatic The algal collections were made ecosystem. The spring bed covered from January, 1984 to December, with floats of blue green algae for 1987 from the localities cited and most of the time. Bhusawal is one of were preserved in 4% tormaldehyde. the largest Railway junction in lndia. Soil samples from cultivated f;elds As such the air round Bhusawal city were regularly collected and cultured is highly polluted with smoke. So it in the laboratory in De's (1935) a;rd was thought to collect the algat Allen and Arnon's (1955) enrichment spoles present in such polluted cultured medium. Air borne algae atmosphere. were collected in cultured petridishes exposed to almosphere at three sites Six localities namely Korpawali, namely Yawal bridge-North to Bhu- ;. Chinawal, Yawal, Bamnod sawal, Science College terrace-South and Nimbhora were selected for the lo Bhusawal and a five storied buil- study of blue green algae from the ding in the centre of Bhusawal city. cultivated fieds. Fresh water algae were collected from another three ldentif ication of different taxa localilies viz. Haripura, Pal and Lan- was done with the help of monograph

Table 1. showing the number of taxa recorded from the four different habitats.

Families Habitat Crop field Fresh Hot water Atnrosphere soils waters spring (Air)

Chroococcaceae 20 14 12 05 Oscillatoriaceae 58 34 25 04 Nostocaceae 32 24 Scytonemataceae 06 T : Rivdlariaceae 2A 08

Total 130 86 45 11 J. Phytol. Res:2 (2) 231

by Desikachary (1g5g). Some recent results,obtained are similar with those publications available were also con_ of Thomas and Gonzalves (1965) and sulted (Kamat, 1g63; paniJey and Vasishta (1g68); in having predomi_ Mitra, 1963; prasad and Mehrotra, nance of member of Oscillatoriaceae 1976; Prasa d et a1.,1g77 and Tiwari, over others. Maximum algal taxa have 1979). been recorded between .40.C- SO.C temperature. lt is seen that the water During the present survey a toral is alkaline with pH between 7_9 and of 130 blue green algal taxa have so luxurient algal growth been recorded was obser_ from crop field soils, ved. 86 from fresh water habitats, 45 from thermal spring and 1I taxa from the From atmosphere six algal forms atmosphere (Table 1) Majority of were appeared in petridishes exposed the species recorded belong to Nos- at the height of the three meters, tocales in which the members of four taxa at the height of six meters, Oscillatoriaceae form a major group while only one taxa was observed at followed by the the members of Nosto- height of fifteen meters. ln alt the . caceae. The diversity of blue green different habitats, the percentage of algal taxa is more in the cultures of non-heterocystous blue green algae crop field soils. Blue green total algal is found to be more than the hetero_ flora at high attitude in the Satpuda cystous ones. ranges shows the predominance of The authors non-heterocystous forms than the are thankful to Dr. Patankar, heterocystous ones. The results ob- Head,Department of Botany and principal. tained in the present study agree Dr. Kolhe, Science College, well with those obtained by Kottawar Bhusawat for providing the laboratory et al (1985) except the total number facitities. Financial rponro, of taxa recorded. of the Directors, Madhukar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. is The number of algal taxa recor_ greatly acknowledged. ded from the fresh water habitat also Accepted November, agrees with the account given by I9g9. Barhate and Tarar (1993) and Bhoge References and Ragothaman (19g6) .The differe- Allen M B and nce being more Arnon D I l95j, plant physiot. forms of Nostocaceae 30 366 and Rivulaliaceae have been recorded Barhate V p and during the present study. Tarar J L 19g3, Trop. plant lt might be ,Sci. fies. I 195 due to high altitude of localities sele_ Bhoge O.N. aod cted. ln hot water Ragothamaa G 19g6, phykos environment the 25 t29 232 Mahajan,and Mahajan

B and Mehrotra R K 1976' Phvkos De P K 1939, Proc. R. Soc. London Ser,Bl.2il Prasad N l2l t5 67 Y 1977, Desikachary T Y 1959, Cyanophvta,I, C' A' R', Prasad B N, Mehrotra R K and Singh New Delhi. GeophytologyT 222 E 1965, Hydrobio' Kamat N D 1963' HydrobiologiL 22 209 Thomas J aod Gonzalves A

losia 26 55 .: Kottawar S T, Pacbpande R''R aod David S B Tiwari G L 1979 Nova Hedwigia 63 139 1985i, Proc. A.I.A.?.C. Kaopur, P.2Lt Vasishta P C 1968, PhYkos 1 198 Paodey D C and Mitra'A K 1963, Noia Hed' wigia 4 t45