Author(s): BK Sharma and Kensibo

Abstract: Small lentic ecosystems are hypothesized to play a critical role in maintaining metazoan biodiversity. This study is undertaken to explore the rotifer diversity of two semi-urban wetlands of Dimapur district of Nagaland, northeast India (NEI) sampled during December, 2014-November, 2016. Our report of 110 species (S) belonging to 31 genera and 17 families indicates rich and diverse Rotifera with 50 species new to Nagaland. The biodiverse nature of the rotifer fauna merits importance as ~39.0 and ~26.0% of species known from NEI and India, respectively. The globally interesting elements (~11% of S) include one Australasian, three Oriental and eight palaeotropical species. Lecanidae > Lepadellidae together comprise ~49.0% of total richness and Brachionidae > Trichocercidae > Testudinellidae are other notable families. Lecane > Lepadella (45.4% of S) are more diverse genera while Trichocerca > Brachionus > Testudinella form useful fraction. Lower monthly richness and community similarities (vide Sørenson index), and the hierarchical cluster analysis affirm rotifer heterogeneity in individual wetlands. Higher richness and high similarities explain overall homogeneity of the taxon amongst the wetlands. ANOVA recorded significant richness variations amongst two wetlands and significant annual variations individually. The richness followed oscillating monthly variations and showed lack of influence of any individual abiotic parameters in each wetland.

Pages: 609-617  |  580 Views  113 Downloads

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