Benthic Molluscan Diversity and Environmental Indicators : A Review from Freshwater Reservoirs
Keywords:
Molluscan Diversity, Freshwater reservoirs, Environmental indicators, Ecosystem Health, IndiaAbstract
An important group of freshwater invertebrates, benthic molluscs are essential for maintaining the biological equilibrium of aquatic environments. Freshwater reservoirs in India are location to a wide variety of molluscan species that are useful environmental indicators. The research on benthic molluscan diversity from several Indian reservoirs is collected in this review, which further focuses on the ecological significance of this information. In benthic ecosystems, the main groups—including gastropods and bivalves—contribute to energy transfer, sediment stability, and nutrient cycling. These species are useful to assess water quality and ecosystem changes because their abundance and presence often indicate the general health of aquatic ecosystems. The study highlights the importance of conducting detailed studies on benthic molluscs in India's various freshwater bodies in order to ensure the preservation of biodiversity and the sustainable management of reservoir ecosystems.
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