Zooplankton Assemblages as Bioindicators of Freshwater Ecosystem Health under Environmental Changes
Keywords:
Zooplankton assemblages, Bioindicators, Seasonal variation, Physico-chemical parameter, Freshwater ecosystem health, Environmental changes, Bommakal Freshwater LakeAbstract
Freshwater lakes are dynamic and ecologically significant ecosystems that play a vital role in sustaining aquatic biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem stability, particularly in semi-arid regions experiencing increasing environmental variability. Zooplankton communities, due to their short life cycles, rapid response to environmental fluctuations, and central role in aquatic food webs, are widely recognized as reliable bioindicators of freshwater ecosystem health. The present study assesses seasonal variation and group-wise composition of zooplankton in relation to physico-chemical characteristics of Bommakal Freshwater Lake, Karimnagar District, Telangana State, India, with the objective of evaluating ecosystem condition under changing environmental influences. Seasonal sampling was conducted during monsoon, post-monsoon, and pre-monsoon periods. Zooplankton samples were collected using standard plankton net filtration techniques, preserved, identified, and quantitatively analyzed following established limnological protocols. Simultaneously, key physico-chemical parameters including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, transparency, and nutrient concentrations were analyzed to understand their influence on zooplankton assemblages. A total of 1450 zooplankton individuals were recorded during the study period. Seasonal distribution showed maximum abundance during the post-monsoon season (52.55%), followed by monsoon (24.28%) and pre-monsoon (23.17%). Group-wise composition revealed the dominance of Rotifera(41.93%), followed by Cladocera (28%), Copepoda (19.72%), and Ostracoda(10.34%), indicating a well-structured zooplankton community. Higher post-monsoon abundance can be attributed to favorable temperature conditions, improved water quality, enhanced nutrient availability, and hydrological stability, while reduced abundance during the pre-monsoon period reflects elevated temperature, reduced water volume, and increased environmental stress. The observed seasonal shifts in zooplankton assemblages clearly demonstrate their sensitivity to changes in physico-chemical parameters and environmental conditions. Overall, the study indicates that Bommakal Freshwater Lake maintains good ecological integrity and supports a productive and balanced aquatic ecosystem. The baseline data generated provide valuable insights for long-term ecological monitoring, bioindicator-based assessment, and sustainable management of freshwater resources in semi-arid regions.
Downloads
References
1. Akbar S, Khan A, Hussain S, Rehman A (2023) Zooplankton diversity as an indicator of trophic status and water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 195(4): 1–15.
2. Altaff K (2004) A manual of freshwater zooplankton of South India. University Grants Commission, New Delhi.
3. APHA (1985) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (16th ed.). American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
4. Basińska AM, Karpowicz M, Grabowska M (2021) Zooplankton communities as indicators of ecological status in freshwater ecosystems. Ecological Indicators 121: 107082.
5. Dudgeon D (2020) Freshwater biodiversity: Status, threats, and conservation. Biological Reviews 95(4): 1034–1053.
6. Edmondson WT (1959) Fresh-water biology (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York.
7. Goswami R, Sharma S, Singh S (2021) Zooplankton diversity and its relationship with water quality in Indian freshwater lakes. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 47(2): 85–98.
8. Jeppesen E, Nõges P, Davidson TA, Haberman J, Nõges T, Blank K, Meerhoff M (2011) Zooplankton as indicators in lakes: A scientific review. Hydrobiologia 676: 279–297.
9. Jeppesen E, et al (2020) Climate change impacts on plankton communities in freshwater ecosystems. Water 12(7): 1–21.
10. Karpowicz M, Ejsmont-Karabin J, Kozłowska J (2023) Seasonal variability of zooplankton as bioindicators of freshwater lake health. Aquatic Ecology 57: 1–18.
11. Külköylüoğlu O, Yılmaz F (2021) Ostracods as bioindicators of water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Limnologica 86: 125843.
12. Lampert W (1987) Feeding and nutrition in Daphnia. Memorie dell'Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia 45: 143–192.
13. Meisch C, Smith RJ, Martens K (2019) A subjective global checklist of the extant non-marine Ostracoda. European Journal of Taxonomy 492: 1–135.
14. Nandini S, Sarma SSS (2013) Rotifers as indicators of water quality in freshwater ecosystems. International Review of Hydrobiology 98(5): 234–246.
15. Nandini S, Sarma SSS (2022) Zooplankton community responses to eutrophication in tropical lakes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 29: 34112–34125.
16. Pennak RW (1978) Fresh-water invertebrates of the United States (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York.
17. Reid AJ, Carlson AK, Creed IF, Eliason EJ, Gell PA, Johnson PTJ, Cooke SJ (2019) Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity. Biological Reviews 94(3): 849–873.
18. Sharma BK, Michael RG (1987) Review of taxonomic studies on freshwater Rotifera from India. Hydrobiologia 147: 1–8.
19. Sharma P, Verma S, Mishra A (2023) Zooplankton diversity as an ecological indicator in Indian freshwater lakes. Journal of Environmental Biology 44(2): 325–334.
20. Sharma P, Kotov AA (2013) Molecular and morphological diversity of cladocerans in freshwater ecosystems. Journal of Limnology 72(2): 195–210.
21. Trivedy RK, Goel PK (1986) Chemical and biological methods for water pollution studies. Environmental Publications, Karad.
22. Ward HB, Whipple GC (1959) Freshwater biology (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York.
23. Wetzel RG, Likens GE (2000) Limnological analyses (3rd ed.). Springer-Verlag, New York.
24. Williamson CE, Reid JW (2020) Copepoda. In: Thorp JH, Rogers DC (eds), Ecology and general biology (4th ed.). Academic Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Author
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/
