Molluscan Biodiversity and Its Seasonal Fluctuations in Teekar Taal, Haryana, India

Abstract

Freshwater molluscs are the integral part of every aquatic ecosystem and help not only in the ecosystem’s functioning but also enable the ecologists to judge the health of their abode. These shelled animals are used as the best biomonitoring tools worldwide. Gradually declining water quality of freshwater bodies owing to multiple factors, their biodiversity is also facing threat. Majority of the freshwater bodies near human vicinities are facing anthropogenic interventions, habitat destructions and overexploitation and the same is being reflected by the elimination of sensitive molluscan species and survival as well as abundance of other tolerant ones. The current study has been undertaken to understand the Malacofauna biodiversity in Morni hills, Panchkula, Haryana. During the study, total 359 gastropods both aquatic and land snails were collected. Pre-monsoon season witnessed greater molluscan abundance, 8.46 times, than post-monsoon. The molluscan biodiversity, 7 species, 7 Genera and 5 families, namely Filopaludina bengalensis, Melanoides tuberculata, Radix luteola, Gyraulus ladacensis, Indoplanorbis exustus, Ariophanta interrupta and Macrochlamys indica.Shannon-Weiner Index (H) and Simpson Diversity Index (D) for both seasons indicated higher species diversity during post monsoon season. Melanoides tuberculata was found to be dominant during pre-monsoon while Filopaludina bengalensis during post monsoon season.

Study of Water Quality Status and Gastropod Diversity of Bodalkasa Dam and Pujaritola Dam of Gondia District, Maharashtra, India

“…Contents available at Journals Home Page: www.ijzi.net Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Ajai Kumar Srivastav Published by: Saran Publications, Gorakhpur, India habitats such as stones, leaf litter, aquatic vegetation, and wood. Some gastropods feed on dead organic material and most feeds on algae and play an unavoidable role in the food chain as food for fishes, and birds (Padghane et al, 2017;Kumar et al, 2019). Some freshwater gastropods like Pila globosa, Bellamya bengalensis are also used as food by people in many parts of India.…”

“…During the pre-monsoon period, maximum gastropods were noted in water bodies. Kumar et al (2019) studied seasonal variation in molluscan diversity in Haryana and observed an abundance of molluscs during the pre-monsoon season. Fewer samples were collected during the monsoon period.…”

Systematic descriptions and seasonal variations of mollusc in Chandigarh (U.T., India) and its surrounding freshwater bodies

“…The molluscan fauna of Haryana (a North Indian state) and its capital Chandigarh (U.T., India) did not attract any worker from this important task. While reviewing the concerned literature from the state, some single number papers were found recording molluscan biodiversity from Haryana [22,23] . While laying down the blue print for the first planned city of post-independent India, Chandigarh (U.T.…”