THE LIMNOLOGICAL STUDIES OF TWO EPHEMERAL PONDS AT NAVI MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA

Abstract

Ephemeral freshwater ponds are interesting habitats as these are present only for a short period, offering a unique set of environmental conditions for the development of the planktonic community. This study is based on two such rainwater pools in the Navi Mumbai region of Maharashtra. Rotifers and Bacillariophyta were observed as a more diverse group among the plankton. Both these ponds showed higher similarity for the presence of zooplankton as reflected in Jaccard’s index. Palmer's algal score was low in both habitats.