Zooplankton Diversity in Hanumanthapura Lake, Tumakuru District, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Zooplanktons are microscopic free- floating organisms that transport energy and renew nutrients. They occupy an intermediate position in the food web between primary producers and higher consumers. Zooplanktonic fauna in freshwater lakes includes Rotifer, Cladocera, Ostracoda, Copepods and Protozoa. These communities serve as vital bioindicators in freshwater ecosystems and rapidly respond to environmental changes. The current study was conducted from December 2023 to November 2024 in Hanumanthapura Lake, Tumakuru District, Karnataka, India. This current study identified twenty taxa of zooplankton at five different sites from study area, which are grouped into Rotifer, Copepod, Cladocera and Ostracoda. Among these Rotifers were most dominated with ten species followed by Cladocera with five species, Copepod three species and Ostracod two species. Hanumanthapura lake has been contaminated as a result of ongoing human activities and agricultural runoff from the surrounding area. It is necessary to take up the sustainable steps to monitor and conserve diversity of zooplankton by regular monitoring and examination of water quality. This study concludes that analysis of zooplankton biodiversity will be a useful tool for monitoring the health (water quality) and productivity (fishery potential) of this lake ecosystem for future use and further studies are needed to identify the other biological communities in Hanumanthapura Lake.