Table Of ContentSEASONAL VARIATION IN THE MACROPHYTES OF TWO PONDS,
RATHESHWAR AND TARAPUR, IN CENTRAL GUJARAT1
J.I. Nirmal Kumar2 Rita Nirmal and B.C. Rana3
,
The periodic fluctuations of aquatic vegetation were studied in two ponds, Ratheshwar
and Tarapur. 'Hie enrichment of three categories of 15 plant species were recognized for
Ratheshwar, where the pond water appeared fresh and clean. Only five aquatic plants were
observed in Tarapur pond, where the pond water had been polluted by domestic sewage and
agricultural fertilizers. The indicator function ofaquatic macrophytes is discussed.
Introduction
Study Ari-a
Macrophytes are widely distributed in Ratheshwar pond: The pond is situated in
tropical and subtropical aquatic ecosystems. Periage, about 45 km south-west of Anand in
Concomitant with fertility rate of our inland Matar taluka of Kheda district. It is 33 hectares
water bodies, macrophytic infestation has in area and has a depth of about 4-5 m. The
reached an alarming stale. The majority of main water source is a fresh water channel of
water bodies, particularly shallow waterbodies, Nav Talav. The water is used for drinking, wash-
arc partly or wholly covered by one or more ing and household purposes by the surrounding
macrophytes (Varshney and Rzoska 1973). villagers. Three stations were marked from
These macrophytes play an important role in where plants were collected and checked during
energy input, nutrient budget and recycling of the present investigation: (1) at the outflow of
nutrients in the water bodies (Howard-Williams water, (2) where the organic pollution and
and Junk 1977, Mickle and Wetzel 1978, Rana human activities are more, and (3) at the inflow
and Nirmal Kumar 1988). Macrophytes are of the water to the pond, where contamination is
pollution abatement and pollution indicators of less than at the other two stations.
water bodies (Shashikant 1978, Kaul el al. Tarapur pond: The pond is situated in Tarapur
1980). Production studies of macrophytes in village, about 35 km south-west of Anand in
India are meagre (Kaul 1977, Pandya and Kaul Khambhat taluka, Kheda district. The water sur-
1976, Sharma and Gopal 1977, Gopal and Sliar- face is about 8-9 hectares in area and has a depth
ma 1978, Adoni and Yadav 1985). of 2.5-3.5 in. Domestic sewage, agricultural fer-
Very few attempts have been made to tilizers and human activities have polluted the
study or survey the occurrence of aquatic- pond.
vegetation in Gujarat (Mirashi 1957, Chavan
M M
and Sabnis 1961, Inamdar 1968). An attempt ATER1A1.ANI) UIIIODS
has been made in the present investigation Aquatic macrophytes were collected with
with a view to study the seasonal variation and the help of metallic hook and siring from both
make some observations on vegetational char- ponds at the above mentioned stations, kept in
acters of certain aquatic plants in two ponds of polythene bags and brought immediately to the
central Gujarat. laboratory, where they were washed under tap
water. The plants were treated with 10% silver
Accepted September 1W0. sulphate (in 90% ethanol) for one minute to
~P. G. Department ol Botany, Jai-Ilmd College, prevent fungal and bacterial infection. The
Dhule 424 002, Maharahtra.
plants were dried wilh blotting paper and her-
^Department of Biosciences. Sardar Patel University,
Vallabh Vidyanagar, (Jujarat 388 120. barium sheets were made and identified with the
m
.
SEASONAL VARIATION IN POND MACROPHYTES 211
Table 1
SEASONAL VARIATION OFAQUATIC MACROPHYTES IN RATIH5SIIWAR AND TARAPUR PONDS
Mont IS
Macrophyte species Habitat 1989
Ponds 1988
September November December
>N August October January, February March April
June, May
Typhci angustata Marshy 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Echinochloa colonurn ,, + 4 4 4 4 4 4- 4 4 4 4 4
Marsilea quadrifolia 4 4 4 4 4 4 4- 4 4 4 4 4
Ipomoea aquatica + 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Fimbristylisferruginea + 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Cyperus alopecuroides 4 4 4 4* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
* Nymphioides cristata Floating - - - - 4 4 4- 4 4 4 - -
_CcO Potamogelonpectinatus Sub-merged 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
<U
VCZ P. nodosus - - - 4 4 4 4- 4 4 4 4 -
P. crispus - - - - - 4 4 4 4 4 - -
Ilydrilla verticil!ata 4- 4 4 • 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 +
i
Najas minor 4 4 4 4- 4 4 + 4 4 4 4 4
;
Vallisneria spiralis - - - - - 4 “P 4 4 - -
Ottelia alismoides .. - - - - 4 4 4 4 4 - - -
Chara sp. .. - - - - 4 4 *P 4 4 - - -
j
Echinochloa colonum Marshy 4 4* 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Ipomoea aquatica 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
3
a, Eichhornia eraswipes Floating 4 4 4 4 4 4 4- 4 4 4 4 4
£cc Ilydrilla verticil!ata Sub-merged - - - - - 4 •T 4 4 - - -
Ceratophyllum dernersu M - - 4 4 4 4 4 4 - - - -
4=prescnt, -=abscnt
help of published literature. The herbarium Table 1. Among the marshy community Typ/ia
sheets are preserved in the Biosciences Depart- angustaIa, Echinochloa colonum and Marsilea
ment, Sardar Patel University. The seasonal qiiadrifolia dominated, while Ipomoea aquatica
variation of aquatic vegetation was noted and and Fimbristylis ferruginea co-dominated.
visual assessment of macrophytes was done Cyperus alopecuroides was rare..
during the study period at monthly intervals, and Typha angustata was observed throughout
a few observations of aquatic vegetation charac- the year, surrounding the banks of Ratheshwar
ters were registered. pond. It (lowered during April-June. This
species was dominant at Station 3 followed by
Results and Discussion
Stations 2 and
1
Aquatic macrophytes can be grouped into Echinochloa colonum was noticed in both
three categories on the basis of their habitat. The ponds and dominated in Stations 1 and 3 at
name and periodic variations of macrophytes in Ratheshwar. It flowers during July-September.
Ralhcshwar and Tarapur ponds are given in Marsilea qiiadrifolia was more dominant at
.
212 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 88
Station 1 than at Stations 2 and 3. This plant is crisptis were recorded in Ratheshwar. Germina-
perennial and has hard bean-shaped sporocarps tion began during August-Scptcmbcr and the
borne on the petioles, which were observed in plants flowered and fruited in Decembcr-March.
the months of February-April. Death and decay started during May-June, and
Jpomoea aquatica grows abundantly at all was accelerated due to high temperature in these
sites. The plant is perennial, flowering during months; the plant completely disappeared by
Octobcr-January. It is propagated by deep under- July.
ground roots and by seeds. P. pectinatus is perennial, but of rare occur-
FimbrislylisJerruginea is a perennial plant rence during summer at Stations 1 and 2 of
very restricted in distribution, occurring only at Ratheshwar. P. nadasns was common in Stations
Station 2. Flowers were noted during August to 1 and 2. It has pink flowers arranged on terminal
November. spikes. P. crispns was observed during the
Cyperus alopecuroides: Richer growth of winter at Station 3 only. Flowered (terminal
this plant was observed at Station 2 than at Sta- spikes) in December January. Hydrilla verticil-
tions 1 and 3. lata was noticed at all stations throughout the
The second category includes floating study period in Ratheshwar but only during
plants, which were represented by Eichhornia winter in Tarapur pond. Germination started late
crassipes and Nymphaides cristate in Tarapur in the rainy reason, lowering occurred in Sep-
I
and Ratheshwar ponds respectively. tember and October and death and decay began
Eichhornia crassipes was the most from November.
predominant, persistent and troublesome aquatic Najas minor: Significant appearance of this
weed. It reproduces vegetatively by means of plant during November-February and poor
slender horizontal stolons. A new plant is sur- production in March-June was observed. The
rounded by offspring which develop leaves, flowers are axillary, solitary, monoecious, and
roots and send stolons in turn. Holm et. al. were observed in September-October at Stations
(1969) found that two parent plants were sur- and 2.
1
rounded by 1200 offspring after 4 months. Such Val/isneria spiralis: Dense growth of this
growth might be responsible for the complete species was observed only during winter
coverage of the water surface of Tarapur pond in (November-March) al Stations 2 and 3, while in
April-June. Flowering lakes place in the months other months it was completely absent. It has
of March-June. short male flowers and many female flowers,
Nymphaides cristata: Solitary flowers were solitary, long and coiled. Flowering was during
D m
recorded during December-February. This plant ece ber-February
was present at Station 3 only from October to Ottelia alismaides was seen during Oc-
March. Death and decay started thereafter. lober-February and was absent during most of
The third category is the submerged group, the study period. They were quite dominant
which develops in deep and shallow waters. during December-January, flowered in January
Among the submerged plants Potamageton sp., and February and died thereafter. The plant was
Hydrilla verticillata and Najas minor common at Station 3 only.
dominated, while Val/isneria spiralis co- Cerataphyllnm demersnm appeared during
:
dominated and Ottelia alismaides, Ceratopliyl- the cold months from August to January, and
lum demersnm and Chara sp. were of rare was completely absent during the summer. It
occurrence. was dominant during October-December in
Potamageton sp.: Three species, Tarapur pond only. Minute axillary, solitary
Potamageton pectinalns, P. nadasns and P. flowers were noticed in November- December.
SEASONAL VARIATION IN POND MACROPHYTES 213
Chora sp. : Mass growth of this weed was were present only in Tarapur pond. It also indi-
a frequent feature at Station 3 of Ratheshwar cates that these two species can tolerate relative-
during winter (October-February) and it was ly high levels of pollution (Shimoda 1984,
dominant from November to January. Species of 1986). Rana el al. (1990) reported that the water
this genus were absent from March to Septem- quality, nutrients and pollution status at Tarapur
ber. The erect stem was differentiated into pond was higher than at Ratheshwar pond. Apart
nodes, internodes and shorter and longer slender from this, the rich growth of other species was
branches. Reproduction was sexual, i.e. by an- restricted to Ratheshwar. This could be the result
theridium (globule) and oogonium (nuclulc); of unpolluted nature of water.
these are very complex structures with envelop- There is a difference in the aquatic vegetation
ing sheath and always occurred in pairs. at Stations and 3 of Ratheshwar. Station had
1 1
A
lew macrophylic species were registered in profuse* growth of P. pectinams, P. nodostts, N.
Tarapur pond which might be due to the high minor, T. ancustom, M. quadrifolia and I. aqtiati-
nutrient status, temperature and entry of pollutants ca, bul rarely H. venicillata, whereas Station 3
from surrounding localities. On the other hand, was dominated by P crispus, Chant sp., O. alis-
aquatic vegetation was rich in Ratheshwar, which moides, N. cristata and co-dominatcd by V.
could be due to the low nutrient status, tempera- spiralis, N. minor, P. nodostts, T. aiiRustaia and
ture of water and availability of fresh water supply rarely /. aquatica, M. quadriJ'o/ia and a few gras-
through the connection of Nav Talav. However, ses. The plant species which occurred at Station
1
the composition of hydrophytes varied seasonally might be because of partial contamination by
and the number of species was greater during human and cattle interference (washing, bathing
winter (December-February), and poor during etc.), and are considered to be moderately pollu-
summer (March-June) in both the ponds. tion-tolerant plants. In contrast, the plant com-
Among the march plants, most species are munities which are present at Station 3 could be
perennial, but free floating and submerged influenced by the inflow of fresh or clean water
plants are restricted to post-rainy and winter from Nav Talav which supplies drinking water to
seasons only. However, some of the submerged more than 35 villages. These could be considered
species such as //. verticillaid, P. pectinams and as plants intolerant of pollution.
/V. minor exist throughout the year in Rathesh- Hence the chemical status of the water ap-
war. E. crassipes and T. angustata were the most pears to be the most vital factor, significantly in-
prominent species growing in Tarapur and fluencing the general distribution of aquatic
Ratheshwar ponds respectively. The observa- plants, but other abiotic factors such as bottom
tions in the present investigation are in accord- soil, physical nature of pond and fluctuations of
ance with those of Gopal and Sharma ( 1 G78), temperature and water level greatly affected the
Adoni and Yadav (1985) in certain water bodies distribution of plants within the range of chemi-
for aquatic weeds in northern parts of India. cal tolerance.
The occurrence of H. verticillata, E.
ACKNQWI Xil'.MHNTS
colonnm and I. aquatica in both ponds revealed 1:1
New
their adaptable nature to different aquatic Financial assistance by C.S.I.R.,
ecosystems, and they faced no pollution threat in Delhi, to carry out this project is gratefully ac-
these waters. E. crassipes and C. demersum knowledged.
K ri- r rr.ner,s
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(
tions! characteristics of Potamogeton pectinatus nology (ed.) Adoni. A.I).. Rail. Hot. Soc. Sugar 32 :
(Linn.) and llydrilla verticillata (Royle) in a U6-105.
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