Plankton and Microbenthos Communities of Freshwater Habitats in Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2015
Authors
Adesalu, T. A.
Kunrunmi, O. A.
Lawal, M. O.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Ilorin
Abstract
Three different rivers the Okpo, Idebu and parts of the Niger River were
investigated for both micro and macro biota. The pH of the water showed
neutral (7.07) water body with salinity of 0.03% and high dissolved oxygen
content (5.1 mg/l). In the dry season, sulphate, Phosphate-phosphorus and
Nitrate-nitrogen recorded 3.0, 0.003 and 0.138 mg/l respectively while 2.0,
0.005 and 0.210 mg/l were recorded in the wet season. The divisions,
Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta were recorded with pennate
diatoms dominating the phytoplankton spectrum. The phyla; Cladophora,
Copepoda and Rotifera represented the zooplankton with rotifers being the
frequently encountered group. The macrobenthos recorded were Mollusca,
Insecta, Hirudinea, Crustacea and Oligochaeta. High species in terms of
number were recorded in wet season; this may be a pointer to environmental
conditions such as rainfall and nutrients as major factors controlling the
plankton abundance. Community structure analysis showed a relatively
stressed environment.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Adesalu, T. A., Kunrunmi, O. A. and Lawal, M. O. (2015). Plankton and Microbenthos Communities of Freshwater Habitats in Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria. Centrepoint Journal (Science Edition) 21: 35- 53