• RITU BISHT
• Saurabh Guleri
• Dr. Sanjay Kumar

Plankton is part of aquatic life, which is composed of tiny organisms living and drifting in the direction of the water current. It acts as the main source of food for most fauna, both in lotic and lentic water ecosystems. Algae occur in waters of low salinity (as low as 10ppm) called freshwater. Fresh-water algae, also called phytoplankton, vary in shape and color, and are found in a large range of habitats. Scientific research indicates that in recent years, the frequency and geographic distribution of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been increasing nationally and globally and can be detrimental to human health, animals, aquatic ecosystems, and local economies. Therefore, the present study is carried out to investigate the composition and diversity of Phytoplankton to study the species richness, diversity indices, distribution, and diversity of freshwater algae in some selected lentic and lotic water spots of the Dehradun district. Data were collected from selected streams viz. Shastradhara, Shikhar falls, Lachhiwala and Rober’s Cave, and a total of 29 genera belonging to different classes were investigated, out of which maximum diversity as recorded in the class Bacillariophyceae (13), followed by Chlorophyceae (8), Cyanophyceae (4), Euglenophyceae (1), Zygnematophyceae (1), Xathophyceae (1), Ulvophyceae (1). The results of the present study indicated that the water streams, waterfalls, and pools are threatened ecologically due to various anthropogenic activities. Increasing population, human disturbance during summer months leads to urbanization and anthropogenic inputs in the study sites twinning to eutrophication.

Phytoplankton Diversity, Eutrophication, Himalaya, Species richness.

"Phytoplankton Diversity of Some Lentic and Lotic Water Streams of Dehradun District", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 2, page no.d654-d672, February-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2202385.pdf

"Phytoplankton Diversity of Some Lentic and Lotic Water Streams of Dehradun District", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 2, page no. ppd654-d672, February-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2202385.pdf