Open AccessDENSITY AND DIVERSITY OF AQUATIC MITES IN A SPRING FED STREAM OF GARHWAL HIMALAYA, INDIA
Author(s) -
Pankaj Bahuguna,
Shailza Negi,
A. K. Dobriyal
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of mountain research/journal of mountain research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2582-5011
pISSN - 0974-3030
DOI - 10.51220/jmr.v14i2.6
Subject(s) - diversity index , biodiversity , ecology , geography , benthic zone , diversity (politics) , hydrology (agriculture) , spring (device) , biology , forestry , environmental science , species richness , engineering , geotechnical engineering , mechanical engineering , sociology , anthropology
Hydrachnidia, commonly called water mites are an important and diverse group of benthic insects which is usually neglected by the aquatic biologists in their routine biodiversity duties. Present study is an attempt to investigate the dynamics and diversity of water mites from a freshwater stream Randi Gad from Pauri Garhwal which is a lower order stream of river Alaknanda. Mites were collected using a square framed Surber Sampler of1m2 of the stream bed. Samples were preserved and brought to laboratory for further study. A total of fourteen species from five families were observed with a maximum density of 138 mites.m-2 in the month of January. Coefficient of similarity and Shannon wiener diversity index was calculated for diversity and cluster analytical study.