Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) as a habitat of macro invertebrate fauna in a freshwater pond of Jammu district, (J&K)

Abstract

Aquatic macrophytes play an important role in structuring communities in aquatic environments by providing physical structure, increase habitat complexity and heterogeneity and affect various aquatic organisms including macro invertebrate fauna. Lentic environments possess at their littoral regions extensive macrophyte strands which constitute the abundant substrate for macro invertebrates. The abundance and variance of aquatic vegetation are the main factors determining the qualitative and quantitative richness of macro invertebrate fauna. The associations of macro invertebrates to aquatic macrophytes create numerous benefits for these, as direct or indirect obtaining of food, shelter, oxygen and other favourable conditions for their growth. The present studies extending from July, 2013 to June, 2014 were conducted to find out the association between macro invertebrates and an emergent macrophyte (Alternanthera philoxeroides) inhabiting the freshwater pond of Jammu. Studies revealed that Alternanthera philoxeroides was found to harbour 21 invertebrate taxa chiefly belonging to 3 major Phyla viz., Annelida (class Clitellata) represented by a single taxon, Arthropoda (class Insecta) represented by 18 invertebrate taxa and Mollusca comprised of 2 taxa only. Overall the mean abundance of associated macro invertebrate fauna with Alternanthera philoxeroides contributed an average of 2097 ind. m -2. Quantitatively, Phylum Mollusca showed maximum abundance of all the three phyla and constituted an average of 1314 ind. m-2 whereas Phylum Arthropoda showed maximum abundance qualitatively.