Biodiversity of Algal Flora in River Chambal at Kota, Rajasthan

Phytoplankton, represented mainly by algae, form a significant part of the food web and, therefore, information on their population is important in wetland management. Phytoplankton are very sensitive to any environmental change since they quickly response to any alteration or changes in the environment. The plankton population observation or biological analysis is reliable tool for biomonitoring to assess the status and quality of aquatic bodies. The present study is aimed to determine the algal diversity and quality of water in Chambal river at Kota, Rajasthan. The algal and water samples were collected at monthly intervals from different areas located in upstream and downstream of the River Chambal. In the present study Palmer's biotic index has been used to assess the quality of water. The algal flora of four sites of river revealed 70 species belonging to four classes.