A STUDY ON THE SEASONAL FLUCTUATION OF WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS AND ICHTHYOFAUNAL DIVERSITY IN DETERMINATION OF ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF MATHURA BEEL, A FLOOD PLAIN WETLAND OF WEST BENGALChandan Sarkar, Suman Bej and Nimai Chandra SahaAbstract Fish diversity and their correlation with seasonal fluctuation of water quality parameters of Mathura Beel was studied during the period 2015-16 to 2017-18. 39 species of fish belonging to 18 families under 8 orders were recorded from this floodplain wetland of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The most dominant family was Cyprinidae with 13 species. The beel is alkaline in nature as the pH varies 7.7-10.5. The dissolved oxygen content is good. In this beel, Shannon-Weaver species diversity index (Hâ) has positive correlation with Free CO2, DO, alkalinity and hardness whereas negative correlation with temperature, pH and BOD. Margalefâs Species richness index (D) has positive correlation with temperature, pH and BOD while has negative correlation with Free CO2, DO, alkalinity and hardness. Pielouâs Species evenness index (Jâ) has positive correlation with Free CO2, alkalinity, hardness and BOD whereas negative correlation with temperature, pH and DO. The overall ecological health of the beel was suitable for aquaculture. |