DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROPHYTES IN PANCHANA DAM, DISTRICT KARAULI, RAJASTHAN, INDIASonum Bamania and Vijendra K. SharmaAbstract Aquatic plants are important elements of food web dynamics. These are also known as water loving plants or macrophyte, are unchangeable biological filter of aquatic ecosystem. They oxygenate the water and provide food and shelter to all aquatic fauna. Present study elaborates the macrophytic diversity of the most important water body, Panchana dam of Karauli city in district Karauli towards the eastern part of Rajasthan state. Panchana dam consists of wide variety of aquatic and marshy vegetation at two sites in different seasons. We have recorded a total of 27 aquatic vegetation groups out of them, 24 were of angiosperms, two Pteridophytes and one alga. The highest species diversity was observed in the summer, followed by winter and then monsoon. The indicator macrophytes were Ceratophyllum demersum, Hydrilla, Ipomea aquatica, I. fistulosa, Lemna, Potamogeton, Spirodela, Trapa and Typha were recorded as dominant species in the summer. Macrophytes habitat are like free floating, floating rooted, submerged, muddy, marshy and moist soil. The total plant species with their botanical name, family and description were presented. The structure of aquatic vegetation of Panchana dam was changed in various seasons as a result of nutrient enrichment due to human activities and sewage disposal in the water. |