DIVERSITY OF MACROPHYTIC SPECIES OF JAGATPUR WETLAND IN THE MIDDLE GANGA PLAIN NEAR BHAGALPUR, BIHAR

摘要

The present study documents the diversity and distribution of the freshwater macrophytes in the Jagatpur Wetland, a perennial reservoir type of wetland in the middle Ganga plain near Bhagalpur in Bihar. Jagatpur wetland is located at about 14 km on the South-eastern side of the Bhagalpur city. The wetland at present is under high environmental stress due to cultural and chemical pollution. We listed the macrophytes on seasonal basis for a period of two years i.e. from August, 2003 to July, 2005. Altogether 118 macrophytic species were recorded from the wetland during the study period which w'ere categorized into marginal(58 species), submerged(12 species), floating(8 species) and emergent(40 species). Out of 118 macrophytic species, 79 species belonged to dicotyledons, 33 species to monocotyledons and 3 species each to algae and pteridophytes. From the analysis of the distribution pattern of the macrophytes in the wetland, it appears that there is no well marked differentiation in colonies ofmarginal, submerged, floating and emergent species and as such all the communities were found in intermixed mats.