Biodiversity and monthly density fluctuations of water mites in Khankra gad, a spring-fed tributary of river Alaknanda, Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, India
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Abstract
Hydrachnidia is an important group of aquatic invertebrates. They play an important role in regulating other invertebrate populations, thus influencing the composition and functionality of river ecosystems. The present study aims to assess the habitat ecology, density and diversity of aquatic mites in the Khankra gad, Rudraprayag district for a period of two year on a monthly basis, from July 2018 to June 2020. The Khankra gad is a perennial spring-fed stream originating from the Bansoun peak in district-Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya (800 m asl). A total of 2537 Hydrachnidia samples were collected, belonging to 6 families viz, Torrenticolidae, Sperchontidae, Feltriidae, Hygrobatidae, Lebertiidae and Aturidae. Sperchontidae, Torrenticolidae and Hygrobatidae were the common families recorded in both spots, whereas Feltriidae was recorded in Spot-1, Lebertiidae and Aturidae were recorded in Spot-2. The highest numbers (1842) of Hydrachnidia were collected from Spot-2. A total of 19 aquatic mite species were recorded in Spot-1 and 25 species in Spot-2 throughout the study period. Aquatic mites showed maximum density (177 units.m-2 in Spot-1 and 274units.m-2 in Spot-2) in December and minimum (11 units.m-2 in Spot-1 and 17 units.m-2 in Spot-2) in July. Various ecological parameters of our study indicated that Khankra gad is a good habitat for aquatic mites.
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Keywords
Water mites, Density, Diversity, Habitat ecology, Uttarakhand
References
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Bahuguna, P., Negi, S. (2020). A checklist of the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) of Garhwal Himalaya with some new records. (Edited by R. A. Singh, Conference Book on Geology and Natural Resource of Himalaya. A.S.R. Publication, Lucknow -226008.
Bahuguna, P., Negi, S., and Dobriyal, A. K. (2019). Density and diversity of aquatic mites in a spring fed stream of Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. of Mountain Res., 14(2), 55-59. https://doi.org/10.51220/jmr.v14i2.6
Bahuguna, P., Rana, K. K., Rayal, R., and Khanduri, N. C. (2020). Density and diversity of aquatic mites in a glacier-fed river Mandakani from Garhwal Central Himalaya, India. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology, 41(10), 1-8.
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Baluni, P., Kumar, R. and Joshi, H.K. (2018). Ecology, distribution pattern, density and diversity of periphyton in Khankra spring fed stream of Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. Mountain. Res.,13, 95-99.
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Cook, D. R., and R. D. Mitchell (1953). Notes on collecting water-mites. Turtox News, 30,122-125.
Cook, D.K. (1974). Water Mites Genera and Subgenera. American Entomological Institute, 21, 860.
Das, M.K. and Das R.K., (1997). Fish and Prawn diseases in India, diagnostic and control. Journal of Inland fisheries society of India. Barrackpore, pp: 139.
Di Sabatino A., Gerecke R., Martin P. (2000). The biology and ecology of lotic water mites (Hydrachnidia). Freshwater Biology, 44,47-62. https://doi.org/10.1046/.1365-242 7.2000.00591.x
Gerecke R (2003). Water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) in the western Palaearctic region: a review. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 138, 141-378. https://doi.org/10.1 046/j.1096-3642.06-0.00051.x
Hynes, H. B. N. 1970. The Ecology of running waters. Liverpool University Press. 543 pp.
Kumar, N. and Dobriyal, A. K. (1992). Some observations on the water mites of a Hill stream Khandagad in Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of Freshwater Biology, 4, 193–197.
Kumar, N. and Dobriyal, A. K. (1993). Benthic diversity of Garhwal Himalayan hill streams in relation to their fishery potential. The third Indian fisheries forum proceedings, Pant Nagar. pp 159- 162.
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Kumar, N., Kumar. K. and Pesic, V. (2007). Two new species of Sperchon Kramer (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Sperchontidae) from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12, 31–36. https://doi.org/1 0.11158/saa.12.1.5
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Malik, D.S., Kumar S. and Nagar, S. (2012). Seasonal nutrient characteristics of Asan reservoir at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, J. Sustainable Environ. Res., 1(2), 233-238.
Margalef, R. (1958). Temporal succession and spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton in perspectives in Marine Biology, Buzzati-Traverso (ed.) Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley, pp. 323-347.
Martin. P., (2008). Water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari) and insects: a survey of a seldom considered relationship. Entomol Heute, 20,45-75.
Mitchell, R.D. and Cook, D.R. (1952). The preservation and mounting of water-mites. Turtox News, 30(9).
Pesic, V. and Panesar, A. (2008). Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, I. The water mite genus Feltria Koenike, with descriptions of eight new species. Zootaxa, 1758, 1–28. https://doi.org.10.11646/zootaxa.2119.1.1
Pesic, V., Chatterjee, T., Das, M. K. and Bordoloi, S. (2012). Two rare water mite species (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the streams of the Indian eastern Himalayan region. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 17(4): 458–464. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.17.4.15
Pesic, V., Kumar, N. and Kumar, K. (2007a). Two new species of water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12, 161–166. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa/12.2.11
Pesic, V., Kumar, N. and Kumar, K. (2007b). A new species of Monatractides (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) and new records of other torrenticolid water mites from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12(3–4), 205–212. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.12.3.5
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2019a). New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Western Himalaya with the description of four new species. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 24(1), 59–80. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.24.1.5
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2019b). New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Western Himalaya and description of three new species from Asia. Systematic and Applied Acarology,24(10),1868– 1880. 20. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.25.10.6
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2020a). A new species of Kongsbergia from the Western Himalaya with a key to the species of the genus of India (Acari: Hydrachnidia). Ecologia Montenergrina, 27, 35-38. 21.
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P., Negi, S., Dobriyal, A. K. (2020b). Torrenticolid water mites of India with description of three new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae), Systematic and Applied Acarology,25(2), 255-267. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.25.2.7
Pielou, E. C., (1966). The measure of diversity in different types of biological collections. J Theoret. Biol., 13, 131-144.
Popoola, KOK., Otalekor, A. (2011). Analysis of aquatic insects’ communities of Awba reservoir and its physico-chemical properties. Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences,3(4), 422-428.
Prasad, (1974). A Catalogue of mites of India. Ludhiana, Indira Acarology Publishing House, 320 pp.
Shannon, C. E. and W. Wiener, (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 177pp.
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163 (4148), 688.
Smit H, van der Hammen H (2000) Atlas of the Dutch water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) (in Dutch). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 13,1–266
Stryjecki, R., Zawal, A., St?pie?, E. et al. (2016). Water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of water bodies of the Kr?piel River valley: interactions in the spatial arrangement of a river valley. Limnology, 17, 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-016-0479-6
Thani, I and Phalaraksh, C. (2008). A Preliminary Study of Aquatic Insect Diversity and Water Quality of Mekong River, Thailand. KKU Sci. J., 6 (Supplement), 95-106.
Walter, C. (1928). Zur Kenntnis der Mikrofauna von Britisch Indien. II. Hydracarina. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 30(1), 57–108.
Welch, P.S (1948). Limnological Methods. Blackiston Co. Philadephia.
Allan, J.D. and Flecker, A.S. (1993). Biodiversity conservation in running waters. Bioscience, 43, 32, 43.
APHA (2012). Standard methods for examination of Water and Wastewater. 22nd Edi., APHA, AWWA, WPCF, Washington D.C., USA.
Bahuguna, P., Negi, S. (2020). A checklist of the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) of Garhwal Himalaya with some new records. (Edited by R. A. Singh, Conference Book on Geology and Natural Resource of Himalaya. A.S.R. Publication, Lucknow -226008.
Bahuguna, P., Negi, S., and Dobriyal, A. K. (2019). Density and diversity of aquatic mites in a spring fed stream of Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. of Mountain Res., 14(2), 55-59. https://doi.org/10.51220/jmr.v14i2.6
Bahuguna, P., Rana, K. K., Rayal, R., and Khanduri, N. C. (2020). Density and diversity of aquatic mites in a glacier-fed river Mandakani from Garhwal Central Himalaya, India. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology, 41(10), 1-8.
Bahuguna, Pankaj and Dobriyal, A. K. (2020). Population structure and drifting pattern of aquatic mites in Randi Gad, a tributary of River Alaknanda in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. J. Mountain. Res., (15), 63-70. https://doi.org/10.51220/jmr.v15i1.7
Baluni, P., Kumar, R. and Joshi, H.K. (2018). Ecology, distribution pattern, density and diversity of periphyton in Khankra spring fed stream of Garhwal Himalaya, India. J. Mountain. Res.,13, 95-99.
Cook, D. R. (1967). Water mites from India. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 9: 1–411.
Cook, D. R., and R. D. Mitchell (1953). Notes on collecting water-mites. Turtox News, 30,122-125.
Cook, D.K. (1974). Water Mites Genera and Subgenera. American Entomological Institute, 21, 860.
Das, M.K. and Das R.K., (1997). Fish and Prawn diseases in India, diagnostic and control. Journal of Inland fisheries society of India. Barrackpore, pp: 139.
Di Sabatino A., Gerecke R., Martin P. (2000). The biology and ecology of lotic water mites (Hydrachnidia). Freshwater Biology, 44,47-62. https://doi.org/10.1046/.1365-242 7.2000.00591.x
Gerecke R (2003). Water mites of the genus Atractides Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) in the western Palaearctic region: a review. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 138, 141-378. https://doi.org/10.1 046/j.1096-3642.06-0.00051.x
Hynes, H. B. N. 1970. The Ecology of running waters. Liverpool University Press. 543 pp.
Kumar, N. and Dobriyal, A. K. (1992). Some observations on the water mites of a Hill stream Khandagad in Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of Freshwater Biology, 4, 193–197.
Kumar, N. and Dobriyal, A. K. (1993). Benthic diversity of Garhwal Himalayan hill streams in relation to their fishery potential. The third Indian fisheries forum proceedings, Pant Nagar. pp 159- 162.
Kumar, N., Kumar, K., Kumar, S. and Pesic, V. (2006). Monatractides tuzovskyi sp. nov. (Acari: Torrenticolidae), a new water mite species from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Acarina, 14(2), 81–83.
Kumar, N., Kumar. K. and Pesic, V. (2007). Two new species of Sperchon Kramer (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Sperchontidae) from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12, 31–36. https://doi.org/1 0.11158/saa.12.1.5
Lundblad, O. (1934). Report on Hydracarina (Yale North India Exped. 7). Memoirs of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Science, New Haven, 10, 85–118.
Malik, D.S., Kumar S. and Nagar, S. (2012). Seasonal nutrient characteristics of Asan reservoir at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, J. Sustainable Environ. Res., 1(2), 233-238.
Margalef, R. (1958). Temporal succession and spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton in perspectives in Marine Biology, Buzzati-Traverso (ed.) Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley, pp. 323-347.
Martin. P., (2008). Water mites (Hydrachnidia, Acari) and insects: a survey of a seldom considered relationship. Entomol Heute, 20,45-75.
Mitchell, R.D. and Cook, D.R. (1952). The preservation and mounting of water-mites. Turtox News, 30(9).
Pesic, V. and Panesar, A. (2008). Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, I. The water mite genus Feltria Koenike, with descriptions of eight new species. Zootaxa, 1758, 1–28. https://doi.org.10.11646/zootaxa.2119.1.1
Pesic, V., Chatterjee, T., Das, M. K. and Bordoloi, S. (2012). Two rare water mite species (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the streams of the Indian eastern Himalayan region. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 17(4): 458–464. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.17.4.15
Pesic, V., Kumar, N. and Kumar, K. (2007a). Two new species of water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12, 161–166. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa/12.2.11
Pesic, V., Kumar, N. and Kumar, K. (2007b). A new species of Monatractides (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) and new records of other torrenticolid water mites from the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Systematic and Applied Acarology, 12(3–4), 205–212. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.12.3.5
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2019a). New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Western Himalaya with the description of four new species. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 24(1), 59–80. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.24.1.5
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2019b). New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Western Himalaya and description of three new species from Asia. Systematic and Applied Acarology,24(10),1868– 1880. 20. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.25.10.6
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P. (2020a). A new species of Kongsbergia from the Western Himalaya with a key to the species of the genus of India (Acari: Hydrachnidia). Ecologia Montenergrina, 27, 35-38. 21.
Pesic, V., Smit, H. and Bahuguna, P., Negi, S., Dobriyal, A. K. (2020b). Torrenticolid water mites of India with description of three new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae), Systematic and Applied Acarology,25(2), 255-267. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.25.2.7
Pielou, E. C., (1966). The measure of diversity in different types of biological collections. J Theoret. Biol., 13, 131-144.
Popoola, KOK., Otalekor, A. (2011). Analysis of aquatic insects’ communities of Awba reservoir and its physico-chemical properties. Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences,3(4), 422-428.
Prasad, (1974). A Catalogue of mites of India. Ludhiana, Indira Acarology Publishing House, 320 pp.
Shannon, C. E. and W. Wiener, (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 177pp.
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163 (4148), 688.
Smit H, van der Hammen H (2000) Atlas of the Dutch water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) (in Dutch). Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen, 13,1–266
Stryjecki, R., Zawal, A., St?pie?, E. et al. (2016). Water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) of water bodies of the Kr?piel River valley: interactions in the spatial arrangement of a river valley. Limnology, 17, 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-016-0479-6
Thani, I and Phalaraksh, C. (2008). A Preliminary Study of Aquatic Insect Diversity and Water Quality of Mekong River, Thailand. KKU Sci. J., 6 (Supplement), 95-106.
Walter, C. (1928). Zur Kenntnis der Mikrofauna von Britisch Indien. II. Hydracarina. Records of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 30(1), 57–108.
Welch, P.S (1948). Limnological Methods. Blackiston Co. Philadephia.
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Biodiversity and monthly density fluctuations of water mites in Khankra gad, a spring-fed tributary of river Alaknanda, Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, India . (2021). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 13(1), 258-267. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v13i1.2568
