Diversity And Distribution Of Cyanobacteria Species In Lake Chilwa Biosphere Reserve
Volume 1 - Issue 4, October 2017 Edition
[Download Full Paper]
Author(s)
Eatim Katundu Msiska
Keywords
Blue-green algae, Cyanobacteria,Lake Chilwa, Spirulina
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms found in various habitats. Lack of current data on diversity and distribution of cyanobacteria in Lake Chilwa prompted the need for this study. This study investigated the diversity and distribution of cyanobacteria in the Lake Chilwa Biosphere Reserve. Water samples, containing cyanobacteria and other algae were collected from three sampling sites and these were the Typha marsh, interior open lake and the lake shore. From 133 sampling points, three cyanobacteria were identified using a microscope and an identification manual, and these were Oscillatoria,Anabaena and Spirulina in the order of abundance (n= 27, 3, 2). Other algal species were found and these were Spirogyra, Chlamydomonas and Euglena (n =21, 5, 4 respectively). The study showed dwindling levels of Spirulina abundance. Simpson-Yule and Berger-Parker indices showed similar levels of species diversity among the three sampled sites. Therefore, Oscillatoria is the most abundant species of cyanobacteria with Spirulina as the least.
References
[1] P. Fay, (1983), “The Blue-greens†Edward Arnold Publishers, London.
[2] L.C. Beadle, (1981), “The Inland Waters of Tropical Africa- an Introduction to Tropical Limnologyâ€, 2nd ed. Longman, London
[3] Malawi Government, (2001) Lake Chilwa Wetland Management Plan, Environmental Affairs Department, Lilongwe
[4] G.W. Prescott, (1980) “How to know Freshwater algaeâ€, 3rd ed. W.C. Brown Company Publishers, Iowa, USA.
[5] B. Moss, and J. Moss, (1969) Aspects of Limnology of an Endorrheic African Lake (Lake Chilwa, Malawi), Ecology, Winter, 50:1
[6] T.R.E., Southwood, and P.A. Henderson, (2000), “Ecological Methodsâ€, 3rd ed. Blackwell Science Ltd. Oxford, UK.
