ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY PATTERNS IN FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS: A ZOOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

India is home to some of the most biodiverse, yet severely threatened, ecological systems on
record - freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. From a zoological
perspective, these systems support a range of faunal groups (fishes, macroinvertebrates,
amphibians, and reptiles) that typically demonstrate highly specialized ecological adaptations
and levels of endemism. This research study investigated patterns in biodiversity within India's
selected freshwater ecosystems. Specifically, the study examined species richness, species
diversity, community composition, as well as relationships between key environmental variables,
using seasonal variability due to hydrological dynamics (i.e., the monsoon season). A field-based
faunal survey was performed using standardized sampling techniques. Biodiversity was estimated
using measures of species richness and measures of biodiversity based on the different diversity
indices of Shannon-Wiener Index and Simpson's Index.