Limnological Studies in a Subtropical System (Lake Sattal,India)

A limnological study was carried out in the subtropical Lake Sattal (Kumaun Himalaya) during 1979. The lake was thermally stratified during warm months and a low percentage saturation of dissolved oxygen occurred in the bottom waters. Two maxima of phytoplankton occurred in the Eastern basin in contrast to only one in the Western basin. The peak in the latter developed more than a month (October) after the second peak in the former (August). Bacillariophyceae contributed highest in the Western basin (43.2%) whereas the Dinophyceae had the least share in the Eastern basin (8.0%). Most of the dominant phytoplankters were: Synedra ulna, Fragilaria, Gymnodinium, Crucigenia and Closteridium siamensis. Interestingly, blue-green alga Nostoc, dominated for some time in autumn. A total of 12 genera of rotifers, 6 genera of cladocerans and 1 genus of copepods were found in Lake Sattal basins. Dominant zooplankters included Keratella, Cyclops, Anuraeopsis, Polyarthra and Trichocerca, and there is a high ratio of rotifers to copepods and cladocerans. On comparing the averaged values of both the basins, the Eastern basin showed a 64% larger population of zooplankton than the Western basin. A comparison is made with the plankton of the other subtropical lake-systems of this region.