Influence of Physicochemical Parameters on Distribution and Abundance of Plankton in Lake Geriyo, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the influence of physicochemical parameters on the distribution and abundance of plankton in Lake Geriyo, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria using appropriate standard procedures. The physicochemical parameters showed that the pH of the lake ranged from 6.35±0.07 to 8.56±0.08, Temperature from 6.35±0.07 to 29.22±1.07, Electrical conductivity 147.77±15.75 to 582.22±8.39, Total Soluble Solid 0.02±0.01 to 0.33±0.07, Dissolved Oxygen 2.19±0.20 to 7.76±0.25, Biological Oxygen Demand 1.01±0.22 to 4.89±1.21, Chemical Oxygen Demand 1.27±0.03 to 5.53±1.22, and ammonia recorded 0.24±0.04 to 0.45±0.04. Eight thousand, one hundred and eighty plankton were recorded across all Sites. This comprises of 4756 phytoplankton and 3424 zooplankton. The phytoplankton analysis showed that a total of nine (9) families and zooplanktons had seven (7) groups. Phytoplankton showed that Euglenophyceae, Rhodophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Fragilariophyceae and Cyanophyceae had a positive correlation to pH, D.O, B.O.D, C.O.D, and Ammonia. While, Chlorophyceae, Zygnematophyceae and Ulvophyceae are negatively correlated to pH, Temperature, T.D.S and conductivity. The influence of the environment on the zooplankton composition revealed that malacostraca and Ostracoda showed a positive correlation with Temperature, pH, conductivity, TDS, TSS, while copepoda, monogonta, bdelloidea, insect, and branchiopoda are negatively correlated to temperature, D.O, B.O.D, C.O.D, ammonia.