Biomonitoring of Kulla Beel, a Flood Plain Wet-land, Using Benthic Macro Invertabrates

Abstract

Kulia beel, a flood plain wetland, located in Nadia District of West Bengal is surrounded by hospital, industries and human settlements. In the present study the ecological assessment through biomonitoring was done by using benthic macroinvertebrates collected from five sites during pre-monsoon, monsoon and postmonsoon periods. Average Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H) was found to vary from 0.953 at S2 during pre-monsoon to 1.683 at S3 during post-monsoon. The evenness index (1) varied from a maximum average value of 0.998 at site S-4 to a minimum average value of 0.614 at site S-1 during pre-monsoon seasons. Both the indices indicate the water body to be moderately polluted.