%0 Journal Article %A Shylla, Ophilia %A Ramanujam, P. %D 2013 %I Begell House %K species diversity, trophic status, compound index value %N 3 %P 239-250 %R 10.1615/InterJAlgae.v15.i3.40 %T Effect of Nutrients on Diversity of Algae in Marngar Lake, Meghalaya (India) %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/7dd4467e7de5b7ef,0e7a1914024b39db,720dd31658994559.html %V 15 %X Marngar Lake in Meghalaya is an attractive picnic spot situated between hilly slopes. Recently, a plantation of tea on one hilly side, the cultivation of agricultural crops on the other side, and the use of lake water by the neighboring people for domestic purposes have resulted in the deposition of agricultural and domestic wastes, bringing a noticeable change in the physical and chemical components of the lake. The present paper is an attempt to focus the effect of the level of nutrients in the lake on the distributional pattern of algae in different seasons. A total of 111 species could be recorded in different seasons from the lake. Maximum number of algal species in the lake was recorded in winter (102) but species diversity was highest in the monsoon (2.2) season due to fast growth rate. Bacillariophyta group was the dominant group in all seasons followed by Chlorophyta. Representation of Chlorophyta by desmids, mainly Closterium, Cosmarium and Euastrum, and Bacillariophyta by genera like Cymbella, Gomphonema, Navicula, and Pinnularia indicated the optimum level of nutrients which favoured diverse algal communities. High diversity due to fast growth rate during the monsoon season could be correlated to higher temperature and higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and nitrate entering the lake from the neighboring areas. Compound index value calculated confirmed the mesotrophic nature of the lake. %8 2013-08-14