Phycodiversity Study of Lord Hanuman Temple Pond in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The present study documented the microalgal diversity of Lord Hanuman Temple Pond, Arakkonam, through a qualitative survey conducted during a single sampling period. A total of 24 microalgal taxa were identified, representing four kingdoms (Bacteria, Plantae, Chromista, and Protozoa), six phyla, eight classes, twelve orders, and eighteen families. Among these, Plantae was the most represented kingdom, while Chlorophyta constituted the dominant phylum with nine recorded taxa. Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae comprised the highest number of recorded taxa among the identified classes. The physicochemical characteristics of the pond water during sampling included a pH of 7.31, turbidity of 30.3 NTU, total dissolved solids of 169 mg/L, electrical conductivity of 241 µS/cm, and moderate concentrations of nutrients and major ions. These findings provide a baseline inventory of the microalgal taxa and physicochemical characteristics of Lord Hanuman Temple Pond during the study period. However, the qualitative occurrence of these taxa from a single sampling event does not permit conclusions regarding ecological stability, primary productivity, trophic status, or water quality. Future studies involving seasonal sampling, quantitative estimation of species abundance, validated taxonomic identification, and comprehensive physicochemical analyses are required for a robust ecological assessment of the pond ecosystem.