Page 1
Advanced Studies in Biology, Vol. 6, 2014, no. 4, 149 - 168
HIKARI Ltd, www.m-hikari.com
http://dx.doi.org/10.12988/asb.2014.4631
Littoral and Limnetic Phytoplankton Distribution
and Biodiversity in a Tropical Man-Made Lake,
Malaysia
Asma’ Jamal1, Fatimah Md. Yusoff1, 2*, Sanjoy Banerjee1
and M. Shariff 1, 3
1Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Bioscience; 2Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture;
3Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
*Corresponding author: Prof. Fatimah Md. Yusoff
Copyright © 2014 Asma’ Jamal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The distribution of the phytoplankton community in different zones of Putrajaya
Lake, Malaysia was analyzed from October 2009 to September 2010 to examine
the zonal-distribution relationship. Three stations representing three different lake
zones namely Station 1 (littoral zone), Station 2 (sub-littoral zone) and Station 3
(limnetic zone) were selected. Water transparency, temperature, pH, dissolved
oxygen and conductivity were found to be important factors characterizing each
zone. A total of 148 species from 77 genera were recorded throughout the
sampling duration from October 2009 until September 2010. During this period,
Chlorophyta was the most abundant group (59% of the total phytoplankton),
followed by Pyrrhophyta (15%), Cyanobacteria (11%), Bacillariophyceae (9%),
Chrysophyceae (3%), Cryptophyta (2%) and Euglenophyta (1%). The highest
mean density of phytoplankton was recorded in the limnetic zone (433.94 ± 18.29
cells ml-1), followed by sub-littoral (292.94 ± 18.61 cells ml-1) and littoral zone
(199.58 ± 13.56 cells ml-1). There was a significant difference in the Shannon-
Wiener diversity index for phytoplankton diversity and abundance in all three
zones (p<0.05) with limnetic zone demonstrating the highest species diversity.
Page 2
150 Asma’ Jamal et al.
Species commonly found in the sub-littoral area also dominated both littoral and
limnetic phytoplankton communities suggesting that sub-littoral zone acted as an
interphase for phytoplankton adaptation and migration between the two different
zones. The findings suggest that spatial distribution and diversity of the
phytoplankton community can be affected significantly by local lake zonation
characterized by environmental variations.
Keywords: Phytoplankton community, Species diversity, Tropical lake
1. Introduction
The phytoplankton community is known for their spatial and temporal
dynamics throughout the water column. They float freely, populating the euphotic
zone or upper strata of water bodies by controlling buoyancy by means of gas
vacuoles, flagella or metabolic processes [7]. Their dynamics are a function of
multiple environmental processes that affect a lake system including climatic,
physical and chemical changes [14]. The detailed consideration of the biology of
lakes and other water body types begins with the phytoplankton as they form the
base line of the aquatic food web. Thus, the dynamics of the rest of the biological
community is dependent to a very large extent on these photosynthetic
microorganisms. In tropical lakes, variation in the succession and periodical
pattern of phytoplankton community is strongly associated to meteorological
factor and water stratification mixing process caused by the prevailing wind, in
contrast to temperate environment where high temperature fluctuations in
accordance to changing seasons exert major influence [36, 38].
Lakes have regions that are well defined by boundaries and physical
characteristics which clearly define local communities and their niche [43]. Lake
boundaries have different abiotic conditions, resulting in different species that can
adapt within the given condition. Nevertheless, phytoplankton possesses the
capacity to tolerate and co-occur even though each species may have a specific
niche based on its physiological requirements and the constraints of the
environment. The variability of morphometric features and physico-chemical
parameters affect the development of specific types of aquatic macrophytes, the
communities of which in turn play the habitat-making role, changing both the
physical and chemical conditions, thus creating the substrate and refuges for
aquatic organisms [29].
The phytoplankton community structure has been adopted as an important
biological indicator due to its ability to respond rapidly and predictably to a wide
range of pollutants and environmental changes [35]. Knowledge on the changes in
phytoplankton biomass and species composition across time and space can
provide useful early warning signals of degrading conditions and the possible
Page 3
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 151
causes [15]. Nevertheless, the effects of different local regions in a lake towards
the dynamics of phytoplankton population are rarely studied and understood.
There have been few published studies focusing on the effect of different lake
zones on the phytoplankton community structure within a single lake body.
Understanding how the in-lake factors affect the dynamics of phytoplankton
community as the primary producer may help in future lake management. The
objective of this study was to examine the zonal-distribution relationship of
phytoplankton community in terms of their density and diversity in littoral and
limnetic areas in Putrajaya Lake, Malaysia.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Study site description
The data used in this study were collected from the man-made Putrajaya
Lake, located in the heart of the Malaysian federal government administrative
center which holds the concept of city-in-a-garden. Putrajaya Lake was created in
1997 by the flooding of two rivers – Chuau river and Bisa river. It was primarily
designed to enhance the natural aesthetic appeal of the city besides providing
recreational water-based activities. It is an integrated lake with yet the biggest
constructed wetlands in the tropics which covers an area of 600 ha. The lake body
which occupies some 400 ha and located in the southern part of the wetland
receives water inflow from the wetland which acts as a natural filtering system for
the lake. The wetland adopts a multi-cell and multi-stage designed system to
enhance hydraulic performance and retention of pollutants. The Putrajaya Lake
and its associated wetland catchment is a part of the bigger Sungai Langat river
basin within the state of Selangor. Average rainfall in Putrajaya Lake ranged from
205.3 mm to 237.0 mm according to lake zones.
2.2. Sampling
Sampling was done monthly from October 2009 until September 2010.
Three stations representing different zones of the lake were selected. Station 1
was characterized by dense macrophytes and located close to the dam separating
the wetland from the lake; Station 2 was an area at one of the arms of the lake,
between the riverine and the lacustrine zones, characterized by lesser submerged
aquatic plants; while Station 3 was a region above the main dam, situated in the
central part of the lake constituting an open water without vegetation (Fig. 1).
Phytoplankton samples were collected from each station using a 2 L Van Dorn
water sampler at 0.5 m intervals until photic depth was reached for each station.
The 1 L samples were preserved with Lugol’s iodine and subjected to
identification and enumeration. Basic environmental parameters such as water
temperature, conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured in situ during
Page 4
152 Asma’ Jamal et al.
sampling using the multiparameter water quality meter (YSI 650 MDS). Photic
depth was determined from the water transparency readings which were taken
using a Secchi disc. Meteorological data was obtained from the Putrajaya
Corporation Database Centre.
2.3. Identification and enumeration
Preserved samples were left to settle to the bottom of the measuring cylinder
and concentrated to a 100 ml working volume. Identification of phytoplankton
was based on related identification keys [2, 10, 19, 21, 23]. Enumeration of
phytoplankton was done using an inverted Leitz diavert microscope adopting the
method modified by Legendre and Watt [27]. Samples of 1 ml to 4 ml were
placed in the counting chamber and left to settle for 4 to 24 h prior to transfer to
the microscope stage. Random non-overlapping fields were examined until at
least 150 units of the dominant species were counted [26]. Phytoplankton density
was calculated using the following formula;
No ml-1 =
Where:
C = Number of organisms counted
At = Total bottom area of settling chamber (mm2)
Af = Area of a field (mm2)
F = Number of field counted
V = volume of sample settled (ml)
V1= volume of concentrated sample
V2 = volume of lake water
2.4. Statistical analysis
Diversity of phytoplankton abundance was determined using the Shannon-
Weiner index (H’) and equitability index (J’) run by PRIMER (Plymouth
Routines in Multivariate Ecological Research) version 6. Cluster analysis was
performed to examine the percentage similarity of phytoplankton among stations.
Statistical differences in determining spatial and temporal significance were tested
using the one-way and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences, version 20).
3. Results
3.1. Characterization of lake zones
Mean temperature, pH, conductivity, transparency and dissolved oxygen
values showed significant differences (p<0.05) amongst stations (Table 1). The
(C x At)
(Af x F x V)
x V1
V2
Page 5
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 153
littoral zone showed the lowest water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and
transparency compared to sub-littoral and limnetic zones. On the other hand, the
limnetic station had the highest dissolved oxygen concentration and water
transparency.
3.2. Phytoplankton composition
There were seven phytoplankton groups in Putrajaya Lake which
comprised Bacillariophyceae (diatoms), Chlorophyta (green algae), Cyanobacteria
(blue-green algae), Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates), Chrysophyceae (golden-brown
algae), Cryptophyta (cryptomonads) and Euglenophyta (euglenoids) (Table 2).
Chlorophyta dominated the community with a marked 59% of the total
phytoplankton density, followed by Pyrrhophyta (15%), Cyanobacteria (11%) and
Bacillariophyceae (9%). Chrysophyceae, Cryptophyta and Euglenophyta
contributed a small portion to the phytoplankton abundance with 3%, 2% and 1%,
respectively. A total of 148 species were recorded from 77 genera for all stations
throughout the sampling period (Table 2). The most dominant genus in littoral and
sub-littoral zone was Peridinium whereas Staurastrum dominated the limnetic
zone. The genera Staurastrum from the Desmidiaceae family and Scenedesmus
from Scenedesmaceae accounted as the most diverse genera with 11 and 12
species documented, respectively. In this lake, the Desmidiaceae consisted of
Cosmarium, Euastrum, Spondylosium, Staurodesmus, Pleurotaenium, and
Xanthidium in addition to Staurastrum.
Phytoplankton monthly distribution showed that the highest density
(p<0.05) at the limnetic zone occurred in the wet months (October to December
2009) and gradually declined until the end of the sampling period in September
2010 (Fig. 2). In October 2009, this station recorded a high density of 883.27 cells
ml-1. In the littoral and sub-littoral zones, the phytoplankton densities were highest
only in October 2009 (730.99 cells ml-1 in sub-littoral and 545.66 cells ml-1 in
littoral zone), but quickly declined to densities lower than 500 cells ml-1 for the
rest of the sampling period. Lowest density occurrence was observed in January
2010 for littoral (86.00 cells ml-1) and sub-littoral zones (93.60 cells ml-1).
Although all zones exhibited phytoplankton density fluctuations throughout the
sampling period, the sub-littoral transition zone showed drastic oscillations
compared to adjacent zones which displayed a more gradual change (Fig. 2).
Rapid changes of phytoplankton density in the littoral and limnetic can however
be observed in the early sampling months from October 2009 until January 2010.
Among all stations, limnetic zone had the highest mean total density (p<0.05)
with 433.94 ± 18.29 cells ml-1, followed by sub-littoral (292.94 ± 18.61 cells ml-1)
and littoral zone with 199.58 ± 13.56 cells ml-1 (Fig. 3). The dendrogram showed
two distinct groups at 83% similarity level consisting of limnetic and littoral +
sub-littoral zones (Fig. 4). Limnetic zone showed significantly higher (p<0.05)
abundance of chlorophyta compared to the other areas. On the other hand, the
Page 6
154 Asma’ Jamal et al.
eutrophic indicator groups such as cyanobacteria and euglenophyta were higher
(p<0.05) in littoral and sub-littoral zones compared to the open water area (Fig. 5).
3.3. Phytoplankton diversity
Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) was highest in the limnetic zone
followed by sub-littoral and littoral zone (Fig. 6). Species evenness (J’) was
highest in limnetic zone and lowest in sub-littoral zone. The differences were
significant (p<0.05) across all sampling stations.
4. Discussion
All three sampling stations of Putrajaya Lake had different characteristics
in terms of location, depth and water quality. The phytoplankton community was
dominated by the chlorophytes, which was similar to most phytoplankton
community structure in tropical lakes [5, 15, 22, 25]. Domination by specific
phytoplankton group depends on the trophic status of a lake [4], which is further
determined by the availability of nutrients especially nitrogen and phosphorus [17,
18]. In addition, the tiny sizes and protruding structures of the cells provide
competitive advantage to most species of chlorophytes due to high surface volume
ratio and increased nutrient diffusion rates [34]. Biswas and Nweze [39] reported
that a desmid, Cosmarium, was dominant in a shallow African lake. Sharma [4]
attributed the dominance of desmids to the low pH, low conductivity and the
oligotrophic nature of the water, similar to the characters exhibited in the limnetic
zone of Putrajaya lake. Desmids in the limnetic zone were 23.86% of the total
phytoplankton as compared to sub-littoral and littoral zones where desmids
accounted 10.03% and 8.93%, respectively.
The phytoplankton community abundance can be a useful indicator of the
trophic conditions of lake zones based on their relative abundance [14]. The
desmid genus Staurastrum, and dinoflagellates Peridinium which were found
dominant in the present study are generally found in oligotrophic waters [35]. The
presence of chrysophytes in combination with one or two other algal groups,
which can be the cryptophytes, diatoms and/or dinoflagellates indicates
oligotrophic or mesotrophic conditions [8]. Malek et al. [42] in their study on the
Bacillariophyceae dynamics indicated that Putrajaya Lake trophy interchanged
between oligotrophic to mesotrophic.
Phytoplankton group composition in Putrajaya Lake is comparatively
similar to Lake Chini, Pahang, Malaysia [3] and Banglang Reservoir, Pattani in
Southern Thailand [5]. Both studies documented 135 phytoplankton species and
had Staurastrum amongst the most dominant and diverse genus recorded. Other
reports on diversity in lakes across Malaysia showed a high variation depending
Page 7
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 155
on the type, size, and history of the water bodies; e.g. 19 and 33 genera were
recorded from a study in small urban water bodies, Lake Aman and Lake
Titiwangsa, respectively [14], 43 genera were identified in a highly stained
(dystrophic) swamp, Paya Bungor, Pahang [16], and 56 species were documented
from a study in a newly formed Kenyir reservoir, Terengganu [15]. From other
tropical reservoirs such as the Barra Bonita reservoir, Brazil, 131 taxa were
recognized [31].
In contrast to studies by Khuantrairong and Traichaiyaporn [44], and
Ghosh et al. [40], phytoplankton in Putrajaya Lake exhibited high densities in the
wet season. The Botryococcus braunii bloom in the early sampling months near
the littoral zone may have contributed to the high phytoplankton density during
this period (personal observation). The bloom of the same species was also
recorded in the Banglang reservoir coinciding with high concentration of total
phosphorus, ammonium and nitrate [5]. At the same time, high turbidity caused
by heavy rain which led to light limitation and low water transparency in shallow
water bodies might be among the leading factors that inhibited phytoplankton
growth to be lower in the littoral and sub-littoral zones compared to limnetic zone
[11, 44]. This was in accordance to the case in Bera lake [25] which demonstrated
peak abundance of phytoplankton density in the early northeast monsoon
(September until October 1971) in each station sampled, with the open water
region having the highest density (739.4 cells L-1) followed by littoral region
(440.4 cells L-1) and swamp-forest region (124.4 cells L-1). Furtado and Mori [25]
discussed that dominant peak in phytoplankton abundance could be due to
increased nutrient influx favouring temporal development of certain taxa or
caused by the translocation of littoral and sub-littoral phytoplankton to limnetic
area by monsoonal rainfall.
Despite Hutchinson’s [20] statement on non-existing correlation between
lake area and number of phytoplankton species, more recent studies by Jankowski
and Weyhenmeyer [43] including the present study found that larger and deeper
lake areas are associated with higher diversity and species richness. The high
species density and evenness for limnetic zone thus may be closely attributed to
the wider area of the lake represented by the relevant station (Station 3). Study in
the Banglang reservoir also recorded the highest phytoplankton density in the
lacustrine zone and the outflow zone was lower than both lacustrine and transition
zones for phytoplankton densities which ranged from zero to 2.1x109 cells m-3 [5].
Large ecosystems are likely to harbour more species due to higher immigration
rates and lower extinction rates [30]. The optimal depth of distribution for
phytoplankton is in the first 3-5 m of the water column [33]. This supports the fact
that limnetic zone has a deeper sampling depth with highest water transparency
recorded, thus penetration of light was optimum for the growth of phytoplankton
as manifested in the high reading of dissolved oxygen within the water column.
Page 8
156 Asma’ Jamal et al.
On the other hand, the dense growing macrophytes in the littoral zone
might have practically prevented sunlight from penetrating the water column,
impeding growth and flourishing of algae [9]. Density of aquatic macrophytes
largely determines the diversity and abundance of littoral plankton, as discussed in
the study of the plankton community in different habitat conditions of an oxbow
lake [1]. In addition, the presence of macrophytes tends to inhibit the growth of
phytoplankton as demonstrated by the clear water wherever macrophytes
dominate. This study demonstrated significantly higher (p< 0.05) algal diversity
and evenness values in the open water area (3.48 and 0.85, respectively),
compared to areas overgrown with submerged macrophytes (3.24 and 0.83,
respectively), and another area with less vegetation cover (3.32 and 0.82,
respectively). The lesser macrophytes in sub-littoral zone allowed the
phytoplankton to grow more intense with less competition for light source
compared to the littoral zone. Studies on the secondary productivity in Temenggor
reservoir, Perak [32] also showed the same result where Shannon-Wiener
diversity and evenness indices of zooplankton in the limnetic zone were 1.98 and
0.42, respectively, while the littoral zone recorded 1.91 and 0.01, respectively.
The drastic changes in the sub-littoral zone may be due to the movement
and adaptation of sub-littoral species between littoral and limnetic zones, the need
for increased competition on the part of macrophytes, and the more diversified
environmental condition which enabled the coexistence of algal species with
different life strategies [1]. Norizam and Ali [32] observed that zooplankton of
Temenggor reservoir migrated to the limnetic zone in certain period of the day.
Based on this fact, it is regarded that the sub-littoral zone may act as an interphase
for the community to coexist with other communities of different zones or a life
strategy medium. This observation is consistent with the theory on the coexistence
and avoidance of phytoplankton species which postulates that different species
coexist by being constrained by different resources (equilibrium theory of
competition) and that environmental variability permits the coexistence of species
competing for the same resource [44], or as Hutchinson [20] described it as the
paradoxical nature of the phytoplankton.
The relative predominance of flagellated groups (Pyrrhophyta,
Chyrsophyceae, Cryptophyta and Euglenophyta) in littoral and sub-littoral zones
compared to the limnetic zone may be associated to their ability to move best in
lighted water layers especially in shallow lakes [34]. Denser species from the
eutrophic indicator group found in littoral zone suggested the zone was
moderately polluted as euglenoids indicates the effects of organic pollution [41].
Disregarding the Chlorophyta group, Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates) exhibited the
highest density in all zones. Distribution of dinoflagellates is often associated with
chemical characteristics in water, indicating they are widely tolerant and
ubiquitous, especially among genera of Ceratium and Peridinium but with
restriction to certain ranges of pH and dissolved organic matter [12].
Page 9
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 157
Dinoflagellates typically form a minor component in freshwater phytoplankton
communities and they co-occur with their prey, often the diatoms [13], consistent
with the observation in the present study. As for cryptophytes,they normally
present in low numbers and occur in most lakes regardless of trophic state [12,
28].
5. Conclusion
Findings from this study in 2009 and 2010 indicated that the dynamics and
community structure of the phytoplankton community in Putrajaya Lake were
influenced by varying factors that contributed to the different conditions of the
zones at different times of the year. Although the littoral, sublittoral and limnetic
zones looked contiguous, their environmental parameters were dissimilar,
resulting in different phytoplankton abundance and diversity. Apparently, habitat
characteristics were important factors that determined the composition of species
in the community, their life strategies, growth and development. Phytoplankton
richness and diversity were lower in the littoral zone probably due to higher
turbidity, lower light availability and higher abundance of macrophytes compared
to the limnetic area. In addition, the littoral zone was more likely to be subjected
to environmental disturbance from the adjacent land-based activities. Limnetic
zone of the lake, on the other hand, seemed to have a more stable and suitable
environmental conditions for mesotrophic phytoplankton growth, thereby showing
higher species diversity compared to the littoral zone.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Putrajaya Corporation for their support in the field
work and for providing the meteorological data. The same appreciation goes to
Alam Sekitar Malaysia (ASMA) for their cooperation in the sample collection.
References
[1] A. Pasztaleniec, M. Karpowicz and M. Strzałek, The influence of habitat
conditions on the plankton in the Białe oxbow lake (Nadbużański
Landscape Park). Limnological Review, 1 (2013), 43-50.
[2] A. Salleh, Panduan mengenali alga air tawar. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka,
Kuala Lumpur, 1996.
[3] A.A. Kutty, A. Ismail and C.S. Fong, A preliminary study of
phytoplankton at Lake Chini, Pahang, Pakistan Journal of Biological
Sciences, 4 (2001), 309-313.
Page 10
158 Asma’ Jamal et al.
[4] B. Sharma, Limnological studies in a small reservoir in Meghalaya (NE
India). Tropical Limnology, 2 (1995), 187-197.
[5] C. Ariyadej, R. Tansakul, P. Tansakul and S. Angsupanich, Phytoplankton
diversity and its relationships to the physico-chemical environment in the
Banglang Reservoir, Yala Province, Songklanakarin Journal Science and
Technology, 26 (2004), 595-607.
[6] C. Wiedner, and B. Nixdorf, Success of chrysophytes, cryptophytes and
dinoflagellates over blue-greens (cyanobacteria) during an extreme winter
(1995/96) in eutrophic shallow lakes, Hydrobiologia, 369-370 (1998), 229-
235.
[7] D. Findlay and H. Kling, Protocols for measuring biodiversity:
Phytoplankton in freshwater, Ecological Monitoring and Assessment
Network (EMAN), Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater
Institute, Environment Canada, 1988.
[8] D.A. Hunter, C.R. Goldman and E.R. Byron, Changes in the
phytoplankton community structure in Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada,
Verhandlungen des Internationalen Verein Limnologie, 24 (1990), 505-
508.
[9] D.G. George and S.I. Heaney, Factors influencing the spatial distribution
of phytoplankton in a small productive lake, Journal of Ecology, 66
(1978), 133-155.
[10] D.M. John, B.A. Whitton and A.J. Brook, The freshwater algal flora of the
British Isles: An identification guide to freshwater and terrestrial algae,
Cambridge University Press, 2002.
[11] E. Litchman, Population and community responses of phytoplankton to
fluctuating light, Oecologia, 117 (1998), 247-257.
[12] F.J.R. Taylor and U. Pollingher, Ecology of dinoflagellates. The biology of
dinoflagellates, Blackwell Scientific Oxford, 1987.
[13] F.J.R. Taylor, M. Hoppenrath and J.F. Saldarriaga, Dinoflagellate diversity
and distribution, Biodiversity and Conservation, 17 (2008), 407-418.
[14] F.M. Yusoff and I. Patimah, A comparative study of phytoplankton
populations in two Malaysian lakes. International Association of
Theoretical and Applied Limnology, 24 (1994), 251-257.
Page 11
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 159
[15] F.M. Yusoff, C.M. Happey-Wood and A. Anton, Vertical and seasonal
distribution of phytoplankton in a tropical reservoir, Malaysia,
International Review of Hydrobiology, 83 (1998), 121-134.
[16] F.M. Yusoff, M. Mohsin, A. Khair, A. Satar and M. Kamal, Phytoplankton
composition and productivity of a shallow tropical lake, Pertanika, 7
(1984), 101-113.
[17] F.M. Yusoff and C.D. McNabb, Effects of nutrient availability on primary
productivity and fish production in fertilized tropical ponds. Aquaculture,
78 (1989), 303-319.
[18] F.M. Yusoff and C.D. McNabb, The effects of phosphorus and nitrogen
addition on phytoplankton dominance in tropical ponds. Aquaculture
Research, 28 (1997), 591-597.
[19] G.E. Hutchinson, Introduction to lake biology and the limnoplakton, John
Wiley & Sons, 1966.
[20] G.E. Hutchinson, The Paradox of the Plankton, The American Naturalist,
95 (1961), 137-145.
[21] H.G. Barber and E.Y. Haworth, A guide to the morphology of the diatom
frustule: with a key to the British freshwater genera, Kendal: Freshwater
Biological Association, 1981.
[22] J. Kalff and Watson, Phytoplankton and its dynamics in two tropical lakes:
a tropical and temperate zone comparison, Hydrobiologia, 138 (1986),
161-176.
[23] J.D. Wehr, Freshwater algae of North America: ecology and classification,
Academic Press, 2002.
[24] J.D. Wehr, R.G. Sheath, D.W. John and G.S. Robert, Freshwater habitats
of algae. In: Freshwater algae of North America Burlington: Academic
Press, 2003, 11-57.
[25] J.I. Furtado and S. Mori, Tasek Bera: the ecology of a freshwater swamp,
Dr. W. Junk Publishers, 1982.
[26] J.W.G. Lund, C. Kipling, and E.D. Cren, The inverted microscope method
of estimating algal numbers and the statistical basis of estimations by
counting, Hydrobiologia, 11(1958), 143-170.
Page 12
160 Asma’ Jamal et al.
[27] L. Legendre and W. Watt, On a rapid technique for plankton enumeration,
Annales de l'Institut océanographique, 48 (1971), 173-177.
[28] M. Dokulil, Seasonal and spatial distribution of cryptophycean species in
the deep, stratifying, alpine lake Mondsee and their role in the food web,
Hydrobiologia, 161 (1988), 185-201.
[29] M. Scheffer, Ecology of shallow lakes, Springer, 2004.
[30] M. Stomp, J. Huisman, G.G. Mittelbach, E. Litchman and C.A.
Klausmeier, Large-scale biodiversity patterns in freshwater phytoplankton,
Ecology, 92 (2011), 2096-2107.
[31] M.C. Calijuri, A.C.A. Dos Santos and S. Jati, Temporal changes in the
phytoplankton community structure in a tropical and eutrophic reservoir
(Barra Bonita, S.P.-Brazil), Journal of Plankton Research, 24 (2002), 617-
634.
[32] M.M. Norizam and A. Ali, A comparative study on the secondary
productivity of the littoral and limnetic zone of Temenggor Reservoir,
Perak, Malaysia, Journal of Bioscience, 1 & 2 (2000), 1-10.
[33] M.R. Ndebele-Murisa, C.F. Musil, and L. Raitt, A review of
phytoplankton dynamics in tropical African lakes, South African Journal
of Science, 106 (2010), 13-18.
[34] M.R.M. Lopes, M. Bicudo, M.C. Ferragut, Short term spatial and temporal
variation of phytoplankton in a shallow tropical oligotrophic reservoir,
southeast Brazil, Hydrobiologia, 542 (2005), 235-247.
[35] N. Ngearnpat and Y. Peerapornpisal, Application of desmid diversity in
assessing the water quality of 12 freshwater resources in Thailand, Journal
of Applied Phycology, 19 (2007), 667-674.
[36] P.J. Ashton, Seasonality in Southern Hemisphere freshwater
phytoplankton assemblages, Hydrobiologia, 125 (1985), 179-190.
[37] R.G. Wetzel, Limnology, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1975.
[38] R.G. Wetzel, Limnology: lake and river ecosystems, Academic Press,
2001.
[39] S. Biswas and N. Nweze, Phytoplankton of Ogelube Lake, Opi, Anambra
State, Nigeria, Hydrobiologia, 199 (1990), 81-86.
Page 13
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 161
[40] S. Ghosh, S. Barinova and J.P. Keshri, Diversity and seasonal variation of
phytoplankton community in the Santragachi Lake, West Bengal, India,
QScience Connect, 3 (2012), 1-19.
[41] S. Ligęza and E. Wilk-Woźniak, The occurrence of a Euglena pascheri
and Lepocinclis ovum bloom in an oxbow lake in southern Poland under
extreme environmental conditions, Ecological Indicators, 11 (2011), 925-
929.
[42] S. Malek, A. Salleh and M.S. Baba, Prediction of population dynamics of
Bacillariophyta in the tropical Putrajaya Lake and Wetlands (Malaysia) by
a recurrent artificial neural networks. In: Environmental and Computer
Science, ICECS '09, Second International Conference, 2009, 407-410.
[43] T. Jankowski and G.A. Weyhenmeyer, The role of spatial scale and area
in determining richness-altitude gradients in Swedish lake phytoplankton
communities, Oikos, 115 (2006), 433-442.
[44] T. Khuantrairong and S. Traichaiyaporn, Diversity and seasonal
succession of the phytoplankton community in Doi Tao Lake, Chiang Mai
Province, Northern Thailand, The Natural History Journal of
Chulalongkorn University, 8 (2008), 143-156.
Table 1: Mean values ± SE and range of environmental variables of Putrajaya
Lake at different stations. Values in rows having different superscripts are
significantly different at p<0.05. Number of samples (n) of each zone is given in
parentheses.
Physico-chemical
parameters
Zones
Littoral (n=92) Sublittoral (n=112) Limnetic (n=168)
Mean±SE Range Mean±SE Range Mean±SE Range
Temperature (oC) 30.94±0.13a 28.66-34.30 31.85±0.09b 29.92-34.01 31.09±0.07a 29.15-33.55
pH 6.67±0.03a 5.61-7.18 7.07±0.04b 6.11-7.74 6.97±0.03b 6.14-7.51
Conductivity (µS cm-1) 81.54±1.38b 65.00-134.00 84.54±0.66c 70.00-98.00 75.88±0.48a 66.00-87.00
Transparency (m) 1.05±0.03a 0.40-1.80 1.21±0.04b 0.30-1.80 2.04±0.04c 1.20-3.00
Dissolved oxygen (mg l-1) 7.00±0.11a 4.10-8.90 7.79±0.08b 5.60-9.07 8.05±0.08b 5.05-9.56
Page 14
162 Asma’ Jamal et al.
Table 2: Mean densities (cells ml-1 ± SE) and percentages (%) of dominant phytoplankton
genera in different zones of Putrajaya Lake during September 2009 to October 2010.
Genera Phyla/Family Number of
species
Littoral zone Sublittoral zone Limnetic zone
Mean±SE % Mean±SE % Mean±SE %
Peridinium Pyrrhophyta 5 29.65±3.76 14.86 46.83±.92 15.98 51.95±2.46 11.97
Chroococcus Cyanobacteria 5 15.69±2.24 7.86 25.23±2.93 8.61 29.98±2.22 6.91
Scenedesmus Chlorophyta 12 13.81±1.57 6.92 20.27±1.86 6.92 20.98±1.10 4.84
Crucigenia Chlorophyta 4 13.67±1.23 6.85 21.06±2.18 7.19 23.91±1.67 5.51
Staurastrum Chlorophyta 11 10.86±2.17 5.44 14.75±1.52 5.03 62.33±4.24 14.36
Cryptomonas Cryptophyta 1 10.02±2.78 5.02 4.84±1.19 1.65 2.91±0.63 0.67
Selenastrum Chlorophyta 2 9.58±1.30 4.80 24.84±2.95 8.48 21.57±2.42 4.97
Botryococcus Chlorophyta 1 8.36±0.81 4.19 7.25±0.61 2.47 6.81±0.47 1.57
Tetraedron Chlorophyta 3 6.58±1.00 3.30 8.49±1.01 2.90 19.84±1.36 4.57
Dinobryon Chrysophyceae 2 6.16±0.54 3.08 9.26±1.23 3.16 6.65±0.66 1.53
Chlorobion Chlorophyta 1 5.91±0.60 2.96 8.52±1.11 2.91 11.20±0.95 2.58
Closterium Chlorophyta 1 5.44±0.87 2.73 4.30±0.48 1.47 13.51±1.10 3.11
Cyclotella Bacillariophyceae 1 5.44±0.66 2.72 7.22±0.75 2.46 8.68±0.73 2.00
Spaerotaenia Chlorophyta 1 5.33±0.54 2.67 8.69±0.90 2.96 18.38±1.07 4.24
Oscillatoria Cyanobacteria 2 4.06±0.46 2.03 3.36±0.63 1.15 2.78±0.34 0.64
Ankistrodesmus Chlorophyta 4 3.85±0.57 1.93 5.05±0.79 1.72 14.75±1.80 3.40
Chlorella Chlorophyta 1 3.81±1.16 1.91 3.45±0.84 1.18 3.92±0.79 0.90
Staurodesmus Chlorophyta 2 3.50±0.94 1.75 4.85±0.88 1.66 23.51±3.28 5.42
Gleocystis Chlorophyta 2 3.43±0.39 1.72 7.59±1.05 2.59 9.64±0.90 2.22
Achnanthes Bacillariophyceae 1 3.14±0.43 1.57 5.51±0.54 1.88 9.71±1.07 2.24
Euglena Euglenophyta 6 2.90±0.50 1.46 2.40±0.55 0.82 2.17±0.31 0.50
Aphanocapsa Cyanobacteria 2 2.57±0.40 1.29 2.75±0.35 0.94 5.06±0.62 1.17
Cosmarium Chlorophyta 4 2.33±0.56 1.17 2.99±0.48 1.02 9.79±1.16 2.26
Mallomonas Chrysophyceae 3 1.68±0.29 0.84 2.32±0.46 0.79 2.71±0.30 0.62
Characium Chlorophyta 1 1.65±0.24 0.82 1.96±0.32 0.67 4.31±0.51 0.99
Asterococcus Chlorophyta 1 1.27±0.23 0.64 2.18±0.31 0.74 4.36±0.53 1.00
Trachelomonas Euglenophyta 3 1.26±0.29 0.63 0.97±0.26 0.33 0.69±0.15 0.16
Diatoma Bacillariophyceae 1 1.15±0.26 0.58 0.92±0.25 0.31 2.63±0.40 0.61
Melosira Bacillariophyceae 1 1.14±0.26 0.57 4.24±1.08 1.45 5.21±0.48 1.20
Spondylosium Chlorophyta 1 1.13±0.21 0.57 6.80±1.15 2.32 7.92±1.10 1.83
Oocystis Chlorophyta 2 1.11±0.23 0.55 1.87±0.33 0.64 2.86±0.40 0.66
Coscinodiscus Bacillariophyceae 1 1.10±0.27 0.55 0.66±0.17 0.23 1.66±0.30 0.38
Ceratium Pyrrhophyta 1 0.68±0.18 0.34 4.19±0.62 1.43 1.71±0.20 0.39
Microcystis Cyanobacteria 2 0.63±0.21 0.32 2.12±0.49 0.72 1.08±0.14 0.25
Stauroneis Bacillariophyceae 1 0.57±0.12 0.28 0.52±0.15 0.18 3.98±0.73 0.92
Nitzschia Bacillariophyceae 1 0.19±0.06 0.10 2.01±1.06 0.68 0.74±0.36 0.17
Others 55 9.93±0.80 4.98 12.71±2.00 4.34 14.02±0.97 3.23
Page 15
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 163
Figure 1: Geographical location of the study area and sampling stations in
Putrajaya Lake, Peninsular Malaysia.
Page 16
164 Asma’ Jamal et al.
Figure 2: Changes of monthly mean total density (cells ml-1 ± SE) of
phytoplankton community in different zones of Putrajaya Lake.
Page 17
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 165
Figure 3: Mean total densities (cells ml-1 ± SE) of phytoplankton community in
different zones of Putrajaya Lake. Mean values with different superscripts
indicate significant difference at p<0.05.
199.58a±13.56
292.94b±18.61
433.94c±18.29
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Littoral Sublittoral Limnetic
Mea
n t
ota
l den
sity
(ce
lls m
l-1)
Page 18
166 Asma’ Jamal et al.
Figure 4: Dendrogram of phytoplankton mean total density (cells ml-1) according
to zones in Putrajaya Lake.
Page 19
Littoral and limnetic phytoplankton distribution and biodiversity 167
Figure 5: Mean density percentages (%) of phytoplankton groups in different
zones of Putrajaya Lake.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Littoral Sublittoral Limnetic
Ph
yto
pla
nkt
on
gro
up
per
cen
tage
(%
)
Euglenophyta
Cryptophyta
Chrysophyta
Pyrrhophyta
Cyanophyta
Chlorophyta
Bacillariophyta
Page 20
168 Asma’ Jamal et al.
Figure 6: Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) and species evenness (J’) of
different zones in Putrajaya Lake. S is number of species.
Received: June 1, 2014
S=146 S=142 S=1450,8
0,81
0,82
0,83
0,84
0,85
0,86
3,00
3,10
3,20
3,30
3,40
3,50
3,60
Littoral Sublittoral Limnetic
Spec
ies
even
nes
s (J
')
Div
ersi
ty in
dex
(H
')
H' J'