A study on spatio-temporal variations in physicochemical parameters and ciliate community structure of three freshwater bodies from Delhi, India

The present investigation studied the spatial and temporal variation in physicochemical parameters and ciliate community structure at three freshwater sites in Delhi, India. Samples were collected from three freshwater sites, Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS), Sanjay Lake (SL) and Raj Ghat (RJ) in alternate months over 1 year, from September 2018 to August 2019. The water at the OBS site exhibited the lowest pH and electrical conductivity, along with the highest concentration of ammonium. The water at RJ was higher in suspended solids, electrical conductivity, and pH than the other two sites. Ciliates belonging to classes Spirotrichea, Oligohymenophorea, and Prostomatea were dominant in these freshwater samples. Maximum ciliate diversity, richness and evenness were observed in the OBS site. The highest diversity was observed during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, whilst the lowest was during the winter and summer season.