Multivariate assessment of physicochemical parameters and their influence on wetland macrophyte diversity in Godhra, Panchmahal

Graphical abstract illustrating how seasonal variation and water-soil physicochemical gradients influence macrophyte diversity patterns in wetlands W1 and W2 in Godhra, Gujarat. The present study evaluated the diversity of aquatic and wetland macrophytes, and their correlation with water and soil parameters in two wetlands near Godhra, Panchmahal. A total of 48 aquatic and wetland macrophyte species were recorded, with 20 unique to Wetland 1, 16 unique to Wetland 2, and 12 shared between the sites. This resulted in a low Jaccard similarity index of 0.25, indicating distinct macrophyte assemblages between the sites. Significant fluctuations were observed in water parameters including electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, and nutrients, driven by seasonal hydrological shifts and evaporation. Soil organic carbon varied primarily by site, while potassium showed significant site, seasonal, and interaction effects. Dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand demonstrated site–season interactions. Multivariate analysis revealed two primary gradients: ionic–conductivity and temperature–oxygen–nutrients. Correlations linked ionic parameters to nutrients and organic matter. Higher species richness in Wetland 1 is attributed to moderate ionic conditions and stable hydrology, in contrast to the ionic stress and reduced heterogeneity observed in Wetland 2. The findings demonstrate that seasonal hydrology and site-specific factors drive macrophyte diversity. They also highlight the need to conserve heterogeneous wetlands for the preservation of regional aquatic plant diversity.