Evaluation and Quantification of Zooplankton Diversity of Ottu Reservoir in Haryana, India

The study was carried from March 2021 to June 2021. The evaluation of the zooplanktonic population revealed that there were 17 genera of zooplankton belongs to class Copepoda (9 genera), Rotifera (2 genera), Cladocera (4 genera), and Protozoa (2 genera). The highest abundance of zooplankton was observed at Site 4 (77,520 no/L), while the lowest was at Site 1 (33,150 no/L). Among all groups, Cladocera was found to be dominant. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index ranged from a maximum of 3.10 at Site 1 to a minimum of 2.82 at Site 4. Significant variation was observed in zooplankton abundance across sites and months. The findings emphasize the role of zooplankton as bioindicators and provide baseline data for ecological assessment and management of the Ottu reservoir.