Phytoplankton as indicators of pollution of an urban stream, Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Phytoplankton samples were collected monthly for a period of two years (July, 1997 – June, 1999) from an urban stream using standard methods.  The collections made from each sweep were identified in the laboratory using published keys.  Relative abundance and abundance of the various taxa were calculated using the formulae: N = a n and D = N respectively.

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A total of sixty two (62) taxa, comprising a total of 2100 individuals were collected.  Many of the phytoplankton species (Fragillaria sp., Tabellaria sp., Melosira sp., Cyclotella sp., Pinularia sp., Euglena sp., Phacus sp., Oscillatoria sp., Phormidium sp., Cladophora sp., Anabaena sp., Oscillatoria sp., Phormidium sp., Cladophora sp., and Anabaena sp. etc.) were observed to be either restricted in their distribution or associated with waters of particular quality.  While these biological indices do not reveal the particular types of pollution causing particular damage to the various stations on Bindare stream, they were useful in monitoring the environmental changes