DefinePK

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between water quality and algal diversity is crucial for ecological health assessments. The current study aimed to assess the effects of environmental variables on algal communities using multivariate statistical approaches. The study spanned six administrative units and ten sampling stations, conducted over the summer and winter seasons of 2019–2020. Algal specimens were collected and preserved using standard methodologies, with detailed analyses conducted under microscopes. The study identified a total of 54 species in summer and 61 species in winter. The number of Bacillariophyta species increased by 25.92% during summer to winter, followed by Charophyta by 11.11%. Chlorophyta and Euglenozoa showed no change, while Cyanopyhta experienced a decrease of 16.6%. Temperature variations positively affected Bacillariophyta but negatively impacted Cyanophyta. The highest abundance score was found at the ballogram sampling station and the lowest was found at the Panjigram sampling station. According to the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the total inertia in summer and winter was 0.005. The findings indicate that temperature, pH, TDS, EC, resistivity and salinity are the strongest variables in summer, while temperature, pH, resistivity and salinity significantly affect the species number and distribution of various algal communities in winter. The different statistical analyses revealed the variation in the algal communities in the different seasons. It was concluded that the change in season leads to a quantitative change in the species. The study underscores the need for regular monitoring and management of water quality to preserve the ecological balance and biodiversity of the Swat River.