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Phytoplankton Community Composition and Seasonal Variation in Mangrove Ecosystem at Sandspit Karachi, Along the Sindh Coast

Thesis Info

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Author

Mahwish Akrum

Program

PhD

Institute

University of Karachi

City

Karachi

Province

Sindh

Country

Pakistan

Thesis Completing Year

2018

Thesis Completion Status

Completed

Subject

Marine Biology

Language

English

Link

http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/11557/1/Mahwash%20Akrum_Marine%20Bio_2018_UoK_PRR.pdf

Added

2021-02-17 19:49:13

Modified

2024-03-24 20:25:49

ARI ID

1676726943968

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Generally the information on the phytoplankton community occurring in the mangrove swamps at Sandspit backwaters (Pakistan) with considerable anthropogenic activities and influx of pollutants is lacking. The dearth of information has compelled to undertake the present study to assess the community structure of phytoplankton and its variability with respect to season and environmental conditions in Sandspit mangrove swamps. In addition, it was also aimed at the measurement of diatom growth in these polluted waters. The present study thus constitutes the first conclusive report on the ecology and chemistry of semiarid mangrove habitat of Sandspit back water at Karachi, Pakistan borders the northern Arabian Sea. In this research the distribution and diversity of marine phytoplankton are investigated. The results are presented as research chapters. The general introduction (Chapter 1) informs on the mangrove ecosystem and its importance on the coastal productivity. The research conducted in Pakistan in the planktonic community in the coastal waters is also summarized. The research summarizes that mangrove areas in the back waters of Karachi have particularly been ignored and a need to study phytoplankton and their behavior in the polluted mangrove environment is emphasized. The phytoplankton community occurring at the study site was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively (Chapter 2). Species of diatoms appeared to be more diverse and dominant as oppose to dinoflagellates which exhibited very low species diversity. Phytoplankton cell density varied seasonally and their abundance ranged from 0.25 x106-7.044x106 and 0.042x106-5.172x106 cells L‾1 during high and low tide, respectively. Pennate diatoms were highly diversified (23 taxa) as compare to centric diatoms (3 taxa). The low diversity and abundance of phytoplanktons is considered as the result of organic and inorganic pollution fluxed in through Layari River into the area. Chapter 3 presents diatom community composition and environmental variables affecting them in the mangrove ecosystem during summer and winter season, 2015. Centric diatoms were dominated by Cyclotella cf. menenghiana, whereas Cyilndrotheca closterium was the xvi most abundant species in pennate group (Chapter 2). The unfavorable conditions prevailing in the region appear to control low diversity and abundance of diatom species. As there exists no information with reference to their correlation with planktonic community, the present study was therefore carried out to assess the status of commonly polluting metals and pesticides in the sediment and water (Chapter 4) with an aim to present the current status of major components of effluent being fluxed in Sandspit backwaters through Layari and ascertain its influence on the distribution, abundance and diversity of phytoplankton. In this study seven metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, and Zn) were determined at high and low tidal conditions in water and sediments. Overall it was found that Fe and Mn had high concentrations and that Cu, Cr, Zn, Pband Hg maintained low concentrations. Generally, metal concentrations in in the area were found in the following order: Fe>Mn>Cu>Cr>Zn>Pb>Hg. The pollution/comtamination levels in the backwaters due to the Layri River input were assessed using different ecological tools, such as, Contimination factor (Cf), Ecological risk factor (Er) and Pollution load index (PLI). In water at both tidal conditions contamination factor (Cf) values of Cu and Pb were dominated over Cr and Zn and categorized as very high contamination. A comparison between stations for Cf showed preponderance of Cu at St 1 and Pb at St 2. The Cf values of all other metals indicate low contamination level at all stations. This is also evident from the data of PLI values which clearly show that the mangrove habitat in the study area is not as polluted as has been observed in the previous study from same habitat, except for St 1 where PLI was > 1 indicating polluted environment. The very high Rri mainly due to the Cu contamination in water at both high and low tides was noticed. However, no ecological risk in sediment was noted. The results thus endorse that this water body as significantly contaminated and therefore, accumulation of these metals may influence the aquatic life such as seen in case of phytoplankton abundance and diversity recorded in this study. The levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) remained below detection limits though the area is generalviewed asheavilypolluted. Therefore it appears that bioaccumulation and transference of these chemicals from lower to higher trophic levels is not an issue in the area and that the low productivity may be influenced by metals and/or other environmental parameters. In Chapter V in-situ incubation experiments were conducted to assess the growth rate of the diatom community during winter at Sandspit backwater generally considered as polluted. Only a few pollution-resistant diatom species appear to grow in this habitat. A total of nine species were observed in the unfractionated (control) and fractionated samples. Growth rate of seven species were recorded ranging from -1.79 - 1.43 d-1 and 1.61 - 3.21 d-1 in unfractionated and fractionated samples, respectively. Average positive growth of diatom species, on the basis of cell abundance, was 0.8 d-1 in unfractionated (control) and 1.21 d-1 in fractionated samples.Positive growth was recorded for Coscinodiscus sp. (1.43 d-1), Navicula transitans var. derasa (1.39 d-1), C. cf. meneghiniana (0.37 d-1) and Cheaetoceros closterium (0.02 d-1) in unfractionated (control) samples, and Chaetoceros compressus (2.93 d-1), Cyclotella cf. meneghiniana (0.82 d-1), Coscinodiscus sp. (0.54 d-1), and Cylindrotheca closterium (0.53 d-1) in fractionated samples. Negative growth may be attributed to high grazing pressure or slow growth which fails to compete with grazing. The diatom diversity is low and the growth of many species is compromised in this polluted environment but the resistant species grow with the rates comparable to other species reported from cleaner waters.
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مولانا احمد سعید

مولانا احمد سعید
افسوس ہے کہ مولانا احمد سعید صاحب صدر جمعیۃ علمائے ہند نے ۴؍ دسمبر کو انتقال فرمایا، مولانا مرحوم ان علمائے دین میں تھے جن کی پوری زندگی ملک و ملت کی خدمت میں گزری۔ وہ جنگ آزادی کے نامور مجاہد تھے اور اس راہ میں بارہا قیدوبند کی مصیبتیں جھیلیں، مولانا کفایت اﷲ صاحب اور مولانا حسین احمد صاحب مرحوم کے بعد اس طبقہ کے علماء میں ایک مولانا احمد سعید ہی کی ذات رہ گئی تھی۔ وہ بھی ہم سے جدا ہوگئے۔
افسوس کز قبیلۂ مجنون کسے نماند
دینی، ملی اور سیاسی خدمات کے ساتھ مولانا بڑے خوش بیان خطیب تھے، دلی کی ٹکسالی زبان بولتے تھے، باتیں کرتے تو منہ سے پھول جھڑتے تھے، شرافت اور وضعداری میں بھی دلی کی پرانی تہذیب کا نمونہ تھے، طبعاً بڑے زندہ دل اور خوش مذاق تھے جس محفل میں بیٹھتے تھے اپنی باتوں سے پوری محفل کو مائل کرلیتے تھے۔ عرصہ ہوا ایک سیاسی مقدمہ کے سلسلہ میں ان کو کچھ دنوں اعظم گڑھ میں رہنا پڑا تھا۔ دارالمصنفین میں قیام تھا۔ اعظم گڑھ ہی کی عدالت سے ان کو سزا ہوئی اور یہیں کے جیل میں قید ہوئے، اس لیے مولانا کو قریب سے دیکھنے کا موقع ملا، اسی زمانہ سے ان کے حسن اخلاق اور پرلطف صحبت کا جو نقش قائم ہوا تھا وہ اب تک باقی ہے۔ مولانا اپنے دور کی آخری یادگار تھے۔ اس لیے ان کی وفات سے ایک دور کا خاتمہ ہوگیا، اﷲ تعالیٰ اس خادم دین و ملت کو اپنی بے پایاں رحمت و مغفرت سے سرفراز فرمائے۔
(شاہ معین الدین ندوی، دسمبر ۱۹۵۹ء)

 

Development and Evaluation of an Audio System Trainer

Guided by the desire to contribute a little in the development of an innovative instructional technology for the teaching of electronics, this researcher constructed a prototype audio system trainer. Electronics teachers will find the instructional tool convenient and practical to use for visual instruction, laboratory activities and troubleshooting works in electronics. To support the functionality of the audio system trainer, the researcher developed a supplementary laboratory manual. The project whose production costs totaled fourteen thousand two hundred seventy two pesos and fifty centavos (Php 14,272.50) was finished in two weeks’ time. However, this amount is small if compared to the prices of commercially available instructional device developed for the same purpose. The completed project and the supplementary laboratory exercises were evaluated by selected technical faculty members of the College of Industrial Technology of the Bulacan State University, Bulacan Polytechnic College, University of Rizal System, and Lyceum of the Philippines University. Sampling technique as used in the study is both purposive and incidental. The prototype audio system trainer received an over-all mean rating of 4.62 which means that the project is highly acceptable on a set of criteria which includes – physical features, cost, function / operations, and durability. Furthermore, the supplementary laboratory exercises obtained a mean of 4.70 which could be interpreted that the respondents strongly agree on the validity of the manual.

An Evaluation of Early Childhood Special Education Program of Government Deaf & Defective Hearing School in Punjab

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program of Government Deaf & Defective Hearing Schools (GDDHS) in Punjab. To serve this purpose, I conducted an in depth review of literature. Robert Stake‟s Countenance Model, being more suitable for the evaluation of educational programs was selected. According to this model, the ECSE program was evaluated following antecedents---transactions----outcomes pattern. The population of study included principals, special education teachers, young children with deafness, and their parents from all 34 Government Deaf & Defective Hearing Schools working in 31 districts of the Punjab province. A representative sample of principals, special education teachers, young children with deafness (YCWD), and their parents was taken according to the requirements of the study. Depending on the nature, and keeping the objectives and questions of the study in view, certain questionnaires, structured interviews, and achievement tests were prepared. To evaluate the ECSE program for young children with deafness at the antecedents phase, two instruments including: demographic information sheet about young children with deafness, and a structured interview schedule for principals were developed. Curriculum being taught to young children with deafness in GDDHS was also reviewed. At the transaction phase, three instruments including two questionnaires on instructional practices of special education teachers, and their opinions about parental involvement in the education of their young children with deafness, and one structured interview schedule for parents to know their satisfaction on and involvement in the provision of early childhood special education to their young children with deafness were developed. At the outcome phase, eight achievement tests on writing (Urdu & English), mathematics, reading recognition (Urdu & English), speech reading (Urdu & English), and speech were prepared. I collected all data personally. Analysis and interpretation of the collected data were performed in chapter IV applying descriptive and statistical techniques including frequency distribution of responses, t-test, and ANOVA. Qualitative data including review of ECSE curriculum, and interviews were analyzed using narrative technique, and transcribing, coding, and deriving themes which were, subsequently, analyzed on SPSS. The major findings revealed that ECSE program was not fulfilling its objectives of mobilizing parents, professionals, community, and other stakeholders for early detection and intervention of young children with deafness, providing ECSE to all children with deafness from 3-8 years old, teaching Urdu, English, and mathematics to make them functionally literate, preparing them for inclusive education through developing their speech, speech reading, language, communication, and auditory skills. Curriculum for ECSE was not up to the standard. No significant difference was found among instructional practices adopted by special education teachers. Their opinions about parental involvement in the education of their young children with deafness did not show significant difference except on the basis of their academic qualifications. Interviews with parents reflected their less satisfaction on and less involvement in the provision of ECSE to their young children with deafness. The results of achievement tests showed a significant difference in the performance of children with deafness in a deaf school located in Zone IV as compared to other three zones. The reasons included the excessive number of young children with deafness in classes, their late admissions, most of the children having congenital deafness and profound degree of hearing loss, unavailability of hearing aids, lack of additional coaching at home, most of the parents with poor socioeconomic status, and having more than one child with deafness, no plan of action for mobilization of parents, community, and other stake holders, lack of teacher training courses on ECSE, absence of the component of parental training, unavailability of text and work books, lapses in the implementation of inclusive education project, lack of teaching staff in schools, and deficiencies in the ECSE curriculum. All these were proving obstacles in achieving the objectives of ECSE program. On the basis of major findings it was recommended that to maintain quality, restricted number of young children with deafness should be kept in one class. Early detection and intervention, and admissions of children in schools at an early age should be ensured through media campaigns, pamphlets, banners, and visits to remote areas. The parents should be involved in the educational planning and decision making related to the placement of their children in future. Inter family marriages should be avoided. Hearing aids should be provided to all young children with deafness, and their regular use and maintenance should be ensured through developing a monitoring system. Training programs for teachers and parents should be arranged on regular basis. The serious issues of unavailability of text and work books, unimplementation of inclusive education plans, and development of curriculum of K.G.I and K.G.II should be resolved on emergent basis. The instructional practices adopted by the special education teachers should be improved and monitored.