Composition and Diversity of Phytobenthic Communities Downstream to a Hydroelectric Dam on River Alaknanda in Garhwal Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India

The present work to study the composition and diversity of phytobenthic communities was conducted at downstream to a 330 MW hydroelectric dam, constructed on River Alaknanda, Uttarakhand. In the present study, a total of 48 genera of phytobenthos belonging to 23 families of 9 orders and 5 classes were recorded. The Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae were the most dominant class respectively. Among the genus, Gomphonema and Navicula were the predominant genera that suggest the organic pollution at downstream to dam. Habitat heterogeneity reflects the increased density, diversity and richness of the phytobenthic communities downstream to dam.