Algal Diversity in the Streams and Waterfalls of Eastern and North-Eastern Region of India

Two hundred fourteen species of algae were recorded from 12 mountain streams of Odisha and 21 streams and waterfalls of the Eastern Himalayan region covering West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram. Of these Chlorophyta (39), Cyanophyta (31), Heterokontophyta (24) and Euglenophyta (3) were specifically from the streams in Odisha whereas Cyanophyta (43), Chlorophyta (34) and Bacillariophyceae (26) were from the streams and waterfalls of the eastern Himalayan region. The diversity of algae in these two regions of eastern India differing in topography and climatic regime showed a wide variation of occurrence of taxa in these specialized and mostly unpolluted habitats. Only 14 species of algae of which Phormidium grnulatum, Calothrix fusca, Dichothrix orsiniana, Nostoc commune under Cyanophyta, Spirogyra maravillosa, Staurastrum bieneanum var. ellipticum, Stigeoclonium longipilum, Oedogonium wyliei under Chlorophyta and Fragillaria virescence, Synedra ulna, Synedra ulna var. aequalis, Synedra ulna var. amphirhynchus, Synedra ulna var. oxyrhynchus, Cymbella tumida under Bacillariophyceae of Heterokontophyta were recorded in certain streams of both the regions. Of these 214 algal taxa, 97 were recoded first from the Eastern and North-eastern region.