<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The presented research was conducted in 2018–2019 in the Peshawar Valley, Pakistan, to study for the first time the effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes. A total of six taxa of charophytes were found at 41 sites in the Peshawar Valley along the banks of seven rivers, 16 streams and two wetlands: <italic>Chara braunii</italic> C.C.Gmelin, <italic>C. connivens</italic> Salzmann ex A. Braun, <italic>C. contraria</italic> A. Braun ex Kützing, <italic>C. globularis</italic> Thuiller, <italic>C. vulgaris</italic> Linnaeus, and <italic>Nitellopsis obtusa</italic> (Desvaux) J. Groves. <italic>Chara vulgaris</italic> was the most abundant species, followed by <italic>C. globularis</italic>, and <italic>C. contraria</italic>. Water pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) were within the permissible limits for Pakistan, while water temperature, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and resistivity showed deviations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that DO affected <italic>Chara vulgaris,</italic> pH and resistivity affected <italic>C. braunii, C. connivens</italic> and <italic>C. globularis</italic>, temperature and ORP affected <italic>C. contraria</italic> and <italic>Nitellopsis obtusa.</italic> Furthermore, CCA showed that TDS, EC, and salinity had no effect on the spatial distribution of <italic>Chara contraria</italic>, <italic>C. vulgaris</italic> and <italic>Nitellopsis obtusa</italic>. <italic>Chara contraria</italic> and <italic>Nitellopsis obtusa</italic> should be protected under VU (Vulnerable) status (IUCN) along with their habitats.</p>
</abstract>

The presented research was conducted in 2018–2019 in the Peshawar Valley, Pakistan, to study for the first time the effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes. A total of six taxa of charophytes were found at 41 sites in the Peshawar Valley along the banks of seven rivers, 16 streams and two wetlands: Chara braunii C.C.Gmelin, C. connivens Salzmann ex A. Braun, C. contraria A. Braun ex Kützing, C. globularis Thuiller, C. vulgaris Linnaeus, and Nitellopsis obtusa (Desvaux) J. Groves. Chara vulgaris was the most abundant species, followed by C. globularis, and C. contraria. Water pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) were within the permissible limits for Pakistan, while water temperature, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and resistivity showed deviations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that DO affected Chara vulgaris, pH and resistivity affected C. braunii, C. connivens and C. globularis, temperature and ORP affected C. contraria and Nitellopsis obtusa. Furthermore, CCA showed that TDS, EC, and salinity had no effect on the spatial distribution of Chara contraria, C. vulgaris and Nitellopsis obtusa. Chara contraria and Nitellopsis obtusa should be protected under VU (Vulnerable) status (IUCN) along with their habitats.

Effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes in the Peshawar Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The presented research was conducted in 2018–2019 in the Peshawar Valley, Pakistan, to study for the first time the effect of water quality on the spatial...

Effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes in the Peshawar Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Dec 03, 2021

Page range: 359 - 372

Received: May 01, 2021

Accepted: Jun 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0031

Keywords
charophytes, spatial distribution, water quality, statistical mapping, CCA, Peshawar Valley, Pakistan

© 2021 Izaz Khuram et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effect of water quality on the spatial distribution of charophytes in the Peshawar Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Dec 03, 2021

Page range: 359 - 372

Received: May 01, 2021

Accepted: Jun 02, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0031

Keywordscharophytes, spatial distribution, water quality, statistical mapping, CCA, Peshawar Valley, Pakistan

© 2021 Izaz Khuram et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
charophytes, spatial distribution, water quality, statistical mapping, CCA, Peshawar Valley, Pakistan