Literature Review

Diatoms are the microscopic algae and are effective biological indicators for monitoring the
changes in water and environmental problems such as climate change, acidification, and
eutrophication. Diatom indices have been developed to monitor eutrophication (Descy and
Coste, 1990; Van Dam et al., 1994; Kelly and Whitton, 1995), organic pollution (Watanabe et
al. 1986) and human disturbance (Fore and Grafe, 2002) Diatoms are key components of
nearly all fresh and saline environments. They fix a major portion of the Earth's carbon,
generate oxygen, and supply high quality food for animals. They are abundant worldwide in
all aquatic environments with sufficient light: oceans, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and even soils
(Dixit et al., 2002). Diatoms are the most dominant group of phytoplankton in the ocean.
They account for approximately 40% of oceanic primary productivity and over 50% of
organic carbon burial in marine sediments.

The external layer of diatom is known as frustule. It consists of two overlapping halves called
thecae. The upper valve is slightly larger as compare to lower valve and is called epitheca and
smaller one is hypotheca and they have specific and uniform patterns of pores and are
connected with silicate gridle bands (Bellinger and Sigee, 2010). Diatoms are differentiated
on the basis of their shapes into two major orders Centric and Pennate having radial
symmetry and isobilateral symmetry respectively. They also vary in sexual reproductivity,
number of plastids, motility and ecology.

History of Diatoms

In-depth study of diatoms was started from the mid-19th century. Before that main focus was
on examine diatoms for taxonomic purposes only but by the mid-19th century a concrete
approach was formed around the world. Numerous scientists and researchers from India and
other parts of the world have examined freshwater, marine and fossilized diatoms of indian
subcontinent.
The first known early Cretaceous diatoms were centric diatoms (those with radial symmetry)
(Gersonde & Harwood, 1990), while pennate diatoms (cells with bilateral symmetry) are first
reported in the late Cretaceous (Strel'nikova, I974 Harwood, 1988).It is believed that centric
diatoms evolve 180million years earlier and are mostly planktonic in nature whereas pennate
diatoms are evolved around 90 million year ago and exhibits both planktonic and benthic
behavior (Sims et al., 2006).

Fossilized diatoms can be useful indicators of past ecological conditions. Extraction and
study of preserved fossilized diatoms from sediments can be helpful in reconstruction of past
environmental conditions and paleoenvironment and paleoclimate modelling (Ryves et al.,
2009 ; Amb and Ahluwalia, 2014).

Diversity of Diatoms in India

Indian subcontinent has a varied landscape and climate because it is surrounded by

Himalayan mountain ranges in the north and indian ocean in the south which provides
numerous habitat conditions for growth of various diatoms. There has been a good
documentation of diatom species from various regions of india but a very less work was done
related to freshwater diatoms from Himalayan rivers.

Biotic communities are known to respond to changes in physical and chemical parameters of
a river. These communities can serve as bio- indicators of water quality of a river ecosystem.
Because diatoms constitute the base of the trophic level in an aquatic system and any impact
on them will in turn have implications on the higher trophic level organisms (Anderson et al.,
1987). Therefore, they play a major role in automatic cleaning of river water.

Anthropogenic activities like urbanization, agriculture and other development projects such
as hydropower projects, big road projects and mining projects etc. threaten or impair
thousands of streams all over the world (Baron et al., 2002). For example, modern
agricultural activities, specifically those associated with emission to water and air can have
significant effects many kilometers from the place of origin (Skinner et al., 1997). The flow
of a river is a major determinant of physical habitat in it, which in turn is a major determinant
of biotic composition. The alteration or water regulation is often claimed to be the most grave
and continuing threat to ecological sustainability of rivers and their aquatic fauna (Niaman,
1995; Sparks, 1995). River current velocity also determine the effect on biotic communities
of a river. At very high current velocities, the algal communities consist of tightly adhering
single celled firms and small, basal cells of filaments (Robinson et al., 2000). River
regulation may cause genetic isolation through habitat fragmentation, and also changes in
nutrient cycle and primary productivity (pringle, 1997). Some effect of water regulation
through dams on rivers and their biota are immediate and evident, but other are gradual and
subtle (Petts, 1980; Brookes, 1994).

Bunn and Arthington (2002) suggested that there are four important principles that can be
link hydrology and aquatic biodiversity and it can be used to explain the consequent impacts
of flow regulation regimes.

These principles are:

1. “Flow is a major determinant of physical habitat in streams, which in turn is a major

determinant of biotic composition.

2. Aquatic species have evolved life history strategies primarily in direct response to their
natural flow regimes

3. Maintenance of natural patterns of longitudinal and lateral connectivity is essential to the

viability of populations of many riverine species.

4. The invasion and success of exotic and introduced species in rivers is facilitated by the
alteration of flow regimes.”