Freshwater Diatoms in the Bashar River of the Yasuj City, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The present study focuses on Diatoms of Bashar Riverof the Yasuj City, Iran. The Bashar River provides a wide scope of identification of algal diversity existing in the River. The River is an important source of water for agriculture and it is essential to assess the quality of water. Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are among the most common types of phytoplankton. Material and Methods: Three sampling stations were selected from the Bashar River. Water samples from the surface were collected at all the sampling stations at monthly intervals for a period of one year. For phytoplankton 1 liter of water samples were collected from three different stations of the River and were kept in the sedimentation column after adding 2-3 ml of 4% formaldehyde solution. Results and Discussions: Mainly five groups of planktonic algae were recorded in the River. In the present river Bacillariophyceae was chiefly represented, while station I exhibited much higher percentage of Diatoms as compared to other stations. In the present investigation, Bacillariophyceae found to be dominant group at all the station. Fragilaria were present in considerable number at all the station.