Plant biodiversity and ecology of selected aquatic vegetation of Odisha, India

Floral composition and structural parameters of 15 perennial water bodies (sites) on the east coast of India situated in Ganjam district of Odisha were investigated. Fifty quadrats, each 50 cm x 50 cm in size, were randomly placed at each site for vegetation analysis. A total of 61 species under 49 genera and 30 families were recorded in the water bodies. Out of the total species, 55 species belong to angiosperms, two species to pteridophytes and four species to algae. The floristic composition differed from site to site; the maximum degree of similarity index between the sites was 50. Nymphoides hydrophylla (Lour) Kuntze and Scirpus articulatus L. occurred in most of the sites (13 sites). Azolla pinnata exhibited the highest number of individuals (172.8 ind. m(-2)) on one site followed by Utricularia aurea Lour (86.9 ind. m-2) on the other. Utricularia aurea was predominant in two sites exhibiting the highest Importance value index followed by Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) in one site. The other dominant species were Ipomoea carnea Jacq, Lemna polyrhiza L.,. Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., Nymphoides hydrophylla etc. The Shannon diversity index (H-1) varied between 0.73 and 1.26 and the Simpson's dominance index (C) between 0.07 and 0.31.