2026/01/01 by B K Das, Sangeeta Chakraborty, Shreya Roy +8 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · #Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
paper · doi:10.1525/cse.2025.2858689
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/02/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Tropical wetlands are vital ecosystems that support aquatic biodiversity and sustain the livelihoods of riparian communities. Beledanga, a prominent wetland in West Bengal, serves as a biodiversity hotspot for aquatic organisms. This 3-year study (2019–2021) assessed the diversity, abundance, and environmental responses of macrobenthic invertebrates, recording 17 species across 11 families, including Viviparidae, Ampullariidae, and Unionidae. Environmental stressors such as pollution, habitat degradation, and temperature fluctuations significantly influenced benthic composition and abundance. Diversity indices revealed a maximum species richness of 1.85 and a Shannon diversity index of 1.027. Limnological parameters, particularly water hardness, alkalinity, and specific conductivity, showed positive correlations with macrobenthic abundance, while temperature exhibited a significant negative correlation. Canonical Correspondence Analysis identified key environmental drivers influencing species distribution. Climatic changes, including variations in temperature and rainfall patterns, were also found to impact the abundance of benthic species. The COVID-19 lockdown period provided a natural experiment of reduced anthropogenic activity, during which improved water quality and increased benthic abundance reflected short-term ecosystem recovery. These findings demonstrate the resilience of benthic communities and highlight their role as bioindicators linking ecological integrity with socioeconomic well-being, reinforcing the need for community-based wetland management and sustainable fisheries practices.