Effect of Riparian Land Use on Phytoplankton Characteristics of Kwadon Stream, Gombe State of Nigeria

Industrialization and agricultural activities are the two major sources of water pollution. Kwadon stream has long been known for its economic importance such as the provision of water for agricultural and domestic usage. However, poor management was identified as the priority factor affecting the usability of that stream thereby causing water crises in the region. This research was conducted in order to study the effect of the riparian land use on the phytoplankton distribution as well as the variation of its physicochemical parameters. Three sampling sites were selected for this study which includes; Sites A, B and C. Five-minute kicking technique was used for the collection of phytoplankton species. A total of 18 phytoplankton species were surveyed belonging to the families of Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Chrysophyceae, and Myxophyceae. Shannon-weaver diversity index showed that a total of 1289 cells were quantified in all the sampling sites. The most diverse phytoplankton taxa were Chlorophyceae (431 cells), followed by Bacillariophyceae (377 cells), Myxophyceae (266 cells) and then Chrysophyceae (156 cells). In all the phytoplankton taxa, Ankistrodemus sp 103 (55.67%) was most abundance species. The physicochemical parameters measured in site A fell within the water quality standard for freshwater and marine aquaculture which enables it to support highest species score than Sites B and C. Results of this study is important in providing information on how phytoplankton respond to environmental change which can be used as a baseline for pollution control and ways to improve the economic activities in the region.