ABSTRACT
Zooplankton is an essential constituent of freshwater ecosystems. They help in regulating phytoplankton and microbial populations via foraging, assisting in the transfer of energy to more complicated trophic ranks. They are exceptionally receptive to altering environmental situations, as the majority of species have very diminutive generation time, ensuring their abundance, diversity, or even community composition. The present chapter was aimed to assess the zooplankton community structure of Hokersar wetland, the Queen wetland of Kashmir Himalaya. The collection of zooplankton was done in Sep. 2012–Aug. 2013 by procuring the water samples in a net made up of silk with a mesh size of 75 meshes per linear cm from 6 collection points. 5% formalin was used as a preservative for the collected samples. A total of 34 taxa encompassing 14 Rotifera (wheel animalcules), 9 Cladocera (water fleas), and Copepoda each and only 2 ostracods were recorded during the entire study. During summer, higher abundance was recorded contrarily; in winter, lower diversity was recorded in the wetland. As far as the dominance pattern of the zooplankton community is concerned, there was the dominance of rotifers followed by cladocerans and copepods in the entire study. Great diversity of zooplankton was observed at the sites having ample growth 206of aquatic plants. From the study, it can be inferred that the species show broad ecological tolerance and stand an extensive range of environmental conditions. During the study, small body-sized plankton was abundant over large ones clearly indicate accelerated eutrophication in the water body. Furthermore, in summer season, there is profusion of small-bodied plankton to larger-bodied plankton is a noteworthy sign of increased cultural eutrophi-cation of the wetland.
