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Abstract                 Volume:5  Issue-2  Year-2018          Original Research Articles

IJCRBP is now DOI (CrossRef) registered Research Journal. The DOIs are assigned to all published IJCRBP Articles.

Online ISSN : 2349-8080
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Spatiotemporal Variation of Phytoplankton Community Structure in the Crater Lake Barombi Kotto, Cameroon
Awo Miranda Egbe1, Pascal Tabi Tabot2*, Nso Goodenough1 and Fonge Beatrice Ambo1
1Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Buea, Cameroon
2Department of Agriculture, Higher Technical Teachers’ Training College Kumba, University of Buea, Cameroon
*Corresponding author
Abstract:

Lake Barombi Kotto, the second largest crater lake of volcanic origin in Cameroon, is unique in harbouring a large island community and surrounded by hilly landscape in which agriculture is practiced. The high dependence of resident-and visiting populations on this lake prompted an assessment of spatio-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton in relation to abiotic and anthropogenic stressors. Samples were collected in two seasons across a transect, and at two depths, and subjected to physico-chemical, nutrient, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton analyses using standard methods. Descriptions, Analyses of variance, ordinations and correlations were used to analyse resulting data. Results showed that there were significant variations in ToxN and Phosphorus concentrations, which partially drive the observed phytoplankton patterns. There was seasonal and depth stratification, and species changes in some divisions across seasons. The Euglenophycean Index showed that the lake was perpetually eutrophic, with very high abundances of toxic Cyanophyta species that in some cases form associations with Aulocoseira granulata. The inconclusivity of nutrients and other abiotic factors as drivers of phytoplankton richness, abundance and distribution suggest a contribution of anthropogenic factors. These results are significant as they form the first stratified study of this lake that has enormous human and ecological importance.

Keywords: Chlorophyll a biomass, Lake Barombi Kotto, Phytoplankton, Spatiotemporal variation, Toxic Cyanophyta species
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How to cite this article:

Egbe, A. M., Tabot, P. T., Goodenough, N., Ambo, F. B., 2018. Spatiotemporal variation of phytoplankton community structure in the Crater Lake Barombi Kotto, Cameroon.Int.J.Curr.Res.Biosci.Plantbiol. 5(2): 36-55 . doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcrbp.2018.502.005
Copyright: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.