Abstract

The present work is aimed at comparing the various diversity indices applied to crustacean community assemblages in the Wular Lake during September 2010 to August 2011. In all, 42 taxa were identified, of which 23 were Cladocera, 16 were Copepoda and only 3 were Ostracoda. Different species have different ecological requirements which enable them to thrive well in their ecological niches which determine the patterns and extent of community structure in an ecosystem. Various indices were used to assess the basic community structure of crustacean zooplankton, their species distribution and interactions so as to have an insight into the ecosystem health at large. The study further reveals direct relationship between Shannon-Wiener, Simpson and high evenness indices. However, sensitivity to sample size is an important aspect in majority of the indices.

Key words: Crustacean, comparison, diversity indices, Shannon-Wiener, Simpson.