Title: Arsenic biogeochemical cycle through microbial activity and biodiversity status of Shimsha River in Karnataka, India

Authors: Jayalaxmi Shetty; D. Sannadurgappa

Addresses: Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India ' Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India

Abstract: The biodiversity status of fishes was assessed according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria from Shimsha River in Karnataka. However, with a growing population the freshwater fishes, resources are under great pressure and affected 30% livelihood. The results showed that populations of the majority of fish species had a significant decline over the past five decades. The most significant categories of threats derive from: pollution from agriculture pesticides, habitat loss and degradation, over exploitation, eutrophication, dynamiting, chemical and herbal poisons, use of insecticides as poisons, destruction and modification of habitats and misguided human perceptions and a wide array of prohibited fishing methods are rampant and that led to destruction of biodiversity habitat of fishes. Microbial reduction as was evidenced in all the enrichments carried out in anaerobiosis.

Keywords: freshwater fishes; fish diversity; livelihood conservation; arsenic bioremediation; biogeochemical cycle; microbial activity; biodiversity; India; anaerobiosis; environmental pollution; water pollution; agricultural pesticides; habitat loss; habitat degradation; over-exploitation; eutrophication; dynamiting; chemical poisons; herbal poisons; insecticides; habitat destruction; habitat modification; prohibited fishing methods.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2013.055153

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2013 Vol.14 No.2, pp.132 - 149

Published online: 30 Jun 2014 *

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